Just Gwen
So, about once a week or so, folks post or continue threads on imdb complaining that Gwen is black.
That's right. Complaining.
This betrays a fundamental ignorance of history. However, I understand how mainstream (white) culture does whitewash the past, such that even PoC may not know that the representations are unjust and inaccurate. I'm not blaming anyone, I'm just saying it's edumacation time now, my dears.
First of all, such_heights did an awesome number-crunching table for Merlin, following the rule of counting (that is, overall impressions are useless because we've been brainwashed into racism and sexism by our society - you have to physically count people to get an accurate representation). Go find out your chances of being the next dadbrowalking 1 if you show up as a Man of Color in Merlin-verse. I assure you they're terrifying.
Also, such_heights points out that your chances of being a Woman of Color are low, but if you were one, you'd be Gwen. Just Gwen.
Which brings me to my first point: take away Gwen, and what female Characters of Color are left in season 1? None. Before I even get into historical arguments, I'd like you to think about what the world would look like to a young black woman if there were no black women in fantasy/historical roles because it was "inaccurate". Or better yet, imagine there were no [insert your group here, if you're not a young black woman] 2 in these roles for the same flimsy justification. How would you feel? Would you accept the justification? (and_i certainly doesn't.)
Second, delux_vivens cheered me up by posting a link I had lost a while back detailing the long history of Africans and South Asians in Britain. Also, one of my own ancestors was supposedly a Moorish knight who came over with William I in 1066. That may be mere family legend, but there is independent evidence that Moors did fight at Hastings 3. Long before that, North Africans crossed the channel with the other Roman troops. If you take Uther as a Roman king (as he is in many of the legends), then Tom's presence makes perfect sense, especially since some of the world's best iron-working was done first in Meroe and later in West Africa.
So in fact, the historical whitewashing of Britain is wrong and wrong, with a side of so wrong.
ETA 4/15/09: and_i brings us "Aurelian Moors" and their history at Hadrian's Wall, while wellifnotwisely has the complementary genetic analysis.
Third, Before the French got hold of the story, Gwen had little to no background at all. She was Arthur's wife, she was a pawn, and describing her appearance or her origins was apparently beneath many authors. (Though I've heard that someone early described her as Roman. Anyone got clue on this?) ETA: green_grrl reminds me that this info is in The Many Lives of Gwenhwyfar by sophielou21.
ETA 4/27/09: In this vein, brightfame reminds us that there is also a long and glorious history of Knights of Color in Arthurian legend itself, as well as in the Charlemagne cycle. She encourages any scholars of medieval lit to share additional (and more verifiable) sources.
ETA 4/28/09: So of course and_i answers the call with Sir Morien and Feirefiz. ETA 5/4/09: And spiralsheep brings us The Sowdone of Babylone, a Middle English piece of the Matter of France. (This conversion theme seems pretty popular. Hm.)
Finally, this show has unicorns, tomatoes, sandwiches, apparently no chamber pots or middens, people throwing perfectly good food at the stocks, chainmail and crossbows at the same time, fashions from 4 different centuries (that I counted in the first couple of eps, before giving up), gryphons, chimeras, dragons, and, again, unicorns. White-horse unicorns, not even the deer-antlered, cloven-hoofed variety. This is Disney-fied history, not anything resembling reality.
Unicorns. I rest my case.
Now, to explain the title of this post.
Today Americans tend to use "just" to mean "only", but the older meaning is related to "justice". A just person is one who creates or brings justice, fairness, or appropriate and wise responses to difficult situations. Angel Coulby is bringing us greater justice and fairness simply by playing Gwen. And I for one am cheering her on like a mad thing.
~~notes and thanks~~
(P.S. giglet started this. She dragged me into this fandom, swearing up and down it passed the Bechdell test. Thank you, such_heights, for proving her right!)
(P.P.S. The most recently updated anti-Gwen thread on imdb: Ok, so setting aside the whole race issue, does anyone else find Gwen a bit lacking in the looks department?... Sorry, but I just think it hurts the story even more than having a black woman in old England. Feel free to skewer him. I don't have the spoons.)
(P3.S. If you want the joyful, squeeful version of this post, and_i did it first and better.)
~~footnotes~~
1Referring to Tom, of course. Someone else used this one long before me... spiralsheep, maybe?
2I assume that if you are, in fact, a young black woman, you know exactly what it's like to go unrepresented in F&SF and don't need to do the mental exercise.
3 I will look up this link when I'm not desperately trying to keep my dinner down. Damned virus. *shakes fist... shakily*
ETA 4/18/09: Oh look, I've frozen a thread for the first time in my life. Yay... not. No, no one crossed the threshold into outright rude, but it was using all my spoons to keep an eye on the damn thing making sure that stayed the case. Consider us unable to agree and move on, please. [All other threads are still open.]
For future reference, please read the rules if you plan to engage in a debate on this journal.
That's right. Complaining.
This betrays a fundamental ignorance of history. However, I understand how mainstream (white) culture does whitewash the past, such that even PoC may not know that the representations are unjust and inaccurate. I'm not blaming anyone, I'm just saying it's edumacation time now, my dears.
First of all, such_heights did an awesome number-crunching table for Merlin, following the rule of counting (that is, overall impressions are useless because we've been brainwashed into racism and sexism by our society - you have to physically count people to get an accurate representation). Go find out your chances of being the next dadbrowalking 1 if you show up as a Man of Color in Merlin-verse. I assure you they're terrifying.
Also, such_heights points out that your chances of being a Woman of Color are low, but if you were one, you'd be Gwen. Just Gwen.
Which brings me to my first point: take away Gwen, and what female Characters of Color are left in season 1? None. Before I even get into historical arguments, I'd like you to think about what the world would look like to a young black woman if there were no black women in fantasy/historical roles because it was "inaccurate". Or better yet, imagine there were no [insert your group here, if you're not a young black woman] 2 in these roles for the same flimsy justification. How would you feel? Would you accept the justification? (and_i certainly doesn't.)
Second, delux_vivens cheered me up by posting a link I had lost a while back detailing the long history of Africans and South Asians in Britain. Also, one of my own ancestors was supposedly a Moorish knight who came over with William I in 1066. That may be mere family legend, but there is independent evidence that Moors did fight at Hastings 3. Long before that, North Africans crossed the channel with the other Roman troops. If you take Uther as a Roman king (as he is in many of the legends), then Tom's presence makes perfect sense, especially since some of the world's best iron-working was done first in Meroe and later in West Africa.
So in fact, the historical whitewashing of Britain is wrong and wrong, with a side of so wrong.
ETA 4/15/09: and_i brings us "Aurelian Moors" and their history at Hadrian's Wall, while wellifnotwisely has the complementary genetic analysis.
Third, Before the French got hold of the story, Gwen had little to no background at all. She was Arthur's wife, she was a pawn, and describing her appearance or her origins was apparently beneath many authors. (Though I've heard that someone early described her as Roman. Anyone got clue on this?) ETA: green_grrl reminds me that this info is in The Many Lives of Gwenhwyfar by sophielou21.
ETA 4/27/09: In this vein, brightfame reminds us that there is also a long and glorious history of Knights of Color in Arthurian legend itself, as well as in the Charlemagne cycle. She encourages any scholars of medieval lit to share additional (and more verifiable) sources.
ETA 4/28/09: So of course and_i answers the call with Sir Morien and Feirefiz. ETA 5/4/09: And spiralsheep brings us The Sowdone of Babylone, a Middle English piece of the Matter of France. (This conversion theme seems pretty popular. Hm.)
Finally, this show has unicorns, tomatoes, sandwiches, apparently no chamber pots or middens, people throwing perfectly good food at the stocks, chainmail and crossbows at the same time, fashions from 4 different centuries (that I counted in the first couple of eps, before giving up), gryphons, chimeras, dragons, and, again, unicorns. White-horse unicorns, not even the deer-antlered, cloven-hoofed variety. This is Disney-fied history, not anything resembling reality.
Unicorns. I rest my case.
Now, to explain the title of this post.
Today Americans tend to use "just" to mean "only", but the older meaning is related to "justice". A just person is one who creates or brings justice, fairness, or appropriate and wise responses to difficult situations. Angel Coulby is bringing us greater justice and fairness simply by playing Gwen. And I for one am cheering her on like a mad thing.
~~notes and thanks~~
(P.S. giglet started this. She dragged me into this fandom, swearing up and down it passed the Bechdell test. Thank you, such_heights, for proving her right!)
(P.P.S. The most recently updated anti-Gwen thread on imdb: Ok, so setting aside the whole race issue, does anyone else find Gwen a bit lacking in the looks department?... Sorry, but I just think it hurts the story even more than having a black woman in old England. Feel free to skewer him. I don't have the spoons.)
(P3.S. If you want the joyful, squeeful version of this post, and_i did it first and better.)
~~footnotes~~
1Referring to Tom, of course. Someone else used this one long before me... spiralsheep, maybe?
2I assume that if you are, in fact, a young black woman, you know exactly what it's like to go unrepresented in F&SF and don't need to do the mental exercise.
3 I will look up this link when I'm not desperately trying to keep my dinner down. Damned virus. *shakes fist... shakily*
ETA 4/18/09: Oh look, I've frozen a thread for the first time in my life. Yay... not. No, no one crossed the threshold into outright rude, but it was using all my spoons to keep an eye on the damn thing making sure that stayed the case. Consider us unable to agree and move on, please. [All other threads are still open.]
For future reference, please read the rules if you plan to engage in a debate on this journal.