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I have concerns
6 years ago
General
Not about the state of the world. It's fucked, and we all know that. No, I have concerns about what passes for competent writing in today's media, be it television, movies, or even the art and comics of the fandom. It's sad to see how little people care about what they're churning out.
I follow a certain weekly comic. The artist isn't bad, the story was pleasant enough, and this week's comic had an interesting nuance in it, or so I thought, so I commented on it. He's casually racist as shit. He talks down to the main character, and can't be bothered to address him by his name or anything other than his race. Nice, I thought. A nuanced, flawed character. Someone with a little depth, who, despite having just gone through a major story arc with this character is still unable to overcome their casual racism to speak with dignity to someone who saved the life of his daughter and grandson. Well, at least he isn't trying to kill him. That's a step in the right direction. Except it wasn't, apparently.
Cue the social justice clown car. Nothing this artist can do is bad, negative or socially unacceptable. No, no, no. The character in question is a good guy, so he's all virtue and light. The mental gymnastics required to make some of their leaps of logic would do a Flat Earther proud. Truly, it was some MAGA level sophistry. Apologistics usually reserved for people like Rush Limbaugh.
OK, let's have that discussion, then. I'm keeping things polite. Nope. Not going to have it. Out came the personal attacks, the name calling and what I can only assume was the forum version of sticking one's fingers in one's ears and yelling "LA LA LA LA LA!" So the artist makes a post to stop the argument before it gets out of hand. I'm fine with that. It's her board, her comic, and while I would love to see more mature discussions on a mature webcomic forum, I get that isn't always in line with what others want. That's cool.
But then she feels the need to defend her character "against" my "accusations." Wait... I just complemented you for creating a nuanced 3-dimensional character who exhibited personal growth, and I'm the bad guy in this conversation? Ok. Oh, so your character isn't really that casually racist, they just can't be bothered to care what the name of the guy his daughter is sleeping with is, and since they're a different race, it's just because he's set in his ways. I see, so instead of a deep, living character, he's a simple stereotyped trope.
Why would you try to make your character something less, something banal? Whatever. It's her story. As I said, I'm concerned.
And a little disappointed.
I follow a certain weekly comic. The artist isn't bad, the story was pleasant enough, and this week's comic had an interesting nuance in it, or so I thought, so I commented on it. He's casually racist as shit. He talks down to the main character, and can't be bothered to address him by his name or anything other than his race. Nice, I thought. A nuanced, flawed character. Someone with a little depth, who, despite having just gone through a major story arc with this character is still unable to overcome their casual racism to speak with dignity to someone who saved the life of his daughter and grandson. Well, at least he isn't trying to kill him. That's a step in the right direction. Except it wasn't, apparently.
Cue the social justice clown car. Nothing this artist can do is bad, negative or socially unacceptable. No, no, no. The character in question is a good guy, so he's all virtue and light. The mental gymnastics required to make some of their leaps of logic would do a Flat Earther proud. Truly, it was some MAGA level sophistry. Apologistics usually reserved for people like Rush Limbaugh.
OK, let's have that discussion, then. I'm keeping things polite. Nope. Not going to have it. Out came the personal attacks, the name calling and what I can only assume was the forum version of sticking one's fingers in one's ears and yelling "LA LA LA LA LA!" So the artist makes a post to stop the argument before it gets out of hand. I'm fine with that. It's her board, her comic, and while I would love to see more mature discussions on a mature webcomic forum, I get that isn't always in line with what others want. That's cool.
But then she feels the need to defend her character "against" my "accusations." Wait... I just complemented you for creating a nuanced 3-dimensional character who exhibited personal growth, and I'm the bad guy in this conversation? Ok. Oh, so your character isn't really that casually racist, they just can't be bothered to care what the name of the guy his daughter is sleeping with is, and since they're a different race, it's just because he's set in his ways. I see, so instead of a deep, living character, he's a simple stereotyped trope.
Why would you try to make your character something less, something banal? Whatever. It's her story. As I said, I'm concerned.
And a little disappointed.
