Can I say that I like this journal entry?
Sometimes, I'm afraid to say I like something. Not all somethings, mind you; I'm comfortable saying that dahlias are lovely flowers and that I get a visceral thrill from thunderstorms. I know people look at me strangely for it, but I'm not afraid to say I enjoy chewing on lemons and I find peace in the sensation of getting tattooed. I don't even mind making weirdly politicized statements such as "I love my wheelchair" and "I like wearing leggings as pants." Folks can disagree with these opinions, they may even attempt to suggest reasons why my opinions are "wrong." But I know they're mine to have, and they hurt no one, so I continue to have them, unburdened by any sense of guilt.
But it's different when I say things like, "I like Disney movies." Because I can't help but feel like I'm passively tacking on, "I like queerbaiting. I like fatphobia. I like racism. I like all the horrible things this media behemoth presents in its films, all the awful ways it portrays the most vulnerable in society, how it plays to the lowest common denominator to make a buck, not giving a single damn about how it contributes to the self-hatred of minorities worldwide, to continued stereotyping and prejudice."
But... I do like Disney movies. I cringe at so much, but I still watch the movies. I still sing along to the songs. And I'd be a goddamn liar if I said I didn't subscribe to Disney+. It's... surprising? conflicting? disappointing?
It's problematic.
But I've come to accept something: It's impossible to never consume problematic materials in a biased and capitalistic society. You like a musical artist, then they say something transphobic--does their music suddenly stop sounding pleasant to your ears? You like a comedian, then they make a fatphobic joke--can you take back all your laughter at their solidly funny sets? An actor makes a dozen fantastic movies, then makes misogynistic comments--can you automatically stop yourself from believing their performances to be authentic?
Hey, maybe you can. Or maybe you can just stop consuming media when something about it becomes problematic. Enjoy a life of deprivation I guess? Because most of us can't. And to compound that, who on Earth has the time and energy to research every contributor to every piece of media we consume to make sure none of them are bigoted?
Let's say there is someone, somewhere, who is dedicated to doing just that. Their media consumption is either perfectly egalitarian or utterly nonexistent. It doesn't mean they aren't consuming problematic things in other ways. Do they ever use non-recyclable materials? Thanks, Hypothetical Human, for contributing to pollution and global warming. Do they buy produce? Way to support the exploitation of immigrant workers.
There is no such thing as perfection.
So, yes, while you could just let your fandoms die off when they become somehow problematic, you could commit yourself to living off the grid and only consuming what you grow and make, you could also approach it from a different perspective: We cannot avoid consuming problematic materials in a bigoted, capitalistic society. So our obligation is to do so critically, with our eyes open and our mouths dedicated to acknowledging and speaking out against the problematic aspects of what we consume. We can watch Mad Max and speak out against the antisemitism Mel Gibson represents. We can campaign for humane treatment of immigrant workers while eating apples. And I can sing along to "A Whole New World" right now while telling you all that Disney under-represents positive characters of color.
We're all doing the best we can in a society that enforces bigotry from a thousand different directions. And yes, we can always do better, and we should always be working towards improvement, but also? We're allowed to like things. Stripping ourselves of all joy is not the path to egalitarian enlightenment. We can only achieve that through vigilant self-education, a willingness to acknowledge and openly criticize the problematic aspects of what we consume, and the application of our knowledge to activism however possible.
So yes, protest in those marches if you can, but also consider spending your Harry Potter merchandise-money on materials handmade by Etsy artists instead of on the stuff they sell at Hot Topic that lines JK Rowling's pockets. Try eating your fruits and veggies while voting for politicians who want immigration reform and fair pay for farm workers. Just... attempt doing what you can to try and make the world a better place, for your peers, for your elders, and definitely for the generations that follow you. We need to see an uptick in empathy in this world, and we stand the best chance at that in leading the young by example.
So let's show kids how to be kind. Let's talk to them about what equality should look like, but also how we're falling short. Let's tell them the change we need to see. And let's help them make it happen.
But it's different when I say things like, "I like Disney movies." Because I can't help but feel like I'm passively tacking on, "I like queerbaiting. I like fatphobia. I like racism. I like all the horrible things this media behemoth presents in its films, all the awful ways it portrays the most vulnerable in society, how it plays to the lowest common denominator to make a buck, not giving a single damn about how it contributes to the self-hatred of minorities worldwide, to continued stereotyping and prejudice."
But... I do like Disney movies. I cringe at so much, but I still watch the movies. I still sing along to the songs. And I'd be a goddamn liar if I said I didn't subscribe to Disney+. It's... surprising? conflicting? disappointing?
It's problematic.
But I've come to accept something: It's impossible to never consume problematic materials in a biased and capitalistic society. You like a musical artist, then they say something transphobic--does their music suddenly stop sounding pleasant to your ears? You like a comedian, then they make a fatphobic joke--can you take back all your laughter at their solidly funny sets? An actor makes a dozen fantastic movies, then makes misogynistic comments--can you automatically stop yourself from believing their performances to be authentic?
Hey, maybe you can. Or maybe you can just stop consuming media when something about it becomes problematic. Enjoy a life of deprivation I guess? Because most of us can't. And to compound that, who on Earth has the time and energy to research every contributor to every piece of media we consume to make sure none of them are bigoted?
Let's say there is someone, somewhere, who is dedicated to doing just that. Their media consumption is either perfectly egalitarian or utterly nonexistent. It doesn't mean they aren't consuming problematic things in other ways. Do they ever use non-recyclable materials? Thanks, Hypothetical Human, for contributing to pollution and global warming. Do they buy produce? Way to support the exploitation of immigrant workers.
There is no such thing as perfection.
So, yes, while you could just let your fandoms die off when they become somehow problematic, you could commit yourself to living off the grid and only consuming what you grow and make, you could also approach it from a different perspective: We cannot avoid consuming problematic materials in a bigoted, capitalistic society. So our obligation is to do so critically, with our eyes open and our mouths dedicated to acknowledging and speaking out against the problematic aspects of what we consume. We can watch Mad Max and speak out against the antisemitism Mel Gibson represents. We can campaign for humane treatment of immigrant workers while eating apples. And I can sing along to "A Whole New World" right now while telling you all that Disney under-represents positive characters of color.
We're all doing the best we can in a society that enforces bigotry from a thousand different directions. And yes, we can always do better, and we should always be working towards improvement, but also? We're allowed to like things. Stripping ourselves of all joy is not the path to egalitarian enlightenment. We can only achieve that through vigilant self-education, a willingness to acknowledge and openly criticize the problematic aspects of what we consume, and the application of our knowledge to activism however possible.
So yes, protest in those marches if you can, but also consider spending your Harry Potter merchandise-money on materials handmade by Etsy artists instead of on the stuff they sell at Hot Topic that lines JK Rowling's pockets. Try eating your fruits and veggies while voting for politicians who want immigration reform and fair pay for farm workers. Just... attempt doing what you can to try and make the world a better place, for your peers, for your elders, and definitely for the generations that follow you. We need to see an uptick in empathy in this world, and we stand the best chance at that in leading the young by example.
So let's show kids how to be kind. Let's talk to them about what equality should look like, but also how we're falling short. Let's tell them the change we need to see. And let's help them make it happen.