Hmmmm. Racism 101.
Ok, I usually avoid racial issues like the plague. I keep it far, far away from my fangirling ways and I never get into racial issues in fandoms etc. Partly because I simply do not always feel like dealing with it. I’ve dealt with racism in real life, I don’t want to deal with it in my “fictional” life as well. And I’m posting this here and not on Tumblr (yet?) to still try and keep it away from my fangirling ways.
Because if I started paying attention to all the racial undertones, to every offensive thing on television, to the lack of development minority characters are often given and all the other things that would take out all the enjoyment I get from simply watching tv shows and not worrying about all that, I’d never enjoy another tv show again. And I don’t want that. My friend once called me a walking tv guide, I pretty much live and breathe pop culture, even though I barely have the time to watch all the shows I’d like to watch.
But I digress.
I’m only writing all of this down, because I’m getting increasingly frustrated by the racism I’ve encountered in various fandoms, especially in these past few days. It’s all purely coincidental, but there are just several small things that have angered me these past few days and I have to get this off my chest tonight, so that I can start studying tomorrow and pass my exams with a clear mind.
So, yeah, racism for dummies. Racism 101.
1. If you say that an interracial pairing is gross, sickening, disturbing, wrong etc., without ever really explaining why, when you don’t use those words for other pairings and when the pairing in question has done nothing to warrant such a response, chances are you are being racist.
2. If you say two characters “don’t look right” together, simply because he’s “hot as fuck” and she’s “not cute and sooo much darker than him”, while you think his conventionally attractive ex-girlfriend who cheated on him is perfect for him, simply because they have similar features, chances are you are being racist.
3. If you can’t imagine why anyone would ship two characters together, because you think the guy would go for “a more obvious beauty”, (when the girl in question is played by Katerina Graham, who is absolutely stunning and whose beauty shouldn’t even be questioned), like her fair skinned, blue eyed best friend (who is also stunning, but still), chances are you are being racist.
4. If you say that Michael Fassbender dating his new (black) girlfriend is a “waste of his beautiful Aryan genes” and that “mixing of black/white and latino/white” rarely leads to attractive results, chances are you are being racist. (Which, wow, offensive as fuck, by the way. I would not be here if it wasn’t for a little black/latino/white mixing, thankyouverymuch. Also: Naya Rivera, Wentworth Miller, Jesse Williams, Halle Berry, Troian Bellisario, Jessica Szohr, Hailee Steinfeld, Katerina Graham, Jessica Alba, Pete Wentz, Vin Diesel. Invalid argument, OP.)
5. If you are disappointed by the casting of Amandla Stenberg as Rue, even though it was explicitly stated that Rue (and Tresh) do(es) in fact have dark brown skin, if you suddenly cannot imagine Rue as a sweet, innocent little girl who reminds Katniss of her little sister, simply because the actress is biracial, chances are you are being racist.
And, yes, these are all actual quotes etc. I’ve seen on twitter and tumblr these past few days. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I actually do feel better after writing this whole rant.