February 1st, 2009

06:44 am

forthwritten: being other - I think part of the thing that's bothered me about the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of 2009 is one of the assumptions that it's built on: that you should write non-white characters exactly as you should write white characters. Because yes, of course we are people first and foremost. -
(tags: writing privilege)

coffeeandink: Some beginning reading on race and racism - it seems to me that the commenters in this round of the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM have a lot of people who, because of race, class, or luck, haven't had to think much about race and racism before. Or maybe you know a huge amount and I just don't recognize you because I'm not the center of the world. ;) But I thought it might be helpful to point towards some beginning reading I've found useful: -
(tags: race racism link)

elfwreck: How insulting can it be, if the audience doesn't understand you? - "nithing" is not a cute LOLCAT crossover of "nitwit" and "nothing." It's an old Norse/Germanic word. Our modern word "nothing" is possibly somewhat derived from it... but it doesn't mean "you don't exist to me." It's a lot closer to "you are so vile and horrific, the universe should re-arrange itself so you don't exist." -
(tags: language privilege)

elspethdixon: Holy mother of God *is horrified* - Holy fuck, she calls fans of color and those who support them nithings.//In terms of offensiveness, as a former student of old English? Fuck, people, that's, well, not as horrible as the other n-word (which, please God, I hope no one's actually said), but it's pretty god-awful. Like, enough that I was reduced to staring at my computer screen in horror. -
(tags: language racism)

yeloson: The privilege of speaking openly - One of the sticks waved around recently was, "We post using our -real names- and that means we're more special than you!". Not everyone has that privilege, especially when you're speaking out against an entrenched oppression. There's always someone willing to bring consequences to you for that. -
(tags: privilege)

lyore: Thoughts on fannish characters (or: It's too damn hot to clean the house) - I'm curious if anyone else out there has such a strong correlation between main character/favourite character, or even a different one. What determines your favourite characters? -
(tags: fandom characters)

beccaelizabeth: Isms suck, like gravity - So, I have a theory://isms suck, like gravity//therefore orbital mechanics is a good way to conceptualise the interaction of texts and isms -
(tags: privilege racism sexism)

tacky_tramp: Oh David Levine No - So yeah, [info]davidlevine, I don't like you very much, I think you're reveling in your white privilege, and it's taken a lot of effort not to be "vitriolic" in this post because I am vibrating with rage.[...]But none of that has anything to do with how you portray people of color in your short stories. It's about how you talk about racism on your blog. -
(tags: racism prowriting)

angiepen: Racism, Cultural Appropriation, and Completely Missing the Point - Anyone who's actually studied the issue of racism knows that there are plenty of journals and web sites all over the place explaining what's what and how to deal with this stuff. Mr. Levine doesn't know that, though, and because he already believes he knows everything there is to know about racism -- what's to know, after all, besides not hating people for their skin color? [sigh] -- he's never thought to go looking. He doesn't know what he doesn't know, so he sees only the most shallow and blatant characteristics of a conversation or interaction about racism. -
(tags: racism participation discussions exchanges writing)

the_merope: He puts his brush to the canvas, with one quick stroke - Voltaire - I firmly believe that when a person decides to tell a fiction, a lie, a tale, a yarn, it's their business how they do it, and what subjects, themes, narrative style, genre, words, images, clichÃ©s, they use, because it is their story. It is not the story of the hundreds and hundreds of individuals and places and texts and art works that inspired it, shaped it, within the sanctity of the author's mind. -
(tags: writing culture privilege)

kita0610: Commentary on commentary - In the current round of conversation regarding cultural appropriation, I can't count how many times I have read comments which say essentially "I don't agree/this isn't my view of the world." -
(tags: privilege fandom)

miriam_heddy: Not like the Other - The idea of "inclusivity" is often simply another erasure. It says, "I will hold this umbrella out over you, but you have to hunch over, walk at my pace, keep to my side, and go where I'm going, because it's my umbrella." -
(tags: culture religion)

trobadora: of course everyone is just like me [poll] - Just curious: When you write original characters and you don't have a reason to specifically make them gay or straight, what happens? -
(tags: poll writing sexuality)

marydell: Poll: Definitions of "Racist" and "Racism" - A Racist Is A Person Who... [POLL] -
(tags: racism poll race)

nenena: And the circle-jerk of racism and fail continues. - Most of you who know me probably know why this hits close to home for me. Because I am writing a science-fiction story set in a mostly non-white world with mostly non-white characters, and you know what?//Sometimes, I suck at it. -
(tags: racism privilege prowriting)

stewardess: How to use white privilege to make racism disappear. - In-depth and enlightening discussions about racism seem to be appearing with greater and greater frequency in fandom. It makes you tired, right? Relax; white privilege has you covered. -
(tags: racism privilege)