Post AJUbf2NcimdT0gPmRU by ljwrites@writeout.ink
(DIR) More posts by ljwrites@writeout.ink
(DIR) Post #AJUbf10Xp6a2kobppY by ljwrites@writeout.ink
2022-05-15T07:42:11Z
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A corollary to "It's okay to like problematic things" is that it's okay to admit that something you like may be problematic, and ESPECIALLY that you don't speak over people of marginalized identities about what is bigoted against them.
(DIR) Post #AJUbf1NESkjDtBDxC4 by ljwrites@writeout.ink
2022-05-15T07:49:00Z
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Men are not authorities over what is misogynistic. White people are not authorities over what is racist, cis people are not authorities over what is transphobic and so on.
(DIR) Post #AJUbf1irAM1eyFLDto by ljwrites@writeout.ink
2022-05-15T14:46:51Z
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I mean do we really have to rehash the "saying a work is bigoted in some way doesn't mean the author is an irredeemably bad person who must be thrown to the wolves, it means they live in a structurally violent society just like the rest of us and might have unexamined biases that creep into their work" talk? It's true that toxic social environments CAN make it feel like one is throwing a creator to the wolves by making any such critique, but the remedy to that is pushing back against the kind of toxicity that denies learning or growth, not denying that legitimate criticism can exist.
(DIR) Post #AJUbf23luakw177vV2 by ljwrites@writeout.ink
2022-05-15T15:41:10Z
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I am not, of course, saying that people of a dominant identity in a given situation shouldn't have opinions on marginalization--solidarity isn't achieved by a simple "no comment." And it can be genuinely confusing for someone who hasn't experienced a specific bigotry and wants to support their marginalized comrades, when those comrades don't agree among themselves! And this happens all the time, since marginalized people are not a monolith. So what to do? Here are some ideas:First, if there's ambiguity--which is most of the time, in art--err on the side of listening to the intracommunity decision over making a conclusion yourself. In most cases the discussions of bigotry in art by the people who have lived experience with that bigotry are more thought-provoking and informative than a definitive conclusion that it is/is not bigoted, anyway. Second, if there's a degree of consensus in the marginalized group, based on clear principles and facts, that a work is actively harmful, focus on amplifying those voices over making a conclusion for yourself. Do not pass off their opinions as your own, because as a person in a dominant identity you are likelier to be remembered and listened to. Serve your marginalized comrades, don't make them serve you.Third, be EXTREMELY careful about saying "I don't think this work is bigoted" for a bigotry you do not experience. Unless it's made clear by all the marginalized people commenting on the issue, the ones who are actually affected by the bigotry in question, that all the critiques alleging bigotry are bad-faith smears--which is a heck of an allegation, very rarely proven--I would never make such a dismissive conclusion as the privileged person in the situation. If there is reasonable intracommunity disagreement on the issue, listen and abstain from making a public conclusion. Again, the discussion itself is far more illuminating than a definitive conclusion anyway, and listening is how you learn to better support your comrades. At all times, maintain openness to the possibility that there might be bigotry in the work that you are not aware of because it doesn't touch you, and that the marginalized people making the critique are doing so in good faith. Basically, be respectful. It is not respectful to assume that all the marginalized people making a critique about their own marginalization are arguing in bad faith.
(DIR) Post #AJUbf2NcimdT0gPmRU by ljwrites@writeout.ink
2022-05-15T16:08:11Z
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(Discusses the Star Wars sequel trilogy. If you're allergic to SW opinions, run away now :P)I've had experiences myself with discussions of artistic bigotry that I do not personally experience. When I was in Star Wars: The Force Awakens fandom (my crystal ball failed and I didn't know the series would end horribly, sue me), I absolutely loved the character Finn alongside a huge number of Black fans. So I did feel a twinge of defensiveness when some Black fans discussed their discomfort with depictions of Finn and the events of the movie. Instead of lashing out saying My Black Friends loved Finn and the movie, I read their arguments and learned from them. They provided perspectives I did not have because I have not experienced antiblackness as a nonblack person. They made me think about how the same tropes can be received differently due to the echoes and weight of history. I went on loving the movie anyway, I just did so knowing a little more than I did before. And that is far more important, I believe, than declaring whether The Force Awakens is/is not a racist movie. I mean that's nowhere as clear-cut a conclusion as its being a hugely exciting but ultimately somewhat mediocre movie xD
(DIR) Post #AJUbf2g3cFNfvr2VAu by ljwrites@writeout.ink
2022-05-15T23:51:28Z
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(Spoilers for The Vale (2021))There was also the time recently when I discussed ableism in The Vale, an audiogame that has a Blind protagonist, with @weirdwriter . When he called the game ableist during his stream of it, my first instinct was to deny it since after all it was enjoyed by so many Blind people. That was clearly not in my lane as a sighted and abled person, however, and instead I asked and listened to what he meant by ableism in the game. And while there is a difference between depicting ableism in a work and the work being ableist, I was reminded by his critique that the line can sometimes be blurry. I understand it to be much like the tropes where gay characters die tragically or trans characters are subjected to nonstop anti-trans violence--this kind of depiction says that a marginalized person's life is inherently miserable, and defines them by what a violently bigoted society did to them. There are many equivalents to this with other marginalizations, say only "struggle narratives" being deemed worthwhile when it comes to Black characters, or violence against women in "dark and gritty" fantasy. Privileged creators might even come up with such stories in a well-meant attempt at solidarity with marginalized people, but sometimes it has the unfortunate effect of making a spectacle out real-life marginalization.And that is uncomfortably true of The Vale when I think about it: the protagonist Alex's life is shaped by violent ableism for being born Blind, and it's very in her face from beginning to end. She is stripped of her birthright, comes close to being killed at birth, and is exiled to the Borderlands while her brother takes the crown. Enemies throughout the game and even eventual allies comment disparagingly on her being a Blind woman, and she herself shames the final boss into fighting her by taunting his unwillingness to face her in combat. Abled people might think this high drama, a Blind character overcoming ableism to be a hero, but there's nothing new or clever about this to many Blind players who are simply reminded again and again of how sighted people view them. It's a struggle narrative for a Blind character, and while it may not endorse ableism it sure makes a show of Blind people's real-life struggles. It is of course possible to depict ableism without slipping into ableism oneself, but it's easy for abled people to get it wrong which is why we need to listen to disabled people's feedback.