(no subject)

[serene]

So apparently, if one sees Avatar and thinks it's racist and ablist, one is looking for racism/ablism. Also, the race of the actors is a deliberate metaphor, so it can't possibly be racism.

Discuss.

(And on top of that, if one evaluates a good number of people's reviews and decide the work is problematic (*waves at vito*), the person is completely misinformed, shouldn't enter discussions about this, and the only way they're worth listening to is if they go watch the movie. Sorry. It didn't work with "The Passion of the Christ", and it's not working now. Cameron isn't getting a cent from me, no matter how many of my friends think I'm facile for saying so.)

Comments

[trixtah]

I enjoyed the movie, but mainly because my WSOD was working quite happily for much of it, until he got the native girl (I'm using those terms advisedly), he learned all the twoo sekrits of the tribe, but was BETTER than them most stuff, was blessed by the tribe's god, saved the tribe, became their chief, yadda yadda yadda, AND had his crippled legs fixed as a bonus (by giving up his old crappy body).

So yeah. I still more enjoyed it than didn't, because of the stunning effects, and the actual storyline wasn't too bad (although trite and cliched), but I frankly expect very little from SF movies. SF literature is something else.

So for those who are telling you that you're being a dog-in-the-manger about it, bugger them. It is problematic, and so much so that I was rolling my eyes during the movie, which is unusual for me. For me, it wasn't bad enough to walk out, but I would certainly skip the last third of the movie if I watched it again (after he and Native Shaman Lady shag but before he gets most of the goodies and becomes the Almighty Saviour of the Pathetic Natives).

[wordweaverlynn]

I've got very little time for reading online right now -- but who is arguing this? Are they natives of the Planet Male in Star System Pale?

Natives of the Planet Male in Star System Pale

[purpletigron]

!!

[serene]

Hee! They're actually a man and woman I know from soc.motss, which is a place I expect more cluefulness about these matters, but yes, they're white.

[wild_irises]

And let us suppose for a moment that one is looking for racism/ablism. Perhaps one might be proud of such a position, even if one's critics framed it as a failing? :-)

[serene]

Would that it were true that one had to LOOK for these things.

[firecat]

Well, one does have to learn how to see them, so there's a stage where one has to look. But after that...

[laughingrat]

So apparently, if one sees Avatar and thinks it's racist and ablist, one is looking for racism/ablism.

I love how the "you're looking for it" argument is supposed to invalidate any anti-oppression work anyone does (along the lines of "you think too much," another old favorite). Shouldn't we all be investigating oppression? Since when is that a bad thing?

[serene]

Exactly. http://www.racialicious.com/2009/12/21/and-we-shall-call-this-moffs-law/

[laughingrat]

Yes! I totally made a post about that. :-D Thinking too much? Sign me up!

[firecat]

I really wish people who get defensive about hearing that there is racism/ablism in some entertainment product they enjoyed would figure out that if someone points out the racism/ablism, it doesn't automatically mean "and if you enjoyed the movie/book, and/or didn't notice the racism/ablism, you're a horrible bad person."

I do look for racism/ablism in movies, because it helps me become more aware of racism/ablism in me and the rest of my life, and I think being aware of it is a good thing.

I'm not sure how the race of an actor can be a metaphor, deliberate or not. But metaphors can certainly be racist.

I tend not to enter into discussions about works I haven't seen or read (unless invited), but I certainly enter into metadiscussions about the discussions.

In this case, although I haven't seen the movie, I have seen the preview, and that is racist/ablist enough. I don't have to see the whole movie to know that's part of what's going on.

And the preview told me the whole plot of the movie because I've seen so many other "what these people need is a honky named Marty Stu" movies and "a disabled person isn't a real person until they get a functioning body" movies, and those genres exist because of the racism/ablism in my society.

[serene]

May I quote you, please?

[firecat]

By all means (do let me know where)!

[serene]

Here on DW (which propagates to LJ & Facebook, where the discussion in question is happening. Thanks!