Whoa. So clearly I haven't really been online in a while.

[rispacooper]

So of course I have been doing much reading of what some people are calling Racefail '09. Trying to catch up on where it started etc...until I realized that that was stupid, since we all know where it started. And a lot of people smarter than me have already said what I would have (or hopefully would have, I am so inarticulate sometimes). But yeah...wow. Wow. Though it looks like there might be some new publishing outlets for People of Color, so that will be interesting. And hopefully awesome. Though yeah, still sad that mainstream publishing has repeatedly let them down.

All of this is totally reminding me of the episode of the Colbert Report in which Stephen Colbert compared talking about race issues to having several spiders on you...and then tried to discuss race with three tarantulas crawling on him. Cuz, yeah, it's icky. It gives everyone an unpleasant feeling. It's scary and threatening. People lash out when threatened. But honestly, icky or not, we have to start getting past that.

(I am, in case people were wondering or give a crap, which I doubt, srsly, not a POC. I'm vampire-pale actually. It's probably unhealthy. But I do my best not to be a jackhole. I probably fail a lot of the time. I still try. It's called respecting other people no matter how uncomfortable you are. Yeah it sucks to have your authority/personal power challenged, but imagine it happening to you everyday. That would really suck, so get over yourselves.)

In the meantime, someone who says it all a lot better (and calmer).

This was posted last year, but since Racefail has bigger issues than just writing behind it, it still completely applies. People derailed the real conversation and other people let it get derailed.

A person, any person, has the right to criticize any creation or work of art or statement. From an academic standpoint or from their own personal experience and viewpoint. Absolutely nothing invalidates their feelings and reactions and right to voice those feelings and reactions. A person, any person, has the right to speak and be heard and seen. And any person from any position of authority that tells that person to shut up and go away just because they don't want to hear it, don't want to deal with it, or don't want look at it, is abusing that authority.

Whoa. Now back to my gay porn.

Comments

[pir8fancier.livejournal.com]

Yeah. To everything you said.

[rispacooper.livejournal.com]

There was some rather astounding crap being said. Amazing, to me anyway, and my little sheltered life.

Wow. I kind of wish I weren't still surprised by this stuff.

[fifi-bonsai.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is though that Bear went out in search of spiders and said LOOK AT HOW I TAME THEM and then someone else said LOOK AT HOW YOU DON'T. People want to talk about race when it makes them feel better about themselves, when they feel UNracist, like allies, aware and at least on the road to good intentions. I'm not judging though. As you said, it's not easy. I just wish people were better about getting called on stuff, but that applies to me too.

[rispacooper.livejournal.com]

It is seriously awkward to get called on stuff. It's beyond awkward, really, and painful, and horrible, and you tend to blow up...

And then you get over it, and you learn, and you try to do better.

You don't yell at people and call them stupid and nothing etc...

You just go..shit...I totally didn't see it that way. Sorry. I will fix, and strive to do better.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Well said.
As your fellow 'vampire', I salute you.:D

(I didn't take any part of the racefail discussion. I'm too far away culturally, living in a country with vastly different history and really, quite possibly don't get 'it'.)

[rispacooper.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone really can. I think it's trying to understand and be sensitive that's important.