I need to talk about men again
Mad Men - One of the things that's so appreciated about this show is how it displays male characters being realistically sexist, from the boys club at the office to attitudes about female sexuality and so on. This is useful because, as a past that is not all that distant, the 60's can readily reflect on today's society and at the same time have enough distance to get perspective.
But, well, am I just being cynical if I said that the show might not be so much of a smash if it was not a period piece? That is, if it was about sexism in today's society, including today's men, characters that people can quite directly recognize as their brothers, friends, selves etc, who wear today's clothes and hairstyles and not "period costume", etc? If it directly indicted men of today, would people be so crazy about it? Would it be charged with having an (ewww) agenda? Or *gasp* being reverse sexist?
It makes me annoyed that you can always talk about sexism only if it's happening over there or over then, by those guys and not the good enlightened nice guys of today.
ASOIAF - I was thinking yet again about the is-it-the-reader's-fault-or-the-author's-fault-or-the-character's-fault circular problem I seem to often come back to. You know that part in AGOT where Ned says that being afraid is the only time a man can be brave? And you know when Cat tells Robb that his father was brave but certainly not fearless? And you know how people get sick of Cat being afraid because it makes her weak and whiny? Well ... can you really remember Ned being afraid? Does such a picture make any kind of impression? And if not, then isn't GRRM kind of having his cake and eating it too with Ned, because technically he's a flawed and tangible character, but you never actually have to feel afraid when he does so he can go on being badass and awesome?
It's like his vulnerabilities are given lip service, so you know that he's a Good Man. But do you really ever have to feel it? And if not, isn't that cheating, somehow? I have similar issues about Jon. Is it just because they're badass stoic Starks so now you may marvel at how their emotions are never messy and problematic? But they still have them so, you know, they're heroic and sympathetic?
IDK. :|
Also -- do you think fandom gives male emotions more importance, nobility, grandness, volume, edginess, layers, etc? Or is it GRRM who does that? Both? Neither?
But, well, am I just being cynical if I said that the show might not be so much of a smash if it was not a period piece? That is, if it was about sexism in today's society, including today's men, characters that people can quite directly recognize as their brothers, friends, selves etc, who wear today's clothes and hairstyles and not "period costume", etc? If it directly indicted men of today, would people be so crazy about it? Would it be charged with having an (ewww) agenda? Or *gasp* being reverse sexist?
It makes me annoyed that you can always talk about sexism only if it's happening over there or over then, by those guys and not the good enlightened nice guys of today.
ASOIAF - I was thinking yet again about the is-it-the-reader's-fault-or-the-author's-fault-or-the-character's-fault circular problem I seem to often come back to. You know that part in AGOT where Ned says that being afraid is the only time a man can be brave? And you know when Cat tells Robb that his father was brave but certainly not fearless? And you know how people get sick of Cat being afraid because it makes her weak and whiny? Well ... can you really remember Ned being afraid? Does such a picture make any kind of impression? And if not, then isn't GRRM kind of having his cake and eating it too with Ned, because technically he's a flawed and tangible character, but you never actually have to feel afraid when he does so he can go on being badass and awesome?
It's like his vulnerabilities are given lip service, so you know that he's a Good Man. But do you really ever have to feel it? And if not, isn't that cheating, somehow? I have similar issues about Jon. Is it just because they're badass stoic Starks so now you may marvel at how their emotions are never messy and problematic? But they still have them so, you know, they're heroic and sympathetic?
IDK. :|
Also -- do you think fandom gives male emotions more importance, nobility, grandness, volume, edginess, layers, etc? Or is it GRRM who does that? Both? Neither?