Racist Tintin + the boy with the bread
OK so I just need to admit to myself that I'm never going to have the time for big updates, so I just need to update quickly and more frequently. So! This is me trying this new strategy and sharing two links on the politics of books:
First, an article on the recent court case in Belgium on racism in Tintin in the Congo. I ended up having a mini-argument with someone I know over whether this court case was a case of 'censorship' and it really annoyed me; I think this article does an excellent job of deconstructing why. Frankly, I think it is disturbing (and telling) that this Tintin book continues to sell, and sell well, and I don't know how we can pretend that it doesn't say something about our (French) culture's complacence about, and comfort with, very racist stories.
I haven't had a chance to post about reading The Hunger Games, which is too bad because I feel like there's a ton to say. I loved the series, and while the first book was obviously more of an awesome page-turner than the rest of them, I actually didn't stop enjoying the books at all. One of the biggest things for me is that this series does I think an incredible job at dealing with gender in a nuanced way. I kept expecting the book to fail, reverse into old familiar narratives, and it never did, and that alone makes it fairly brilliant YA fiction to me. This article on masculinities in the Hunger Games summarizes it well, but there's so much I'd like to add. The character of Peeta in particular is a remarkable one to me. (It makes me want to look into how Peeta fans articulate their liking the character.) I can't wait for the movies, although I'm so frustrated that the cast is so expectedly white. WHY.
First, an article on the recent court case in Belgium on racism in Tintin in the Congo. I ended up having a mini-argument with someone I know over whether this court case was a case of 'censorship' and it really annoyed me; I think this article does an excellent job of deconstructing why. Frankly, I think it is disturbing (and telling) that this Tintin book continues to sell, and sell well, and I don't know how we can pretend that it doesn't say something about our (French) culture's complacence about, and comfort with, very racist stories.
I haven't had a chance to post about reading The Hunger Games, which is too bad because I feel like there's a ton to say. I loved the series, and while the first book was obviously more of an awesome page-turner than the rest of them, I actually didn't stop enjoying the books at all. One of the biggest things for me is that this series does I think an incredible job at dealing with gender in a nuanced way. I kept expecting the book to fail, reverse into old familiar narratives, and it never did, and that alone makes it fairly brilliant YA fiction to me. This article on masculinities in the Hunger Games summarizes it well, but there's so much I'd like to add. The character of Peeta in particular is a remarkable one to me. (It makes me want to look into how Peeta fans articulate their liking the character.) I can't wait for the movies, although I'm so frustrated that the cast is so expectedly white. WHY.