i think i’ve learned a lot when it comes to not applying my own values to the media i consume

for my script analysis class yesterday, we discussed two gentleman from verona, and nearly every classmate of mine was up in arms about how sexist the story is.

and i'm not saying it's not, or that it's not infuriating to read. but i'm also not putting my energy into getting upset about something written 500 or so years ago. and i'm not about to put my own beliefs onto these characters that are not me. i'm going to let their choices speak for themselves, and interpret it in the context of the story.

all that said, this now brings me to the point of alastor in episode 5, and how viscerally people are responding to it. those of you up in arms about the choices he’s making, and the violent threat he gave husk, you’re missing the entire point of his character, of this place they’re in, of the story being told. he’s an overlord, and he became an overlord by killing much bigger overlords and broadcasting their deaths over the radio.

HE IS NOT A GOOD PERSON.

if you started this show with the belief that every character working the hotel is a good person, you’re in the wrong place. watch the good place if you’re looking for a good wholesome story about getting dead sinners into heaven, because that’s not what this show is about.

you’re more than welcome to hate him after seeing the way he exerted power over a being whose soul he owns, but you’re doing the media you’re watching a disservice by writing it off so quickly. if you don’t like to be uncomfortable watching media, watch something else. this is an uncomfortable show, it handles uncomfortable topics, and it’s going to be an uncomfortable ride, and if you’re not up for something like that, then you should take a break from it and pick up something else. you don’t have to get online and defend your own ideals while you watch a show that goes against your ideals.

Deep Dive into the issues on Alastor.

CONTENT WARNING: Racism, Aphobia.

Now that I created a blog specifically for stuff like this, It's time for the dive.

Alastor is a character that resonates with me, because this guy is supposed to represent me and my people (aspec/aroace community) and I liked his pilot personality. (That went to shit)

This man got so many issues, that i have to take the pen myself and scribble what Vivzie has wrote. So, Let's start, shall we?

THE DESIGN

The first time I saw the Hazbin pilot, I got confused about what Alastor was supposed to be. I thought he was just a grey human wearing some kind of animal ears until the fandom said he is a deer.

A deer. Let that sink in.

(Images for comparsion)

As someone passionate about the arts, this upset me. Sure, I haven't been to art school, but even I know you need to put the backstory and features in mind when designing a character.

Character design is NOT throwing things at the wall and seeing which sticks. It needs actual critical thinking. If your audience is confused about your character's species, it's time to go back to the drawing table (unless you have a reason for making it mysterious.)

Second, the overabundance of red is awful in terms of color theory. This guy is in Hell, which is also red, causing an eyesore. I got a headache when trying to focus on him on a red background. And also, colors have meaning. People associate red with danger, so the fact he even managed to get victims to kill makes me puzzled.

Also, the fact he's supposed to be mixed/black makes this design even worse. Why is he grey instead of brown, perhaps? Vivzie has a pattern of making POCs grey-skinned, which is, again, awful.

I think Vivzie only made him a POC due to the voodoo issue. I mean, just remove the symbols and you are done. But nah the symbols are too "aesthetic" to remove. So gotta change his race.

She could have used another symbols, like THIS for example:

Since, you know, he's the "Radio Demon"?

THE BACKSTORY

Ok, this where I'm very confused.

Alastor is a radio host, and also a serial killer. He was born in the USA, got killed by a deer hunter by mistake, and lived in the 1920's.

This is what I gathered from being a superfan back then, and it sounds unorganised/cluttered. And the years he lived in make his design even worse. (Again! His clothing doesn't speak the 1920s!)

The fact he's from an old era, and yet speaks in modern slang is weird. He's supposed to hate anything modern, and yet he does it anyway? His saying "fuck" multiple times is so out of character for him. I guess the "If made by Vivziepop" memes have some truth.

Putting the fact he's mixed, makes the backstory more confusing. How did he manage to be a popular radio host at the time before the civil rights movement became a thing? He will have been put down like the rest of the POCs in America. Either that he's white-passing, or it's VERY difficult. Adding the fact he's a serial killer makes me think how the cops didn't get to him (the mere fact he's black should have got him questioned in 1920s America)

Now, for his identity. I'm mad he's the only aroace character in the sea of gays and bisexuals. (I'm not saying gay men and bisexual people should not have representation. I have to say that due to tumblr's piss poor reading comprehersion)

which made me go through on why Vivzie made him aroace in the first place. I don't know if this is true, but I heard she made him aroace because "he only loves himself"

Um. Here we go again with allos assuming we are non-empathic psychopaths for our lack of sexual or/and romantic attraction. I hope that's not true at all, but knowing Vivzie's past, I wouldn't be surprised.

Alastor would have been a great character if another person took care of it instead of Vivziepop. What I'm gonna say is, wasted potential.

hello!! ive seen a lot about the recent discourse on sumeru and all it's characters, most especially kusanali nowadays, and felt the need to clear some things up for my own peace of mind. though i should put a disclaimer that i'm in no way from any of the countries or cultures sumeru was originaly intended to represent, though i am a POC who knows what colorism, orientalism, and blatant lack of representation feels like. if anyone from the real cultures finds something wrong in whatever i say, please point it out and educate me so i can adjust! I might not be in a place to speak and have a very little platform, but I promise you, a few minutes of research and a little empathy can go a very long way.

cw for the topics i mentioned above (orientalism, colorism, subtle racism, etc etc.) very long discussion utc!

A common excuse I see people making for aspects of Kusanali's design (her skin color, her size, etc.) is that she's allegedly based off of Kusanali Jataka, from a Buddhist collection of poems as a fairy living in a clump of grass. This much is true, she very much is named after that, and the nature-esque inspiration matches up. However, that changes when many fans on tiktok, twitter, etc. have been claiming the original poem to mention that Kusanali Jataka had "skin as pale as the light of the moon."

This specific description pertains to an entirely different diety, one going all the way to Hinduism backgrounds. She who that quote was originally used for is known as Sarswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, wisdom, art, speech, music, aesthetics, and learning. For the record, here is what common portrayals of her look like, as well as the description of her appearance:

See? Sound familiar? To compare, here is what a portrayal of Kusanali Jataka looks like:

These two very separate dieties were definitely mixed up, most likely in a way to simply excuse how utterly far away the dendro archon looks from the real life people her country is meant to represent. Previously we've had Zhongli and Ei, a dragon accurate to real Chinese myths, and a samurai with cultural ties even to her name, her titles, and other various inspirations such as from the Vision Hunt Decree. Yunjin proves that Hoyoverse is capable of making accurate and in depth research of real life cultural aspects. Kusanali, however, has no obvious cultural background to her design except her name and perhaps the quote of "Let great and small." Other than that? You could've told me that she's just another kid from Mondstadt and I'd believe you entirely.

It's one thing to like a characters design, but another thing to entirely erase the problems there are with representation, among other things. The problem in her is not that she has a child model, it's that she, as Sumeru's archon, is meant to represent their whole country, but at the same time she has no indications of references to SWANA or ME culture what so ever.

To add onto that, the argument of "but im from this race and im pale" is not valid at all, because just because you or your family or friends are not, doesn't mean the rest of your people don't either. In my country, we were taught as kids to bathe with some kind of papaya whitening soap, not to stay in the sun too long or we'll get tanned, that we need go "stay indoors more to get whiter," and I'm sure this isn't only a problem in mine. The few times that the people of these underrepresented cultures get a chance at the spotlight, the very least Hoyoverse can do when they'll make truckloads of money from them either way is to do it right. They deserve that much.

Hoyoverse is a multi million dollar company that is perfectly capable of making designs that aren't stereotypical and all lightskin if not paper white. They honestly dug their own grave by making the exact mistake many have made before when it comes to representation specifically in these regions, such as Aladdin, where they threw many different and diverse cultures together and thought it would end up nicely without either five different things happening at once, or an entirely whitewashed version of everything. They should not be able to cherrypick and make money out of whatever bits of these cultures they want only to leave out the outward appearances of the people that they belong to. That is colorism.

I am making this post to at least try to raise awareness on the misinformation going around about Kusanali, as well as shed light on how condescending all the pale and at most light brown characters feel as a POC. That said, however, I can't speak for the people from South Asia/North Africa/Middle East on this issue, and therefore if you have time I'm *begging* you to listen to what they have to say. If you're from those cultures and don't have any problems with Sumeru, thats okay! But it doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't either. If you're white or from a different culture and are therefore unaffected by all of this? If you want to ignore, don't say a word. Don't shut the voices of the POC that should be in the spotlight in the first place. But if you want to help? Do your research. Uplift the voices of those who are affected. Listen to what they have to say. Orientalism and colorism aren't easy topics to be brushed off easily, and they have every right to be reacting in opposition to what Hoyoverse currently has to offer.

If you're interested in what I've just mentioned, here are a few links I've found of people from these cultures that you should consider checking out ::

https://twitter.com/dorobor1/status/1553151372308135938?t=QfJI9jXKDVvPO86eqGgyGw&s=19

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSR2pcbVC/?k=1

https://twitter.com/dailynahida/status/1538609206621790209?t=JRPUQ5Z8kn_nJJ2McShbag&s=19

https://twitter.com/Altochameleon/status/1553623114650509313?t=nDhSJyZ167HqP_eR4byqEg&s=19

And many more! So many SWANA & ME people are speaking up about this but get drowned out in all the arguing when they are the ones in the right. The goal isn't to speak over them, it's to let their words be heard. So please, stop the unnecessary ignorance and disrespect in every aspect of all that's going on with the discourse going around about this topic. It isn't hard to be respectful, it isn't hard to research, it isn't hard to be decent human beings.

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSR2pT61E/?k=1

https://twitter.com/Bitanees/status/1562903344553013252?t=CyBbIxBG3IFGWM98bZYADw&s=19

Im gonna start to write Jack stories any tips?😫

Yes of course! (This is about to be a laundry list, based on my experience)

1) Know your crowd: Select an audience you’d like to reach. For me, I like to reach for POC, specifically on the African-American/Black spectrum, because there’s not a lot for us out there (my 4B hair cannot be put up into a messy bun). This can be anyone who you relate to!

2) Make sure you know about your crowd: Like I said, I target black readers because we don’t have anything (hinting that I’m black here). DO NOT write about something you don’t know anything about. That goes from race to religion - people can and will be offended.

If you want to do it, DO RESEARCH. Please, for the love of bob, do research.

3) Look up prompts! Or pick what you want to see: I did “Meet The Harlow’s”, for example, because I wanted to see an inter-race couple have a child and speak how it’s like to experience the troubles of growing up mixed. Whatever floats your boat.

4) What doesn’t satisfy you may satisfy others: The amount of times I’ve sent stories to my bestfriend to proof read, and she comes back with “Luna, that was amazing” and I’m sitting here like:

5) Proof Read: PROOF READ PROOF READ PROOF READ! I cannot express this enough! I am that one bitch that will pick out multiple grammar errors and be disgusted and never read from that person again. A misspelled word, understandable, but a section of run-on sentences?

6) Be neat and organized: I love masterlists! That way people can find my work, and exactly what they’re looking for. I hate having to go on a scavenger hunt for a fic.

7) Have fun: that literally was a long ass list, but that’s what I usually like to keep in mind when writing and starting. But don’t forget to have fun! This is a hobby, you shouldn’t feel pressure to get out x amount of fics in a day, or any of that shit. People will come on your page being rude and shit over you not putting enough fics out for them, or simply because they’re assholes. Don’t take it personal, remember, if they want it, they can do it themselves.

Set boundaries for yourself and others on your page. If you’re gonna write smut, make sure you put 18+ somewhere on your page. You will get a 16 year old and her momma coming after you about your work and how it’s ruining their child’s poor, innocent eyes. (Clearly, they aren’t innocent because they skipped the 18+ disclaimer and chose to continue and read about their back getting blown out, but what do I know)

Don’t forget you have a crowd here to help you. There are plenty of good writers here, like @heavyhitterheaux , @softtcurse and so many more. Ask for help! Ask for opinions! We’re more than willing to help!

Good luck!

If you're comfortable can you talk about more about your experience in the fandom because I share similar sentiments, in a separate fandom. I received death threats every day and my friend's account was hacked into and certain posts of hers were deleted. It lasted years. It was horrible. Did you write your fic Long Way Home (I love the title!) before amc iwtv was announced? Are those fans of the books who drove other fans out still around and may I know who they are so that I may block them? (1/2)

If I may, I want to share that when the HP books were first released--before JKR exposed herself and before the movies aired and ruined my inner version of the books-- I read them and certain characters in my mind were never as they were in the books, Hermione was Indian in my mind, as was Lupin, based on real life friends. Ron was definitely not a redhead. I don't know why there is so much hate towards race change, but it seems that a majority of those haters are on FB, as immortalconclusions mentioned about the FB group, I am a part of it and there is much vitriol in that group, especially aimed towards the actors. I am horrified that so many fans of the little mermaid are offended by the beautiful Halle Bailey, she's the perfect Ariel as I see it. Also I hate that some fans want to see Timothee Chalamette as Armand, what a ridiculous choice. (2/2)

So I don't really want to go into it, last time someone sent me an anon shitting on one of these ppl and I answered it the person was harassing all my friends for HOURS in like .3 seconds. Like we are block mutuals and yet she knew immediately, creepy much? There have been doxxing threats on here which is fun, I have gotten threats of violence and idk how related but a friend got one of sexual assault. So I'm not waking the beast by invoking these ppl. If anyone wants specific ppl I would recommend blocking you can dm me. It's honestly not hard to tell, if you see a VC fan who refuses to acknowledge the TV show or overwhelming speaks negatively, that's them. For some reason a lot of ppl try to keep up public appearances on Tumblr yet will say the most vile shit with their IRL name attached in the FB group

I actually came up with the idea for that fic after JA's casting announcement based on ppl saying there was no way for Louis to be black without changing "everything about Louis" or that Louis and Lestat as an interracial couple would be abusive. When you are so woke you think respecting cultural differences means ppl of other races aren't ppl who go through ppl experiences and so woke that the races shouldn't mix (but for POC protection). I just wanted a way to say yes POC are (get this) ppl. And it also turned into a way for my cowriter and I to talk about our own experiences and hopefully make something for other fans of color to hopefully relate too

I'm so sorry about what you are your friend went through, fandom in general has a lot of racism and I think some of it is the anonymity, white ppl feel safer being openly racist. Like all the slurs and stuff I and others have gotten is always done via anon or sock puppet accounts. So they KNOW what they are doing is wrong bc they don't want to attach their name to it. It's both disgusting and pathetic

And yeah this is not a unique situation for VC, when ppl were objecting to JA's casting they tried to come up with a PLETHORA or reasons VC is different and you just can't with Louis and yeah it's always bullshit. Same thing with Ariel, I love The Little Mermaid and I hate the Disney remakes but I will likely see this one in theaters bc that's my girl, I get the appeal of the remakes when it is specifically one of my fave movies 😂 But someone IRL asked me my opinion bc she knows I love Ariel and I was like "she seems good" and she went on to say that "She was always made to feel bad she was a redhead growing up (this girl is like strawberry blonde so barely, 0 freckles) and Ariel made her feel better". Like they were taking away HER representation. I don't even need to go into how fucking stupid that is. They ALWAYS claim to have specific and valid rationales for this one casting, they aren't a racist (maybe they even have POC friends!) 🙄

"you can never fucking tell whether they're girls or boys". i realised this myself while looking at people of my ethnicity and comparing us to white femininity and masculinity and realised that we look incredibly androgynous in relation to those standards.

I'm glad you relate too lol, it's good to know it's not just me thinking weird shit! I'm not even sure exactly what's behind it, like I don't believe in any way that we're somehow *naturally* more androgynous-looking than white people, so could it literally just be white beauty standards? Cos in a way I feel like white beauty standards emphasize the differences between gender roles (or emphasize humans' apparent sexual dimorphism I guess??), particularly in relation to the "other" gender - so it's like women = hairless vs men = hairy, women = petite and thin vs men = tall and strong etc. Then again I've only lived in majority white countries so I couldn't say that other cultures' beauty standards aren't like this as well!

And like generally I'm sure the factors that lead to a particular ethnicity seeming more androgynous in white cultures are gonna be specific to each case (thinking things like, the traditional clothing for each gender is pretty similar or something), so your reasoning, experience etc may be quite different from mine. Personally, I think I've felt androgynous compared to white people cos the beauty ideals I've grown up with do not take "non white features" into account (in quote marks cos I don't like that phrase at all), so I inherently fall short of both the men's and women's standards. Like, I'm very short but also naturally muscular with a big ass lol, something that's pretty damn common in majority POC spaces I've been in (and is the body type of many of the Black women in my family), but it fails to conform to white femininity or masculinity. Far too broad and thick to fit white women's beauty standards, but far too short and bottom-heavy to fit the men's. And if this is how our bodies naturally look, what the fuck do we do to fit in?!

I also think hair is a *huge* factor, at least in my experience. Talking more about body hair here (as I don't have anything really to add to the great insights many Black women/ppl have shared about hair as in head hair) - white women's beauty standards involve having little to no visible body hair, and at least in the UK where I spent the majority of my life, there's an unspoken assumption behind this standard that many (most?) women will be able to fulfil this with ease. I mean, for many white British women I've met their body hair naturally grows sparsely and in a very light colour, so even when totally unshaven they don't look hairy at all. Not to say that white women have no struggles around body hair and beauty ideals - that would be blatantly untrue - but it's like, what do you do when your body hair naturally grows thickly, abundantly and dark, so you consistently fail to meet this beauty standard unless you like, literally just shaved that day? And then there's the fact that this doesn't help with meeting the male beauty standards either, cos white people think brown people are hairy regardless of gender. This is why for me, as a black/mixed race trans guy*, having visible facial hair does not actually help me pass as male, where it would for many white trans guys. (Never tried to grow out a full beard though so I can't speak on that!) It's either just There when I'm read as a guy, or a target for bigots when I'm read as female, cos ew look at the gross mannish hairy brown female. (I don't think I've ever truly been gendered as a Woman for the very reasons we're talking about here, just as a Female that is failing to be a woman but will be put in the category regardless cos I'm failing even harder to be a man/male.)

*actual gender too complicated to be bothered to write out lol

That turned into a bit of a ramble tbh but again, I'm happy my post resonated with you lol! I'm interested tho, in what ways do you feel your ethnicity is more androgynous compared to white femininity and masculinity? I'd love to know if they're similar or different to my experiences lol so plz feel free to send another ask if you ever want to 🙏🏽 this is legit the first ask I've received on this blog and I'm always down to have more discussions on these kinds of issues! I don't have any majority POC trans spaces irl that are talking about these things but the community on Tumblr is super insightful.

CH. 5 YOUR TURN FIELDWORK

Examples of How Is Race Constructed Around The World

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Hypodescent

In the book it said that Hypodescent  is “Sometimes called the “one drop of blood rule”; the assignment of children of racially “mixed” unions to the subordinate group”. Coming from a black woman specifically African American, in our culture we always categorize the different shades of being black. And one of the shades that get talked about a lot is mixed people. Even though they are half black, they are still black but people still sometimes don't categorize them as black which is weird. For example Barack Obama is mixed, his mother is white and his father is African. And I honestly never knew he was mixed with white, I would always hear that he’s not American and something else. But he is American but is just mixed with black and white.  And this has to do with Hypodescent because even though he has some white to him he’s still black and he will be categorized as a black man.

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Microaggression

In the book it states that microaggression is “Common, everyday verbal or behavioral indignities and slights that communicate hostile, derogatory, and negative messages about someone’s race, gender, sexual orientation or religion”. As a POC Woman, we always have microaggressions thrown at us. Speaking for the black woman we always deal with different types of microaggressions and in the Tiktok you will see that people say that “you're pretty for a black girl” or “you sound too proper for a black girl”, which is very rude and weird. Those videos represent microaggression because we are being asked very negative questions about our culture and we are not being respected because we don’t act like stereotypical black people.

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Whiteness

Now in the book it says that whiteness is “ A culturally constructed concept originating in 1691 Virginia, designated to establish clear boundaries of who is white and who is not - a process central to the formation of U.S racial stratification”. Now recently this new show or documentary of Jeffrey Dahmer came out on Netflix, and me personally I haven’t watched it but from what I’m seeing on social media is what I’ll be basing my info on. Now the reason why I decided to write about Dahmer for the term whiteness is because I feel like him being white is the only reason why he got away with his crimes, and others feel the same. He would target gay, POC, minors, and men or even all of the above, he also lived in a low income area were mainly POC’s lived. And because of where he lived and the type of people (POC) who would call and complain about him to the police, they really didn’t care and ignored them until it was too late. This has to do with race because the police refused to listen to POC’s problems that they had with him because they simply didn’t care about us and this led to him thinking he’s getting away with it and continuing. And we can tell to this day people still don’t care about us because they made this show without notifying or consenting to the victims families as you can see from this tweet.

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Jim Crow

Jim Crow is defined as “Laws implemented after the U.S Civil War to enforce segregation legally, particularly in the south, after the end of slavery”. Both of my media represent the Jim Crow laws because of how segregated these pictures are. During those times white people would treat African Americans terribly and didn’t want to see us as equals. So they would separate us from everything and treat us like dirt.

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Racism

Racism is “Individuals thoughts and actions, and institutional patterns and policies that create or reproduce unequal access to power, privilege, resources, and opportunities based on imagined differences among groups”. These pictures represent Racism by speaking up and voicing what we are feeling and how we are not trying to start problems but trying to end them and be treated as equals. 

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White Supremacy 

White Supremacy is “The belief that whites are biologically different from and superior to people of other races”. These pictures represent white supremacy because white racist white people only listen to idotic people and they tend to take things to the next level. And they did that by storming the capital because of Trump and displaying terrible actions and how they feel about this country and also showing who they really are.

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My Film Manifesto

Ethically incorporate indentities from under-represented cultures, specifically from British-Caribbean and British-Eurasian perspective. 

In Principle have my vision be guided by history- notably untold Black British stories.

Using personal accounts by real people to project their voice and raise awareness on societal issues.

My creative direction in the form of realism as a theme in the visual and narrative.

Practically formulating distinctive soundtracks with all films.

Purposely making films with a long duration, so people must connect with its subject. 

Representing strong Black female leads and showing their perspective. 

Where possible boost local and young talent, to give opportunities. 

Progressing with collaborations within the British film industry to keep it authentic. 

Subject matter based on the place of race in society and our lives.

Utilising music as a form of dialogue in most sequences to align with audiences in different ways. 

Naturalistic colour scheme to compliment different skin tones. 

Ethically this need for incorporation of more identities on screen is dire, especially for British film and presenting the mix of cultures that make up this country. As a POC we make up 3% of the British population and it may be small but it has multiplied in areas like London the most. Spreading this culture which still is so unknown by people, Steve McQueen says as black people “we are missing from the conversation, we are missing from the narrative”, he couldn’t have said it better (O’Hagan, 2022)[1]. Upon making his Small Axe series with the BBC, he chose to reflect the black British culture, specifically to connect with his own Caribbean culture that so desperately needed recognition. In the article he also explains that by making it with the BBC it meant everyone could have access to the films for free, this was very important for him to give back to his people and allow them to finally watch something that reflects their life (O’Hagan, 2022). Moving to the depiction of British-Eurasian perspectives in film, I could count the amount made on one hand and this upsets me that no filmmaker has given enough attention to the cultures of those that aren’t publicised. Being from oriental descent, I feel that Britain neglects the same cultures they rely on to cook their takeaways and where better to align with your culture than on screen. That’s not just to say I want to include these cultures purely to have people relate, more importantly to make aware and educate people on their place in British culture, because it wouldn’t be what it is without them. 

My vision always being guided by historical accounts specifically black, would just emphasise the importance of having equal knowledge of history and illuminate the fact there is always two sides to a story. I see this prominently in Steve McQueen’s films from his 2013 Twelve Years a slave and his most recent Small Axe series because both touch on the graphic history of black people from slavery to the famous Mangrove 9.  The Mangrove 9 trial is not well known, the series itself educated me, even though it reflects a milestone for black people having their own voice heard, McQueen says “It has never been given the attention it deserved”[2].  

Personal accounts influencing projects is mostly there to raise awareness about again uneducated issues, something that film can always succeed in is changing people’s minds and opening their hearts I feel. Spike Lee inspired me for this because in his most recent Da Five Bloods, he explains in a Netflix interview he says, “The best thing is speaking to people who were there”, showing the value of their testimony in his “retelling of history” as he says.[3] Which is significant because it’s impossible to do a project based on real life if you don’t introduce people’s own voices from that time and it also helps you understand the time they were living in, establishing setting for film. 

Realism being a key theme in my creative direction is inspired by directors like John Singleton because in his films like Boyz N the hood and Poetic Justice the narrative is realism at its purest. Their narratives aren’t overcomplicated, these are just normal people in the hood of south-central America and the camera is simply following their ups, downs, hate, love and most of all family. Something I think should be shown more on screen in a black community is family and friendship, Singleton was ahead of his time showing the importance of fatherhood. In an article he said, “Nobody’s ever handled a story about the streets in a poetic way like this”, as a writer and director who grew up in the hood where the film is set, he defines realism with this film.[4]

Formulation of a distinctive soundtrack is imperative to catch people’s attention, the sound of a film adds to feel and for our generation sound can keep us interested. Examples of distinctive soundtracks our in films like Queen and Slim where composer Dev Hynes supports black artists, paying homage to all ages of the art form, connecting with all generations of the culture.[5] Also, the soundtrack was used to promote a lot of new upcoming black talent, which I love to see especially from director Melina Matsuoka who is new to the film scene and came from music videos.[6]

Producing films with longer duration than others to engage spectators it’s there to not only allow people to connect but also allow for more creative freedom in the film and taking it anywhere I want. Granted a longer film will eliminate a significant section of target audience but I would rather have a full-length film that people align with the narrative, instead of people watching for less time and taking nothing away from it. Spike Lee also mentions this in the Netflix interview that longer films are less likely to be streamed and forces people to go watch it at the cinema, which is something I agree with as both a streamer and cinemagoer.[7]

Representing strong black leads is something the film industry has been behind on and to compensate, they have simply cast them into stereotyped roles as Brier Evans details in her article Netflix, Quarantine and Chill: An Analysis of Black Female Representation on 2020 Netflix Original Streaming Movies.[8] She shows in 2019 that the average number of women belonging to ethnic groups, who had speaking roles were in 17 of the 43 films that featured women as its lead (Evans, 2021:3).  For Black women supporting roles, the main pattern is the characters they play e.g. 1939 Hattie McDaniel was the first black women to win an Oscar- she played a maid in Gone With The Wind. 2001 Halle Berry played a struggling single mother (Evans, 2021:5). This limiting streak in the film industry seems to only apply to Black female actors, in an interview with Melina Matsuoka in film school she was told “Hey, casting a black woman as your lead won’t be profitable”, this exact viewpoint is what makes the foundations of especially the Hollywood film industry.[9] Poetic Justice was ahead of its time in the exploration Singleton made into the female perspective, importantly he taps into the women who must go on with life after to losing their boyfriends/partners to gang violence (French, 1993). [10]

Boosting of local talent would depend on the area I base my projects, the focus being on giving opportunities to POC. To give back to those who don’t have it as easy as most, linking this to Steve McQueen again he used black British actors in his series (e.g., John Boyega Letitia wright, Micheal Ward etc.) and criticised the Baftas for “not supporting homegrown talent”.[11] A 2018 study shows 94% of Bafta award winners are white, just showing the sheer lack of diversity in the British film industry.[12] Moreover, the practice of street casting broadens opportunities for all talent, an example of this being Fish tank where Andrea Arnold found her lead Katie Jarvis on the street arguing with her boyfriend (Crocker, 2022).[13]

Maintaining collaborations within the film industry is an important because authenticity is rare in the industry, especially because of the opportunities America gives. However, I think it’s possible to have both and stay true to your roots, taking experience from the American industry and bringing it into British film is practical. Steve McQueen used his American success with Twelve Years A Slave, to stay boosting local talent e.g., using British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor for an American based film.

Subject matter must be relevant to the times and always leave space for the progressive place of race in society because I see it as an underlying way to see if progress is happening. Though it also allows spectator reflection of the world around them, no matter what race they are they have the right to know each perspective surrounding them. 

In minimising dialogue and prioritising music, I see my films aligning with more people for different reasons. Also, connections made with certain songs because of past experiences allows for so many possibilities, someone hearing “What’s going on” by Marvin Gaye in Da Five Bloods could link it to Vietnam or they could associate it with a childhood song or maybe not know it. A single scene in a film will ignite an individual reaction from each spectator and they will take something away from it that the person next to them won’t. Personally, I would rather spark discussion on how many different meanings a scene can have than have point blank dialogue. 

Complimenting different skin tones is important more so to represent different types of beauty, specifically black beauty which is rarely shown on film. A distinctive example is The Colour Purple it complements the dark completion of black female actors, the pure colour pallet is naturalistically appealing to the black characters. Also, Queen and Slim is a cinematic example that lightened the subject matter, making you focus solely on the look and feel of the two dark-skinned actors falling in love, surrounded by such problematic circumstances. To watch a film with such heavy commentary and still come away thinking wow they looked breathe-taking is my ultimate aim.  

[1] O’Hagan, S., 2022. Steve McQueen: 'Black people are weirdly missing from the narrative'. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/nov/15/steve-mcqueen-black-people-are-weirdly-missing-from-the-narrative-small-axe-mangrove-viola-davis-idris-elba-bernardine-evaristo> [Accessed 5 May 2022].

[2]  O’Hagan, S., 2022. Steve McQueen: 'Black people are weirdly missing from the narrative'. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/nov/15/steve-mcqueen-black-people-are-weirdly-missing-from-the-narrative-small-axe-mangrove-viola-davis-idris-elba-bernardine-evaristo> [Accessed 5 May 2022].

[3] https://youtu.be/xy0DKN3gTM8

[4] Cunningham, M., 2022. The Critique That Inspired John Singleton to Make 'Poetic Justice'. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: <https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/05/why-john-singleton-made-poetic-justice-black-women/588472/> [Accessed 5 May 2022].

[5] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8722346/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm

[6] Hans, S., 2022. Melina Matsoukas: ‘I didn't grow up seeing dark-skinned people fall in love on screen’. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/25/melina-matsoukas-interview-director-queen-and-slim> [Accessed 5 May 2022].

[7] https://youtu.be/xy0DKN3gTM8

[8]  Evans, Brier (2021) "Netflix, Quarantine, and Chill: An Analysis of Black Female Representation on 2020 Netflix Original Streaming Movies," XULAneXUS: Vol. 18 : Iss. 2 , Article 1.Available at: https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/xulanexus/vol18/iss2/1 [Accessed 5 May 2022]

[9] Hans, S., 2022. Melina Matsoukas: ‘I didn't grow up seeing dark-skinned people fall in love on screen’. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/25/melina-matsoukas-interview-director-queen-and-slim> [Accessed 5 May 2022].

[10] French, M., 1993. GREAT EXPECTATIONS. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1993/07/25/great-expectations/22744d8d-9ec9-44e1-a84f-a55cdfed0f75/?utm_term=.21e1f36e07a0> [Accessed 5 May 2022].

[11] Thorpe, V., 2022. Top director Steve McQueen attacks racism in British film and TV industry. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jun/20/steve-mcqueen-attacks-racism-british-film-indutsry> [Accessed 5 May 2022]

[12] Millington, A., 2022. 94% of all BAFTA film award nominees have been white, according to a new report. [online] Business Insider. Available at: <https://www.businessinsider.com/new-report-reveals-racial-disparities-in-bafta-film-award-nominations-2018-2?r=US&IR=T> [Accessed 12 May 2022]

[13] Crocker, J., 2022. Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview. [online] Editorial.rottentomatoes.com. Available at: <https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/andrea-arnold-talks-fish-tank-rt-interview/> [Accessed 12 May 2022].

i hope you're ready for a novel. lol

i have a weird issue. i grew up identifying as Polish (i live in the US). both of my parents are white (passing?), if you saw them on the street you would assume they are white, and both of them see themselves as white. they grew up in Poland, and they passed that culture onto me. when i was in school, everyone knew me as that Polish kid, because it was my culture. so knowing that, i always considered myself white, bc Polish people are white, right?

but then i got to college and right away people started assuming i was Asian and saying so (usually they assumed i was mixed-race but sometimes central Asian. it was all variations of like "what are you", usually from people trying to be more politic than that, since many of them were Asian and mixed race themselves). i kept getting comments on it, which really made me confused, bc ???? all my life i was told i'm Polish. i had no idea how to react, and i thought it was just the specific combination of traits i got from my parents that maybe made me look Asian to people.

finally about a month ago after yet another person said something about how i'm Asian, i asked my mother if we are Tatars—and apparently the answer is yes?? my father's parents supposedly have close Tatar ancestry (but she's not sure exactly how), and my mother's father also has Tatar ancestry. and i don't speak to my father, so i don't even know like more specifics

so anyway my question is—am i a person of color now?? neither i nor any living family members that i'm in contact with have any connection to Tatar culture, i haven't experienced that much racism (i think?), and i don't even know if Tatars are poc. Lipka Tatars have lived in Poland for like 600 years, and though they are endogamous, they (we) are also pretty assimilated.

i've thought i was white for over 20 years of my life. it's just that people keep assuming i'm Asian…and idek how to learn more about my new(?) culture, since i've already devoured almost everything there is online about them (us?) and there's no "Tatar community" here or anywhere i'm really likely to ever go anytime soon…

this ask is A Lot, i know, and i'm sorry lol

hi! it's okay, no need to apologise! you sound like you're processing a lot. i am not familiar enough with Polish race constructs, history or Tatar history or culture to know how to answer this with authority. the best advice i can give is that it's okay to acknowledge your connection to a culture even if you have no way of growing that connection at the moment. it's okay for you to just say that you have Tatar roots/family without worrying about how that racially categorizes you. because, as you've experienced, race is perceived differently by different people anyways. You don't have to worry about the binary of poc/not poc (its never really been a binary but that's a whole other conversation), it's okay for you to say you're descended from Tatars when people ask because it's the truth and you're not obligated to elaborate. it's also okay for you to just say you're a mixed Polish/Tatar person because that's an accurate label too. labels aren't contracts, they're just indicators. choose the one that is the most helpful in indicating your identity to others. sometimes that's all we can do. x

I am tired of Asians being treated as interchangeable.

Chinese people are not Korean people. Japanese people aren't Korean people. Vietnamese people aren't Korean people. Fillipino people are not Vietnamese people. And vice versa. This list could go on for miles.

There are some things I understand. In the case of regions, it makes the most sense to have Chinese or Japanese actors play Korean characters and the opposite if you don't have accessibility to the correct ethnicity. Ultimately, I still really hate this. Kim's Convenience is a wonderful testament to this. There is great representation. Many of the Korean roles are filled by Korean actors. However, in the cases of Kimchi and Jung, the actors aren't Korean, and it really is a detriment to their (WONDERFUL) performances when you can tell they butcher pronunciations or are overcompensating for the fact that they're trying to explain cultural elements that they don't understand or just aren't familiar with. In that particular case, what makes me really upset is the fact that Kimchi's character doesn't even need to be Korean. So far, nothing about that has been important to the show. I wish they would realize that there's more to Asia than just The East. Though I don't know his ethnicity, they could've created really great representation through Kimchi's actor. It would've been really refreshing. I'll also mention Randall Park as the dad in Fresh Off the Boat. I am not Chinese, so I can't speak to any inaccuracies, but like just because an actor looks Chinese "enough" doesn't make them Chiness???

Do you know what boils my blood? What makes me so so SO angry? Practically all of Lana Condor's roles.

Now, I can't possibly be angry with her. God knows in this market it is next to impossible to find roles for Asians much less for South East Asians, a department in which the representation is particularly lacking. Plus, she is talented. It just makes me so angry that she gets to play roles like Jubilee and Lara Jean- characters from a COMPLETELY different region of Asia. Lana Condor is Vietnamese. Jubilee is Chinese. Vietnam is in Southeast Asia. These are completely different areas on the map. Don't even get me STARTED about Lara Jean. Lara Jean isn't even supposed to be fully asian. She's BIRACIAL. Her sisters are CLEARLY half, and then she waltzes in here trying to look like something she isn't. I think casting like this is a HUGE contributor in the reason why white people mix up Asians so much. Like I said, Lana Condor is not the one to be angry with here. The author had to fight Netflix to even get Asian actors for the Covey family. Representation should not be this difficult. I'm sure Lana Condor is just as tired of this as the rest of us are. She deserves to play a role that she can identify with not just personally, but also culturally. (Obviously this excludes characters written without an ethnicity or race in mind.) I know Lara Jean's racial identity isn't SUPER important in the story, but as long as they're going to bother to write it in and show the effects it has on her character, I think they have to own up to that task.

This extends to the musical theatre industry as well. While some of my favorite actresses: Lianah Santa Ana, Eva Noblezada, Emily Bautista and Lea Salonga, may have never been big if not for Miss Saigon, I think it's high time we saw a wave of Vietnamese actresses play Kim. If this show is going to be as racist as it is, the least it could do is have ethnically correct casting. I'm not even going to talk about The King and I. This is even more on the fault of casting directors.

Now, it's time to address the elephant in the room. This would seriously limit jobs for actors of underrepresented cultures. That is honestly just a fact that only has one solution. Diversity. Write more characters for Southwest Asians, Southeast Asians, South Asians, Blacks, South Americans, Latinx, African Americans, Jewish Americans, and all of the things I've just listed even as NOT Americans! Because obviously the world doesn't revolve around America lol. It just seemed the most relevant to me. Write more characters that don't need a specific race, and then blind cast them. Be thoughtful even in situations with blind casting. Us POC will go wild if we see our culture being represented even in the smallest ways. Keep making lighthearted characters that involve POC that aren't necessarily SJWs and stuff (LIKE LARA JEAN! CASUAL ASIAN REP IS SO GREAT), but sneak in little references through what their homes look like (do they wear shoes at home? decor? food?), how they speak to their parents, what their childhood was like, etc. These are things that can be easily written in after casting! The best thing you can do with blind casting is let someone's cultural identity become a part of their character. It allows for an authentic product that will honestly enhance the world, the actor's performance, and the character itself.

I mainly wrote this because of the long time talks of a Silk show. I want to see a Korean American woman play Cindy Moon. I am tired of seeing non-Korean Asian girls being fancasted as her. I'm even tired of seeing KOREAN Korean girls being fancasted as her, but that's a whole other thing I'm not really willing to get into right now. I am tired of seeing people feeling like they don't have hope in seeing their own culture represented and feel like they need to make people pretend to be a culture they aren't. I'm not here to fight with anyone. I'm here to vent out my frustrations with hopes that someone in the industry will see this one day and understand. This is no one's fault but the industry that created the problem.

And if you're wondering, my personal fancasts for Cindy Moon are Arden Cho and Jamie Chung.

rr crit. masterpost

seen rick riordan criticism and ever wondered what the big deal was? maybe you saw some people talking about how much they disliked a certain aspect of his books and just thought that at least he gave us this diversity in the first place. 

either way, this post is for you! i’ve compiled a list of meta and explanations from across tumblr that actually come from people who are able to speak on his representation in novels and this will help shed some light on why specific parts of rick riordan’s books are criticised!

preface: i’ll clarify that i am not trying to hate on rick riordan and i’m not making this as a post to start drama or to complain! i’ve always loved his books since i was young and read pretty much all his series! but there is really no excuse for a privileged white man to mess up this badly :/

but as humans in an everchanging society, we’re witnesses to change and to growth!! and our perception of media can affect how we empathise and treat the plight of others who are less fortunate in mainstream society. even if you don’t seen the problem in these criticisms or aren’t affected, please do not speak over those who are!! i’ll put the list under the tag <3

poc representation

medusa + middle eastern representation by @moontheapollocamper ↳ you might remember medusa from the first book in the percy jackson series, this piece covers what was problematic about how she was written and what stereotypes she enforced.

brazilian representation by @ellakay69 ↳ this is a very detailed and easy to understand post on why paolo’s character in trials of apollo is a terrible example of brazilian representation

on samirah’s arranged engagement in the books by @kubo ↳ perpetuating a harmful stereotype when many have been harmed is incredibly problematic

on the dehumanisation of poc and the dismissal of their experiences by @mustwealwaysbepredictable ↳ an important post to read as it breaks down the issues with riordan’s casual and problematic depiction of certain poc

paolo’s character in trials of apollo by @fan-dot ↳ another good post to help understand why paolo was thoughtlessly characterised just to fill a representation slot

poc characters and their families by @ellakay69 ↳ op made some excellent points here on how the poc families and their experiences are treated

adultification of black girls by @literateleah there have been many professional studies done on how black girls are always portrayed as more mature, and ‘adult’ and hazel fell into this category

physical appearance 

riordan’s portrayal of acne by @skatersuki ↳ a quick summary on why rick’s descriptions of acne were hurtful especially since his books are meant to cater to young teenagers who might be going through the same experiences

the depictions of piper and hazel by @howelljenkins ↳ would definitely recommend if you want to understand how piper and hazel’s coloured eyes (something glorified in fanarts) is problematic

on mixed race sadie by @goth-hazel ↳ this is an incredibly broad issue but it should be understood and this post is a good start!

lgtbq+ representation

riordan’s portrayal of reyna as an ace woman by @michaelyew ↳ breaks down the stereotypes that riordan made reyna’s character enforce and why this representation of asexuality is problematic nico’s coming out by @earthlyruins a brief but important take on why nico’s coming out was probably one of the worst ways to portray the coming out of a character onto impressionable young people

there’s a lot more to unpack here and i’ll continue to edit this post and add links!

problematic plotlines

why rick riordan’s ‘world war two was caused by the big three’ is a terrible storyline by @jewishpercy ↳ this was a well written and an eye opening text post for me because it was something i had never considered before and it definitely helped me understand why this particular point was actually quite gross :/ on the topic of rr saying that children of hades were nazis by @luke-x-percy ↳ good points are made here and this post points out the disgusting insensitivity that riordan portrayed when he brought the holocaust into mythology

serious events brushed by riordan by @hazellpjo ↳ you can see how serious issues were used for plot points by riordan when they really shouldn’t have been

how mallory’s death was incredibly insensitive by @sapphic-ace-reyna ↳ again, another piece that helped me understand something that i had never thought about and well written!

other opinions to give you something to think about

stereotypes pushed by riordan’s books by @canarhys on the topic of poc names and nicknames by @rowansdamisch the problems with riordan’s characters in heroes of olympus by @housemartius what to consider when these criticisms are brought up by @knuffled on the portrayal of mixed race sadie by @howelljenkins a overall criticism of the mythology in the pjo books by the @theatomicboom on buff girls in media by @macsi sadie and uh the age difference by @spoopy-elliot

This might be controversial but I'm Korean and tbh I think that non-Asian and non-Inuit people have to take a backseat when discussing race issues for ATLA. It's true there's no white characters but there also no black, Latino, Middle Eastern and so on characters either. I don't feel comfortable when non-Asians try to compare their history to stuff in the show because it's not the same. If that's called racism then I feel that's a problem.

So it took me a while to gather what I should say to this. I think I know where you're coming from but at the same time I'm not entirely sure I do.

Nonetheless, this is my own input.

First, if we're referring to POC leaving fandom, I think this whole argument is irrelevant. POC are leaving fandom because fans in their same fandom are being racist toward them and POC and their allies are being ignored and harassed when they do speak out. This applies to all fandoms.

Now, if we're speaking specifically about the issue you have brought up, this is a bit different. I think I get where you're coming from. Truly, I do. However, there is still overlap where POC who aren't Asian or Inuit can still speak on the issue of racism. Something like colonialism and its effects is a shared experience that can be seen in a lot of indigenous cultures who aren't Inuit, South Asia, South America, the Middle East, and of course not to mention the entirety of Africa.

There is a lot of overlap in what POC experience, and while ATLA is based on Asian cultures, it is still fictional, and people can identify with whatever aspects of the show speak to them, regardless of culture.

Races and cultures in ATLA don't have a true real world correlate. Sure, you can draw comparisons from the Earth Kingdom being China, and the Fire Nation being Japan, but ultimately even within those there are a mix of other Asian countries involved.

ATLA is its own world with its own issues. Being "Asian" in ATLA (which is most people besides the Water Tribes) is different from being Asian in the real world. An example would be like being white in the Lord of the Rings because everyone is white in a medieval European-inspired world.

A lot of fantasy is written in this manner, and that is being written in a way that encompasses a lot of inspiration from a lot of cultures in the same continent or around the same geographical area. Unless they are specifically inspired by one culture, they are pretty much a hodgepodge of elements.

Plus you have to remember that ATLA is an Asian-inspired show created by Westerners and ultimately for a Western audience. Even elements in the show aren't exclusively Asian. Take for example Wan Shi Tong who has Asian-inspired elements, but is an owl and lives in a library with very Middle Eastern-inspired architecture. An owl is a symbol for wisdom...in the West. Not to mention the Sun Warriors who are inspired by Mesoamerica.

Now, if people of other cultures are invalidating the thoughts and opinions of people from the cultures the show is based on, that is different. This is where I think we are in agreement.

People with Asian heritage or Inuit/indigenous heritage could respond with their own opinion to non-Asian or non-Inuit/indigenous people's takes, but everyone should be able to talk about race and culture issues in ATLA.

I believe that other POC should absolutely be able to draw comparisons between their history and the history presented in the show.

idk why u act like being a brown person frustrated that some media that im a fan of implied that having lighter skin is superior is me walking around angry all the time. u minimizing the feelings of poc just shows how privileged u are to not constantly be assaulted by the message of how we're inferior for our race. youre insensitive, entitled, and just an unsympathetic person towards issues of race when it involves things u like. why do u not care about poc? 🤔 or do u just care when it doesnt inconvenience u

Ooo, my first angry anon in this fandom. How nice. I’m going to try and go through this line by line so I don’t miss anything, stick with me.

idk why u act like being a brown person frustrated that some media that im a fan of implied that having lighter skin is superior is me walking around angry all the time.

Sorry, but I don’t recall saying that? From day one I have agreed the whitewashing of the bad batch isn’t cool, and it should be heavily criticized for how it stomps on POC representation within Star Wars. I did say, however, that people trying to make Galaxy Brain takes about the bad batch (ex. This show is bad because it tweaked how one specific scene in a comic went down, or this show is terrible because it makes the chipped clones seem like droids) is stupid and people should calm down a little bit. I also said that it’s okay to enjoy something while also pointing out its valid flaws, and you don’t need to strain yourself trying to reach for any petty criticism you can find when there are actual legit, real flaws we can talk about. Trying to make everything an issue takes away from the real issues (like whitewashing) and shifts the focuses from what we should be discussing / criticizing.

u minimizing the feelings of poc just shows how privileged u are to not constantly be assaulted by the message of how we're inferior for our race.

I’m trying to figure out how to answer this one without giving too much away about myself and typing too much out. I guess I’ll put it like this; please do not assume that I do not know what it is like to have my race thrown in my face and been made to feel inferior. I am indeed privileged over the rest of my family in that I’m white passing, but at the end of the day I am mixed race. I know, shocking, right?

My Mother is Mexican, her first language is Spanish, and her parents (my grandparents) were migrant workers that traveled up and down the west coast picking crops and doing labor jobs. I spoke Spanish growing up, and i used to be brown as hell when I was younger. Oh, and my first name? Yeah it ain’t white sounding at all, its Spanish as hell and I’ve never in my life met another person with my name.

With this in mind, you think when i moved to the Bible Belt as a kid I didn’t have that shit thrown in my face? You think I didn’t constantly have other kids, and their parents, make comments about my name, or ask if my Mom could speak English? You think I didn’t have to hear the teacher mumble about “that dirty beaner” under her breath? I’m super pale now because I never freaking go outside for one reason or another (depression, its hot and humid here in cornfield hell, etc.) and haven’t for over a decade but I still get shit about my name constantly. My Mom, sister, and brother are all a hell of a lot darker than me, in fact I look like the adopted white kid when I’m around them, but my mom and i sure as shit still get followed around by loss prevention when we go shopping.

Just last year I had a lawyer keep getting more and more aggressive as he demanded to know if my grandparents needed a translator, and he refused to believe me when i told him no, they could speak English just fine. Hell, there’s a client at work that only refers to me as “that little Spanish girl” and if that isn’t a little slap in the face idk what is.

So yeah my dude, I’m white passing and there is without a doubt a level of privilege that goes with that, but please do not assume to know my life, my experiences, or the experiences of my family.

youre insensitive, entitled, and just an unsympathetic person towards issues of race when it involves things u like

Now I don’t know about that friend, that’s assuming quite a lot about me? Especially when I am 100% firmly of the mindset that whitewashing and overall POC representation in Star Wars is a major problem. This is an absolutely valid criticism of Star Wars and should continue to be discussed until the creators start making an effort.

why do u not care about poc?

Again, a pretty bold assumption and one I really don’t appreciate. But I guess I’ll go let my Mom and Grandma know I no longer care about them. May as well call all my Tias and Tios and tell them to fuck off too, since tumblr said I don’t care about POC. (This is sarcasm, by the way. Just wanted to make that clear.)

or do u just care when it doesnt inconvenience u

No, I’d say I care all the time actually. Especially when they inconvenience me, because if I’m bothered by something I can’t imagine how hard it is for someone it has a real impact on.

Anyway to sum this all up, I find people getting up in arms about stupid stuff (minor changes in canon, crosshair’s chip working, etc.) is ridiculous. However, I do think it is absolutely okay to call out media for its legit flaws (whitewashing, POC representation) while still enjoying the good parts.

Why Zayn matters to South Asians everywhere (Part 1)

I can't believe that we are in 2021 and I still have to see people saying things like "why do South Asian people act like they have a special claim on Zayn?" First of all, the fact that this exact phrase even exists is pretty disturbing. Last time I checked,, Zayn is a human being, not some object that can be "claimed". That said,, the reason that South Asians around the world feel so connected to Zayn is because Zayn to so many of us signifies our collective struggle, particularly those of us who live in the West. While there are certain things that all communities of colour have in common with regards to racism and discrimination and systemic oppression, there are certain things about the South Asian experience that are very specific and I am so sick of that being constantly overlooked in Western society. That is why Zayn is so important because he really is the perfect example of what South Asian people in the West go through on a daily basis.

First of all, I've said this before but I think I should make it clear again, I do think it's important to acknowledge that Zayn is mixed and that has shaped his experiences as well. Obviously, as someone who is not mixed, I can not speak to that but I do know from many in depth conversations with friends who are mixed (some of whom are of South Asian descent), none of them like to have the "half-white" label put on them because it invalidates their experiences and we all know that Zayn feels the same way. After all, his being "half-white" didn't stop the kids who would attack him at school and yell "Paki" at him. It didn't stop TSA from harassing him and it didn't stop the so-called fans at 1D concerts from bring their racist and Islamophobic signs. What has happened though, and this is important, is that people have used his mixed race as an attempt to cover up their own racism and to invalidate his experiences. All that said, as a South Asian myself (specifically Pakistani Muslim), I can relate to Zayn on so many levels. First off, the whitewashing that South Asian people face particularly in America is honestly ridiculous. The fact we're not even considered Asian in America says a he'll if a lot. The thing is, that whitewashing allows our experiences to go unnoticed and it allows people (often other people of colour) to invalidate our experiences and be racist towards us. Let's be clear, whitewashing is still racism. I've literally had other POC tell me that I couldn't possibly understand racism because South Asians aren't actual POC. LMAO REALLY? So then why did the kids at school call me slurs? Why did they wave their hands in front of their noses whenever I walked by? This is also why I love Zayn because he calls this stuff out. He calls out the people who try to invalidate the racism he's experienced whether it's because of his mixed race or his South Asian heritage. I'll be honest, I tend to go a bit easier in POC in general than I do white people because it is ultimately the racism and ignorance (willful or otherwise) that oppresses all of us. That said, I will call out the racism towards South Asians that exists in other communities of colour the same way I will call out the racism within the South Asian community. I'm certainly not going to deny that there are problems within our community just like there are problems in all communities of colour but I will not allow anybody to be hateful or invalidate our struggles either. That said, this is mainly a post about Zayn and his significance as is this whole blog really, so that's what I'll be focusing on now. I will never stop crying over the fact that Zayn, when asked what makes his fantasy special, actually said his Desi fans.

I will never forget the first time I saw Zayn. I was sitting in my living room with the TV on in my periphery. I wasn't even really paying attention as an episode of the x factor came on and these five guys that I'd heard some of the girls at school talking about a while ago appeared on the screen. My eyes were instantly drawn to the dark haired boy in the middle. For a second it felt like my brain had shut down. All I could think of was that this guy looked kind of familiar to me even though I'd never seen him before in my life. Looking back, I realise that it wasn't so much that he looked familiar but rather it was the first time I'd ever seen someone who looked like me on my screen. I was instantly infatuated with him. When the band released their first album, I listened to the while thing just so I could hear Zayn sing. Listening to him sing, I was reminded of the Desi singers that I'd grown up with. There was something in his voice that had that distinct Desi tone even as he sang in English to mainstream pop music. Now, as he gets to embrace his roots more and sing in Urdu, that Desi tone that I heard way back then is still there. If anything it's more pronounced now than ever before as he adds little Desi touches to his music. I honestly live for those little touches. Even when he's not singing in Urdu, there are still Desi touches on his music. Like in Dusk till Dawn or A Whole New World just to name a couple. And the way it feels like he's putting a secret message in there for us feels so incredibly special. And us desis have every right to that feeling. Because when you're a part of a group that is all but erased from the mainstream and the only time you see yourselves is when you're being held up as figure of fear or mockery, any type of positive representation feels like gold. Zayn's love of samosas, his love of Bollywood, his almost non existent sense of timing-all of these things are things I can relate to. As well as his thick dark hair and his tan-brown skin, his bushy eyebrows and his thick long eyelashes that those of us who descend from that part of the world are blessed with. Back in the days when Zayn still remembered what Twitter was, seeing him making references to Desi culture, including but not at all limited to Bollywood. These things made a massive difference to that Desi girl who had once felt so ashamed of who she was she couldn't even make eye contact with people lest they say something to her. Thanks to Zayn, I no longer feel ashamed if who I am. Seeing Zayn be so proud of his culture and hearing him say that his Desi fans are what make his fanbase special, makes me feel proud of who I am in a way I never thought would be possible before Zayn. And for that, I will always be grateful to him.

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER: THE STAR-SPANGLED MAN

i’m late to this but watching episode two of the falcon and winter soldier was a ride. a necessary one in my view for the sake of understanding where sam and bucky are in this world.

from episode one to this episode, race is a lingering blanket throughout our time seeing the pair on screen (minus the action sequences and their banter). bucky constantly telling sam that he should’ve kept the shield annoyed me because i wanted sam to explode. i wanted him to unload and explicitly tell him his reasons for not keeping the shield. we saw in endgame that sam was uncomfortable holding the shield when steve passed it on to him. not that he felt unworthy but he knows the implications of the shield, the legacy it holds and the magnitude of that symbol in the usa. he knows that the history is associated with a white man for decades. at the beginning, steve is used as propaganda by the government for the war before he really grows into his own and even goes against the same government that propped him up to be this heroic symbol. sam, as an african american man, knows struggles that steve never had to face all due to the color of his skin. we don’t know specifics about his time in the military besides what we learned in winter soldier but i don’t doubt that sam had obstacles thrown at him in that environment. now, mixing in his struggles and knowing the implications of him carrying that shield, it’s understandable why sam gave back the shield. this isn’t wakanda, this is america and america doesn’t have a good track record with it’s non-white citizens - especially the african american community.

we learn in episode two that there’s a much darker history associated with captain america when we meet isaiah bradley. to me, the erased history and mistreatment of isaiah speaks to the fact that the government always wanted to keep captain america as a white man. captain america is supposed to be the all-american man who loves his country. as a hispanic woman, when i hear all-american man, my mind pictures a white man first because that’s what i’ve been conditioned to think through imagery and from simply growing up in this country. since the mcu mirrors our world, this is definitely the case when it comes to captain america because that’s the only iteration anyone’s seen or heard of. we learn that isaiah fought bucky and won that fight. to date, i don’t think anyone’s come close to defeating bucky when he was the winter soldier. the fact that isaiah did that and was jailed for 30 years in return for serving his government is explicit enough for us to know that the government doesn’t want a black captain america. and the fact that bucky never told steve about isaiah speaks volumes. if bucky told steve, i don’t doubt steve would’ve tried to do right by him. what that would’ve been, we’ll never know. bucky had this information and while his reasoning was that he was sparing isaiah, quite frankly - it’s not a good enough reason. he hurt both sam and isaiah when they visited his house. he used isaiah to physically show sam that he’s not the first black man the government has set up to fail. what angered me about that scene was that isaiah could’ve been spared by bucky just telling sam about him instead of taking him to his house. if he knows that isaiah doesn’t want that trudged up again, why do it to prove a point? i don’t doubt that had bucky just told sam about isaiah, he would’ve believed him. i think sam and isaiah’s first meeting would’ve been different and on sam’s terms, not bucky’s.

bucky, of course, doesn’t understand sam’s reasons for giving back the shield and that’s the fucking point. how could bucky understand as a white man? sam not explaining himself and keeping his composure whenever bucky lectures him on why he shouldn’t have given back the shield speaks volumes. sam’s reasons are his own and frankly, doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. because explaining it to bucky would be pointless. bucky doesn’t understand what sam’s gone through in life and yeah maybe he sees sam as the next captain america because steve said so along with the fact that he’s a good man which brings me to my next point.

a good man. that’s what made the serum work on steve. steve was a good man at the end of the day. we the audience, the avengers and steve’s friends/comrades know that captain america is not just a star spangled man fighting for the good ol’ us of a, it’s a good man that fights for what’s right. that’s why steve gave the shield to sam because he knows sam is a good man that’ll continue the legacy of fighting the good fight and not necessarily for the government or for those in charge. so sam’s comment in the therapy scene about steve and bucky never understanding is not wrong because while they see the legacy being carried by sam as the right choice, it’s wishful thinking that everything would be fine and that the whole world would be okay with it. i say wishful thinking because it’s easy to think that things wouldn’t change and everyone will accept sam as the new captain america when you don’t think about the struggles sam has faced in his life. when you’re in a place of privilege, you can afford to be a little idealistic because you don’t face or rarely see the injustices to poc/ minorities so you can afford to believe the world will be accepting of what you see as common sense or that the world will treat poc with basic human decency.

when bucky shares his fears of steve being wrong about him if he was wrong about sam and sam asks him if he’s finished also says a lot. that interaction just proves what i said earlier, bucky (and steve) is being idealistic in thinking there would be no questions asked and the world would be fine with sam carrying the shield. when sam says “are you finished?” it’s relatable because it’s representative of poc listening to white people throw a fit about something they’ve never experienced and can’t fully understand.

the scene with them and the cops also shows that bucky has a lot to learn about where sam is coming from and why he returned that shield. out of costume, apparently no one knows sam is the falcon. when i say no one, i mean those with authority (bank and cops so far) because what they see first is a black man and a superhero second. while for steve it seems that everyone saw him as captain america first and steve rogers second. seeing how before they apologize to sam for not recognizing him the officer had his hand on his gun vs. how they tell bucky that he’s under arrest gently and calmly should be a wake up call for buck. he’s one of the world’s most dangerous assassins and they’re just like “oh hey...there’s an arrest out for you because you missed therapy sorry.” is aggravating but the worst part is bucky telling sam to show him his ID, being idealistic in thinking that the situation would be resolved once sam formally identifies himself. that shows buck still has a long way to go because not realizing and thinking that being cooperative and doing what authorities say will resolve the situation is in fact hurtful to sam since he doesn’t know that even cooperating and doing as told will do nothing if that authority figure already has a bias going into that situation.

all in all, the main point for my essay-like post is that while bucky and steve see sam as their equal and the best choice to carry on the legacy, the rest of the world may not necessarily agree and they miss that due to their vastly different experiences in life than sam. i truly despised the way endgame did steve with his arc because it would’ve been great seeing him retired and adjusting to current life but also learning about the darker history and implications of the shield since now the show confirms steve knew nothing. i would imagine steve trying to do right with not only isaiah but sam as well by simply being an advocate and trying to understand how life is different for sam. i hope in future episodes we see bucky try to understand this and even fix his own biases and actions that are harmful rather than helpful to sam. i also just can’t wait to see more of sam’s story being fleshed out and seeing him take on the mantle.

Okay- so I’m young, sheltered and a self proclaimed idiot who knows very little about anything.

but I was wondering. Why are people Saying Ryan isn’t a person of colour? He’s half Mexican, right? Doesn’t that make him a person of colour? Why are people saying he’s white?

or white-passing. something like that. I just don’t understand.

does that make me white? cause last I checked, my skin is very brown. Or would I just be tan? Actually- I shouldn’t bring myself into this, I’m just genuinely trying to understand cause it confuses me.😭

Idk if people hate Ryan or they hate Eddie or they just hate fathoming the nuances and complexities of race/ethnicity but it continues to baffle me.

I'm mixed race myself, but outwardly I will never be regarded as anything other than a woc. This is speaking strictly of my physical appearance and the label that is dictated by the (mostly white) world around me.

What I will say is Ryan (and therefore Eddie) is a poc. Full stop.

For everything else, and for any followers/mutuals/passerbys who are not exhausted by this discourse, I'm throwing the ball to anyone who has personal experience and therefore more intimate knowledge of this than I do to answer. Considering the specific context of this issue, probably I'm not the best to speak too closely on this topic. Sorry anon.