Avatar Ravings: the Avatar.
One of my favourite parts of this show is the characte concept r of the Avatar. Specifically, how the Avatar can be male or female.
I just love this so much for what it says about gender. This is one person reincarnated, but their gender switches over and over again. This way, the writers highlight what’s important about a person is who they are, not what gender they are.
Plus, it’s totally equal to both sexes. I love that we’ve gone from a time when the Slayer (from Buffy The Vampire Slayer) being a female hero was revolutionary, to a time when we can have a hero that switches gender. It’s such a clever idea and Bryke got around the issue of gender so well.
Also I love how, even though the Avatars are technically the same person, they can be very different to each other. Kyoshi and Aang, for example, are very different. I love what this says about how the era we’re brought up in, how we’re taught as kids, our experiences in life, shapes the person we become.
In short, the Avatar is a great tool in both a canon and meta sense. While plot-wise this type of hero is obviously a font of ideas, in a meta way the writers can convey so many great messages about gender, identity, philosophy of self, and more.
In even shorter….
~ Lili
I just love this so much for what it says about gender. This is one person reincarnated, but their gender switches over and over again. This way, the writers highlight what’s important about a person is who they are, not what gender they are.
Plus, it’s totally equal to both sexes. I love that we’ve gone from a time when the Slayer (from Buffy The Vampire Slayer) being a female hero was revolutionary, to a time when we can have a hero that switches gender. It’s such a clever idea and Bryke got around the issue of gender so well.
Also I love how, even though the Avatars are technically the same person, they can be very different to each other. Kyoshi and Aang, for example, are very different. I love what this says about how the era we’re brought up in, how we’re taught as kids, our experiences in life, shapes the person we become.
In short, the Avatar is a great tool in both a canon and meta sense. While plot-wise this type of hero is obviously a font of ideas, in a meta way the writers can convey so many great messages about gender, identity, philosophy of self, and more.
In even shorter….
~ Lili