silverflight8: bee on rose  (Default)
silver ([personal profile] silverflight8) wrote2010-08-19 07:57 pm

We had this discussion already.

I saw this post come up this morning. I thought: "OK, it's not horribly bad; it looks like the OP, after some comments, could see why this is offensive and maybe it'll be okay!" This is the text of the OP's post, in case it gets taken down.

So... I'm taking a Lost Generation Lit class. This is roughly 1900 up until 1930, possibly through WW2 depending on who you ask. Because of the Great War, everyone wanted to write about it, but not everyone participated. Some said that those who didn't serve in an army couldn't even think about writing about war.

Sound familiar?

Maybe it's just me, but this seems like the current fandom arguments that white people can't write 'PoC' (hate that term but whatevs, only thing I can think of), straights can't write gay, and healthy can't write injured/terminally ill/etc.

Why do people keep saying this stuff? Obviously, quality is quality. Literature is literature. Prose is prose. People can and will write stuff that they don't have direct knowledge of. Doesn't mean they'll suck, doesn't mean they'll be great. Just... Stop trying to limit what people can or can't at least attempt to write. Freedom of speech and the equivalents that other countries have, yanno? No need to get worked up over anything unless it's actually a malicious representation. That doesn't mean having a black guy as the villian, or the gay one as comedic relief. That means if they're portrayed as complete and utter monsters because of their racial ancestry or sexuality or whatever the heck else.

This is more fandom than fanfic, so sorry if it doesn't really go here, but it's been annoying me and I decided to post it here as well (it's been in my journal for a couple of days). Also: first post yay?

I gave up trying to read the twisting comments of the OP after awhile. But seeing [livejournal.com profile] saciel start to pull out the tone argument--again and again and AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN--I...I...I don't know. I remember zie from the last time [livejournal.com profile] fanficrants went and got into a huge racefail, but seeing so many people--half-a-dozen, at least--try to explain, again and again, PATIENTLY AND CALMLY (Oh my God, the irony) why zie was wrong, it didn't sink in. And so all I can repeat is OW OW OW.

ETA: There's actually quite a nice little summation by [livejournal.com profile] lil_utterance about why this post's comments are so very faily. Here.
ext_212629: (Default)

[identity profile] azuire.livejournal.com 2010-08-20 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
OH NO NOT AGAIN


(welcome back btw)

[identity profile] silverflight8.livejournal.com 2010-08-20 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I know, I know. My consolation: ffr jumping on the offenders. That's why I love it. At least people are called out.

Thank you! How did the moving go?
ext_212629: (Default)

[identity profile] azuire.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
I'm still moving! ahaha. I'll be there on the 12th of September. (and I see you've caved in to the awesome that is dw. ^^ If you want to import all your eljay entries, let me know, I'll show you how.)

[identity profile] silverflight8.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
I caved when I saw their diversity statement. I read it and my face was just :D :D :D.
I like lj because there's so many communities here and everyone seems to still be here *whines* I wish they could just all hop over to dw, but I think eventually they will (I hope.)

Thanks! I'll definitely contact you if I run into trouble.
ext_212629: (Default)

[identity profile] azuire.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 05:37 am (UTC)(link)
I know! I tried it out for a while then jumped aboard. :D and yeah why is everyone still on eljay! sigh. one day they will jump ship. ^^

[identity profile] theo-harrison.livejournal.com 2010-08-20 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
You know what's really fun? When, at the end of my comment thread with [livejournal.com profile] saciel, where I have spent the entire time telling her that the tone argument is bad and why, a random stranger pops in to tell me that I'm right and saciel's horrible and this is blatantly clear because I'm being calm and reasonable and saciel's swearing.

OMG JUST SHOOT ME.

[identity profile] silverflight8.livejournal.com 2010-08-20 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
*covers face* Your icon is entirely appropriate.

I can't shoot you, but I can give you a flamethrower. [livejournal.com profile] azuire gave me one. :D (also, that beach pebble comment? with [livejournal.com profile] kutsuwamushi's comment, it just made me :D)

[identity profile] theo-harrison.livejournal.com 2010-08-20 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I had to step away from that comment Kutsu replied to, there was just so much LOLWUT to it (I loved Kutsu's comment though, it was exactly what I was thinking only with the HAHAHAHAWTF?STFU! inferred rather than spoken outright.) But woohoo for flame throwers!