(no subject)
Watch out world, I'm about to get my rant on, or something.
I've been willing to bend over backwards to give Kripke the benefit of the doubt. And for a lot of things I still do. I, like most of fandom, have noticed the trend on Supernatural where nearly every person of color has been killed off. Lately I've taken to crossing my fingers during episodes in hope that the trend will not continue. And I've given show the benefit of the doubt, because it continues to cast non-white actors in roles that traditionally on genre television have gone to white actors. I think, and continue to think, that show is trying. After all, they kill off pretty much everyone, they love killing people off, it's one of their things. Plus, they've never skimped on the characterization, I have generally cared about all of the characters they've killed, have empathized and sympathized with their individual stories, which is all very positive. I think show likes to think of itself as color blind, which is good, up to a point. In the last episode they teetered on the edge where any avowed color blindness can become blatant insensitivity, but they can easily pull themselves off the brink and ease our wary minds (personally, I would utilize Rufus Turner in interesting ways, as well as bring back Tamara and show her allying herself with the boys and Bobby against the demons. Where oh where is my red phone to Kripke when I need it).
However, that's not what I'm here to talk about. What's been weighing on my mind is something Kripke said in an interview with a screenwriting magazine (I'm sorry I can't cite, that makes me a bad historian/law student, I know). He was talking about how genre-type shows allow one to address social issues through metaphor. He used 'Bad Blood' as an example and stated that the metaphor in that episode was that the gung ho hunting styles of Gordon and Dean equated to racism, especially when compared with Lenore and her non-killing vampire-family. So, at the end of the episode when Dean was talking about how he hated monsters he was really copping to being a racist. Kripke thought it was a pretty daring moment.
Eric, sweetie, I hate to break it to you, but your metaphor is flawed. Do you even realize how profoundly unsettling it is to equate people of a different race with bloodthirsty monsters? I know that Lenore and her ilk weren't killing people, but the episode itself made it pretty clear that they were acting against their nature in order to survive. So are you saying that non-white people are inherently dangerous? I really hope that's not what you're saying because that would be deeply offensive. From the tone of your response (and this is why I really wish I'd bookmarked that page last night) you didn't seem to be saying that. Your message seems to be that summarily and irrationally hating any group of people is bad, which is a message I can get behind. Just be careful. If you're going to claim some fancy subtext make sure that it logically works all the way through. I've been pretty handy with that benefit of the doubt that I mentioned, but you have to try harder.
Because you were almost there in 'Bad Blood.' The message I took out of the episode was that absolutism is bad, which is kind of what you were trying to say. When it comes to dealing with people we have to be able to see the shades of grey because humanity is pretty much entirely made up of shades of grey. There's no room in human interaction for unthinking hatred. So yes, there's a parallel to the metaphor you think you told, but hating evil does not make Dean or Gordon a racist anymore than hating Hitler makes someone a racist. Step carefully, my friend.
So, yeah, I think Kripke is trying, which is positive. I've always gotten the sense that the man is aware of his weaknesses as a writer and is willing to work to correct his faults. As long as he continues to take the characters seriously and doesn't stop creating three dimensional heroes and villains with their accompanying strengths and flaws I think he'll be okay. Just be sensitive to your own imagery, Eric, and please, for the sake of our shared love of genre television, try harder.
I've been willing to bend over backwards to give Kripke the benefit of the doubt. And for a lot of things I still do. I, like most of fandom, have noticed the trend on Supernatural where nearly every person of color has been killed off. Lately I've taken to crossing my fingers during episodes in hope that the trend will not continue. And I've given show the benefit of the doubt, because it continues to cast non-white actors in roles that traditionally on genre television have gone to white actors. I think, and continue to think, that show is trying. After all, they kill off pretty much everyone, they love killing people off, it's one of their things. Plus, they've never skimped on the characterization, I have generally cared about all of the characters they've killed, have empathized and sympathized with their individual stories, which is all very positive. I think show likes to think of itself as color blind, which is good, up to a point. In the last episode they teetered on the edge where any avowed color blindness can become blatant insensitivity, but they can easily pull themselves off the brink and ease our wary minds (personally, I would utilize Rufus Turner in interesting ways, as well as bring back Tamara and show her allying herself with the boys and Bobby against the demons. Where oh where is my red phone to Kripke when I need it).
However, that's not what I'm here to talk about. What's been weighing on my mind is something Kripke said in an interview with a screenwriting magazine (I'm sorry I can't cite, that makes me a bad historian/law student, I know). He was talking about how genre-type shows allow one to address social issues through metaphor. He used 'Bad Blood' as an example and stated that the metaphor in that episode was that the gung ho hunting styles of Gordon and Dean equated to racism, especially when compared with Lenore and her non-killing vampire-family. So, at the end of the episode when Dean was talking about how he hated monsters he was really copping to being a racist. Kripke thought it was a pretty daring moment.
Eric, sweetie, I hate to break it to you, but your metaphor is flawed. Do you even realize how profoundly unsettling it is to equate people of a different race with bloodthirsty monsters? I know that Lenore and her ilk weren't killing people, but the episode itself made it pretty clear that they were acting against their nature in order to survive. So are you saying that non-white people are inherently dangerous? I really hope that's not what you're saying because that would be deeply offensive. From the tone of your response (and this is why I really wish I'd bookmarked that page last night) you didn't seem to be saying that. Your message seems to be that summarily and irrationally hating any group of people is bad, which is a message I can get behind. Just be careful. If you're going to claim some fancy subtext make sure that it logically works all the way through. I've been pretty handy with that benefit of the doubt that I mentioned, but you have to try harder.
Because you were almost there in 'Bad Blood.' The message I took out of the episode was that absolutism is bad, which is kind of what you were trying to say. When it comes to dealing with people we have to be able to see the shades of grey because humanity is pretty much entirely made up of shades of grey. There's no room in human interaction for unthinking hatred. So yes, there's a parallel to the metaphor you think you told, but hating evil does not make Dean or Gordon a racist anymore than hating Hitler makes someone a racist. Step carefully, my friend.
So, yeah, I think Kripke is trying, which is positive. I've always gotten the sense that the man is aware of his weaknesses as a writer and is willing to work to correct his faults. As long as he continues to take the characters seriously and doesn't stop creating three dimensional heroes and villains with their accompanying strengths and flaws I think he'll be okay. Just be sensitive to your own imagery, Eric, and please, for the sake of our shared love of genre television, try harder.