|
|
|
September 23rd, 2013
05:13 pm - Flipping the pronouns...
So I was reading a couple of things on flipping pronouns in novels:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/dec/23/classic-fiction-genderswitching
http://benjaminrosenbaum.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-view.cgi/1/entry/976
Which I found interesting, and seem to follow the tendency of even feminist writers to struggle with creating gender stereotypes in their characters.
I do have to wonder, though, do nonbinary/genderqueer folks have any less trouble with this - particularly if they are fairly aware of the phenomenon to begin with? Or is my experience a bit exceptional?
Ever since I was a kid, it never occurred to me to write anything other than female protagonists, and lots and lots of female characters. This could be due to my isolated upbringing, I suppose, but even when I would consume media and then make up my own stories about it, I would naturally swap out the male leads to substitute Twapa instead.
It’s actually kind of bizarre, but I usually only wrote gender conformist “stereotypes” as villains or minor characters or parents. Twapa and her friends were all quirky, clever, often vaguely androgynous (in fact characters being confused for boys or girls was a theme I often used in my childhood stories). It probably helped that in-universe they were all talking animals/anthros.
Now, as an adult who actually UNDERSTANDS a bit better what I’m doing, it’s an interesting exercise to imagine the current (Title Unrelated) incarnation of these characters if they were sex-swapped. Unfortunately, due to the QUILTY-ness of the cast things get a little complicated - even if you swap ONLY the characters’ sexes, you have to decide whether their sexual orientations are relative to their own sex or are fixed on an attraction to a particular sex (do gay characters become het?) and do you assume that characters would retain the same tendencies towards “gendered” traits or would they swing to the same degree into the stereotyped behaviors and tastes of the gender that matches their new sex (for instance, would Mara be a boy who dresses in goth-lolita fashion or would he embrace a masculine identity)?
Twapa, who is already kind of a jerk and a bully, would come across as a misogynist douchenozzle. Fiar acting like a leader and protector would be kind of a positive thing, but her neuroticism would likely cause her to read as weaker and more unstable than her canon male counterpart. The nature of the potential Twapa/Keer ship would become INCREDIBLY problematic.Interestingly, though, a lot of the characters and the implications of their personalities and actions would remain pretty much the same. Tho IMO Misha becomes kind of a way cooler character if female, though I wonder if the shyness would come across differently? Erin kinda turns into a snarky bastard, but Erin and Twapa already have a tendency to act more like brothers than sisters, heh.
Lots of people do “gender bending” in fanworks and stuff, but I dunno how many people really sit down and think through all of the implications. It’s a good exercise, even for someone like me who naturally writes androgynous characters!
XD
(I could write a whole nother post on the uni-gendered world of ambaia... but that's for another time.)
|
July 7th, 2012
10:46 am - Jesus F. Christ...
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/internet/2012/07/what-online-harassment-looks
I just... there are no words. I've been following this for a while and this is going WAY beyond "trolling" and stupid youtube comments.
Way to prove that feminists are correct, guys. Bravo. Keep digging that hole deeper then bury yourselves in it.
Current Mood:  angry
|
May 18th, 2011
08:42 am - Just a thought...
I hate to say this, but I think people are actually abusing the Bechdel test.
( Read more...Collapse )
Current Mood:  thoughtful
|
November 13th, 2009
02:03 pm - Can I just say something?
I don't really think there are many things in our human experience that are "black & white".
Human beings are built with this incredible drive to label, categorize, and divide things up into "same vs. different" type groups. We all do this.
But it doesn't mean that we have an accurate enough grasp of how things work to be able to put things (especially people) into categories that will be 100% suited to them.
I don't think gender is something where you must be EITHER male OR female - at least as we typically understand those terms. Why do all people need to be "man" or "woman"? Why isn't there some other option? Why can't we just be PEOPLE? Edit: Yes I'm aware that there is a small minority of people who identify as neither. I also hate it when people smack me upside the head on this issue, especially since I am one of those "WTF I don't care if people call me female, even though I reject female gender roles and I am not fond of my boobs" people.
Same goes for sexual orientation. I think it's kind of narrow-minded to think that people are mostly either straight or gay. Or if they like "both" males and female then they are bisexual. Why couldn't it be possible to be totally gay at one point in your life but then straight or bi at another time? Why? Have we proven that people are immutable robots, programmed from birth by our genes and unaffected by things like our changing hormones, other priorities, and our environment? Why does this have to be an "either/or" thing, why can't it be a sliding scale? Why can't we just be PEOPLE?
Race. Probably one of the most touchy subjects EVAR. The fact that we are all genetically similar and compatible with one another should make it clear that there can be no such thing as a "pure race". It's only superstitious prejudices that have kept us "separate" for so long. Ultimately we all come from the same ancestors. WE ARE ALL OF THE SAME RACE, THE HUMAN RACE. There is no "black", "white", "hispanic", etc. race. Why can't we just be PEOPLE?
And pfft. Don't get me started on religions. Generally speaking, though, they all tend to employ the same tactics over time. They are all kind of equally hypocritical because it's impossible for human beings to achieve "moral perfection" in the sense that most religious people think of it. Most religions acknowledge this. Why do we need to divide ourselves up by our beliefs, though? We're not enemies unless we're trying to kill each other - and most mainstream religions acknowledge this, too. Why can't we just be PEOPLE? People who have different and incompatible beliefs, yes, but people who respect the lives and worth of one another as fellow PEOPLE.
If your religion says you need to coerce others into joining it, YOUR RELIGION IS BAD. If it says you should harm others who refuse to believe your way, YOUR RELIGION IS BAD.
There is room for differences among us. Trying to homogenize humanity IS BAD. Being able to see things from another person's point of view is a useful skill and it can help you make sense of your own beliefs and experiences. We don't all NEED to be the same. We don't need to fit into nice little boxes and grids.
Life is full of changes and chaos. We don't necessarily need to buck against this, we just need to direct it in a way that is useful and beneficial - not just to one group of people, but to everyone.
Balance. Balance does not stem from two extremes battling it out, balance is found somewhere in the middle. It is harmony. When we can the good features of two opposite things and make them work together. I would argue that this only sounds like a bad idea if you are a very dogmatic person who is clinging to an extreme.
Also: media and marketers lie to you all the friggin' time. That toothpaste probably won't make your teeth turn white. And why do you need super-white teeth, anyway? Don't let them tell you what you like and what you need.
Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: L'arc-en-Ciel - "The Nepenthes"
|
November 12th, 2009
10:26 am - too late now! XD
Part of me kind of wishes I'd been one of those gals who didn't change her name when she got married.
Here is an example of why:
I kept seeing this person I didn't know in my friends on Facebook and I'm like "WTF, how did this person I don't know get on my F-list?" And then after a couple of months I realized it was my cousin, who recently got married. *rolls eyes* Name changing is a great way to ensure your old friends can't find you, I guess. XD
But my original last name was a major pain in the butt and I prefer my new one over it. *sigh* Oh well! XD
Current Mood:  amused
|
August 29th, 2009
05:23 pm - I Lol'd
Wanna read something HUHLARIOUS? XD
http://www.conservapedia.com/Feminism#cite_note-13
Particularly this gem of a list:
Specifically, a modern feminist tends to:
* believe that there are no meaningful differences between men and women
* oppose chivalry and even feign insult at harmless displays of it
* view traditional marriage as unacceptably patriarchal
* shirk traditional gender activities, like baking
* support affirmative action for women
* detest women who are happy in traditional roles, such as housewives, and especially dislike those who defend such roles
* prefer that women wear pants rather than dresses, presumably because men do
* seek women in combat in the military just like men, and coed submarines
* refuse to take her husband's last name when marrying
* distort historical focus onto female figures, often overshadowing important events (Eg: Henry VIII's wives take precedence in common knowledge to his actual reign.)
* object to being addressed as "ma'am"
Man, I dunno about you guys, but I know coed submarines are SO HIGH on my feminist wishlist! XD
Also baking? That is TOTALLY a patriarchal construct designed to keep women in submission to male authority! The injustice must END! *shakes fist*
Current Mood: amused
|
July 8th, 2009
11:23 am - he he he
So I was thinking about "adult humor" and I came to a conclusion:
The inherant humor in stuff is inversely proportional to how explicit it is.
That which is most subtle is generally the most funny.
... Or is this just another symptom of how I prefer things I make up myself over stuff that's prefabricated for mass consumption? Because seriously, I find it WAY WAY more amusing making up innuendo for things where there is little/none extant than I do watching something explicit that is supposed to be funny. This is not to say that "Over the top" can't be funny (South Park?), but GENERALLY SPEAKING subtlety is more FUN. Probably because it leaves more to the imagination and lets the viewer get in on the "action" (wink wink nudge nudge) themselves.
I fear this may also stem from an aspect of my personality in general: A misguided wish that people could be just a little less self-important and have a bit of CLASS. For crying out loud, just because I CAN parade around in public in my underwear doesn't mean there is any good reason for me to do so. Just because I'm old enough to drink doesn't mean I need to get drunk. Just because I am comfortable with my own sex life doesn't mean I need to flaunt it or talk about it to everybody all the time or make artwork celebrating it. I don't need your approval to be me. I have a pair of ovaries but you don't see me having kids, do you? I have thoughts in my head but my intention is not to force anybody to read them. If my thoughts are worthwhile their value remains whether anybody but me ever knows about them or not.
Art is such a tricky thing for me because when I surf online art sites I see so many great images - but they're mostly about half-naked (or completely naked) girls in suggestive or timid or defiant or painful poses. Girls with big guns... dressed in bikinis? Why does Xena's armor have a bare midriff? That's not very good armor design. You see images of chubby girls, but they're naked too because they desperately want to feel good about themselves and flaunt their sexiness just like the thin ones. But the point is this: Why do we have to express these feelings in such a negative way? Why do you have to draw nude girls to feel better, to express pain, to express defiance, to express WHATEVER? Why does "fun and sexy" automatically generate cheesecake? Why does "serious and sexy" automatically generate some kind of lingerie model? Why does drawing ANY female form automatically have sexual connotations?
I don't understand. : (
I mean, I used to ape that kind of stuff myself when I was younger and exploring who I was as a person and an artist. But I kind of... MOVED ON to other things.
Why doesn't everybody else get over their juvenile fixation with boobs and penises and focus on more interesting things? Sex is great, but we don't have to do it all the time. We don't have to hear about it, see it, be reminded of it. We know it's there. Just... let it be what it is?
Please?
Current Mood:  weird
Current Music: Rogue Wave - Lullaby
|
July 2nd, 2009
07:08 am - Paint goes on canvas, stupid.
http://blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/allmenareliars/archives/2007/05/makeup_and_the_veil_same_diffe.html
Remember how I talked about how my strong-willed nature is sometimes socially detrimental because it drives me to buck against conformity?
Yeah.
It's fine if one woman feels empowered by looking like the culture's idea of "attractive". If fitting in makes her feel good, she should do that.
But I feel empowered by the fact that I DON'T have to do those things. I have enough hobbies that eat up my time and money and not enough of either to do everything I WANT to do. Why on earth would I ever want to throw away time and money I could be spending on my dreams just so I can alter my appearance so people will think better of me?
I want to improve my PERSONALITY so people will think better of me. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to pretend to be a type of person that I am not.
But seriously, let's face it. The insistence that women's fashion is harmless is not doing gals like me any favors. Because deep down, divergence from the "norm" makes people feel uncomfortable. *I* make people feel uncomfortable. I am not actually unhygienic, but there is a percentage of people who will FEEL that I am - based on the fact that I don't shave - because they have bought into the idea that THEY THEMSELVES shave because it is more hygienic. And not just because it's what EVERYBODY does.
What if most women didn't shave their legs? Would the ones who insist that they enjoy it still do it? I wonder.
I would be more inclined to believe that if wearing makeup were not common some women would still do that, since it's more of a visible thing and makes more of a statement... But what if there were no norms about the application of makeup? Like, would we see ladies walking around in public with crazy rock star-type paint on? That would be kind of a more fun world to live in, IMHO.
Seriously, I'm so glad nobody gives me crap about my appearance - but sometimes I have to wonder if people who seem a little cold or hostile towards me aren't on some subconscious level reacting negatively to the fact that I'm "different". Maybe it's my personality or maybe it's my appearance... who can tell?
I'm not going to apologize for it, though. That's for sure. If I get paint on my face it's because I'm painting a picture - and I am such a messy painter it's not even funny. XD
Current Mood:  awake
|
June 17th, 2009
06:45 am - "Awake and unafraid, asleep or... "
Every once in a while I get the notion that I'd like to buzz my head. But something always stops me. Like it's either winter, or I might have a job interview in the near future, or I'm worried that it'd make my tiny head seem even tinier...
But the thing about hair is that (normally) it grows back.
Speaking of which, in spite of all the things that kind of suck about being female, I'm glad I'm not a guy because I'd hate to have to deal with facial hair. But I never hear guys complain about it, so maybe when you're a guy it's just one of those things you do without thinking about it like putting on deodorant and brushing your teeth.
... Not to mention that whereas many bodily functions are seen as a badge of honor for men they are considered inappropriate and shameful for women. >_> Oh wait, I mentioned it. : p
I saw an ad recently from a razor company trying to convince men to shave their private parts. And I'm like "IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! SOMEBODY STOP THEM!" But then I thought about it some more and I realized that if it becomes the norm for guys to shave their pits and legs and stuff that will effectively DESTROY a HUGE sector of our cultural gender roles. And it would probably be even MORE okay for me to not shave, because a woman not shaving would no longer be a gender-charged issue. I'm not refusing to shave because I'm unfeminine or I hate being female - It's because I don't ENJOY it and I don't want to do it! OMG!
I actually haven't been questioned a lot on my not shaving, believe it or not. Most of the people I associate with are either nice in that way or they never see my bare legs. But I'm sure there are some circles where I'd get totally hassled over it.
SO ANYDANGWAY.
Here's where we stand, ATM:
1. U! Bonus comic has about 35 pages left to be penciled (sketched) then I am going to ink digitally and it'll be ready to go online. Not sure how much of a buffer of inking I'll have to build up before posting - that'll depend on a few things such as whether I get a real job soon and how long it takes me to ink a page. Buuuuut I think it's safe to say that I SHOULD be able to start posting it in the next month or thereabouts. Yay!
2. The FINAL bonus story... I think I am just going to edit and post as text. I think I shll post it serially, because it's LONG and I'd probably get less burned out if I break it into small chunks.
3. Maybe instead of NaNoWriMo this year I will write Apple & Pear - AGAIN. I'm really leaning towards doing it as a trimmed down text with illustrations... Basically a picture book. You can probably call its a kids book. That's okay with me. Nobody but me and Devon know how dark the original story idea was anyway. XD I'm not sure how long it'll be, but I'm thinking SIGNIFICANTLY less than 50,000 words.
4. The New Iteration (Hey, that's not a bad title! Maybe I'll keep it!) - Still trying to crystallize the plot. I had a new idea or two that I may be able to work in to make certain elements seem like less of a stretch... This story is looking less like U! every day. Which is a good thing, IMHO because my goal was never to do a straight re-write but rather to re-imagine the whole thing and make it into something new and different, taking the things I liked about U! and maybe making a shorter and more coherent story. Yeah. It's a looooong way off though. Maybe a couple of years, even, unless some miracle happens and I suddenly become one of those highly creative and motivated people who actually GETS STUFF DONE. >_>
...And that, my friends, is the extent of my long-term creative goals. There are plenty of things that I would LIKE to do and plenty of other things I WILL do (I have a buttload of digital art that I'm working on ATM - mostly pokemons but still), but those 4 things are the important projects that I WILL see through to completion.
Current Mood: chipper
|
April 16th, 2009
03:31 pm - Hellz yeah!
I thought this article was kind of encouraging:
http://tomatonation.com/?p=677
Seriously. You don't have to be a democrat to be a feminist. You don't have to be pro-choice. You don't have to think that sleeping around is a super-positive thing. And yes, you can shave your legs. : p
Current Mood: thoughtful
|
|
|
