Yikes
It's not always easy to come to terms with the problematic elements in something you enjoy (but ultimately it's something that must be done).
Case in point, I love Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin. Lupin is one of my favourite fictional characters. He's incredibly fun to read and is also quite versatile as a character, easily switching from an ego maniac who wants to secretly control all of Europe to a 'whimsical and compassionate Don Quixote,' sometimes in just a few pages. He also represents a character archetype that I've always been incredibly fond of, 'the gentleman thief' (on that note, comics need more gentlemen thieves, the most recent I can remember is the Angle Man that Donna Troy ran into). I liked him so much I even role played as him for a while, until I realized I wasn't clever or ambitious enough for it.
The first Arsène Lupin story was written in 1905 so, as much as I enjoy his tales, I have to acknowledge that he is the product of a very different time. Let's use Leblanc's use of female characters as an easy example. It is very rare to find a female character that Lupin does not come across as immediately condescending to (in the perfectly 'gentlemanly' way of the time, of course). Women are generally written as love interests, victims or villains. Lupin does have a few partners in crime who happen to be female, and his nurse, Victoire, is surprisingly resolute, but, for the most part, they exist as arm candy. Or to die. Arsène's refrigerator puts Kyle Rayner's to shame. It's okay though, he's always pretty bummed when they die. For a while.
As critical as I am of Leblanc's treatment of women I am still able to enjoy the stories, particularly when I find that rare female character who, while not breaking the mould, at least cracks it a little bit. You can be critical of something and still enjoy it, right? That's how I tend to approach most books written by long dead men.
Recently (as in last night/this morning) though I read Leblanc's tenth Lupin novel, 'The Teeth of the Tiger' (written in 1921).
This book. This fucking book. Oh my God. What a mess. Quick summery, Lupin has joined the French Legion and is happily aiding in the French colonial expansion in Africa (Uh oh). He is captured by the Berber tribe, who plan to cut out his tongue, lop off his ears and slit his throat (Oh my god!). He, in typical Lupin fashion, avoids mutilation and execution by tricking the Berbers into thinking he's some kind of magical European and is made chief (OH MY GOD!). He then leads them to conquer Mauritania for France (...Jesus Christ). Yay, France?
That's a special kind of offensive, and 'it's a product of its time' hardly excuses it. Lupin recounts this particular adventure in his usual lighthearted manner, as if it's no different than that time he nicked someone's ruby necklace. Meanwhile I'm thinking 'What the Hell, hero?' or more 'What the fuck, author?' Lupin joined the Legion to die. After the events of 813 and a failed suicide attempt he was so distraught that he went chasing a bullet in Africa, but ended up finding a purpose and 'atonement' by helping his government exert its control over others, and the author treats this as a perfectly reasonable and heroic thing to do. Lupin received a presidential pardon for his actions in Africa! I guess it shouldn't surprise me, I seem to recall Raffles ran off and died nobly 'for his country' in the Boer war, so it's not like pulp heroes/anti villains are immune from getting caught up in misplaced patriotism, but man....
The question is...where do I go from here? I don't like this book. It's an ugly little thing, but should it influence my goal to read the entire Lupin canon? Would there be any point in denying myself books I regularly enjoy because of problematic writing? Is it enough to acknowledge and be highly critical of the problem (Leblanc is long dead and Lupin is public domain, so at least purchasing his books isn't putting money in any antiquated pockets)? I abandoned Kipling for less (though I also didn't enjoy him nearly as much).
I may take the easy way out and simply foam at the mouth whenever I hear it mentioned, and reiterate what an utter embarrassment it is.
How about you guys? Is there anything you enjoy (tv shows, movies, books, plays, whatever) with severe problematic elements? Did you continue to partake in these guilty pleasures after you became aware of the issue, or did you walk away?
Case in point, I love Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin. Lupin is one of my favourite fictional characters. He's incredibly fun to read and is also quite versatile as a character, easily switching from an ego maniac who wants to secretly control all of Europe to a 'whimsical and compassionate Don Quixote,' sometimes in just a few pages. He also represents a character archetype that I've always been incredibly fond of, 'the gentleman thief' (on that note, comics need more gentlemen thieves, the most recent I can remember is the Angle Man that Donna Troy ran into). I liked him so much I even role played as him for a while, until I realized I wasn't clever or ambitious enough for it.
The first Arsène Lupin story was written in 1905 so, as much as I enjoy his tales, I have to acknowledge that he is the product of a very different time. Let's use Leblanc's use of female characters as an easy example. It is very rare to find a female character that Lupin does not come across as immediately condescending to (in the perfectly 'gentlemanly' way of the time, of course). Women are generally written as love interests, victims or villains. Lupin does have a few partners in crime who happen to be female, and his nurse, Victoire, is surprisingly resolute, but, for the most part, they exist as arm candy. Or to die. Arsène's refrigerator puts Kyle Rayner's to shame. It's okay though, he's always pretty bummed when they die. For a while.
As critical as I am of Leblanc's treatment of women I am still able to enjoy the stories, particularly when I find that rare female character who, while not breaking the mould, at least cracks it a little bit. You can be critical of something and still enjoy it, right? That's how I tend to approach most books written by long dead men.
Recently (as in last night/this morning) though I read Leblanc's tenth Lupin novel, 'The Teeth of the Tiger' (written in 1921).
This book. This fucking book. Oh my God. What a mess. Quick summery, Lupin has joined the French Legion and is happily aiding in the French colonial expansion in Africa (Uh oh). He is captured by the Berber tribe, who plan to cut out his tongue, lop off his ears and slit his throat (Oh my god!). He, in typical Lupin fashion, avoids mutilation and execution by tricking the Berbers into thinking he's some kind of magical European and is made chief (OH MY GOD!). He then leads them to conquer Mauritania for France (...Jesus Christ). Yay, France?
That's a special kind of offensive, and 'it's a product of its time' hardly excuses it. Lupin recounts this particular adventure in his usual lighthearted manner, as if it's no different than that time he nicked someone's ruby necklace. Meanwhile I'm thinking 'What the Hell, hero?' or more 'What the fuck, author?' Lupin joined the Legion to die. After the events of 813 and a failed suicide attempt he was so distraught that he went chasing a bullet in Africa, but ended up finding a purpose and 'atonement' by helping his government exert its control over others, and the author treats this as a perfectly reasonable and heroic thing to do. Lupin received a presidential pardon for his actions in Africa! I guess it shouldn't surprise me, I seem to recall Raffles ran off and died nobly 'for his country' in the Boer war, so it's not like pulp heroes/anti villains are immune from getting caught up in misplaced patriotism, but man....
The question is...where do I go from here? I don't like this book. It's an ugly little thing, but should it influence my goal to read the entire Lupin canon? Would there be any point in denying myself books I regularly enjoy because of problematic writing? Is it enough to acknowledge and be highly critical of the problem (Leblanc is long dead and Lupin is public domain, so at least purchasing his books isn't putting money in any antiquated pockets)? I abandoned Kipling for less (though I also didn't enjoy him nearly as much).
I may take the easy way out and simply foam at the mouth whenever I hear it mentioned, and reiterate what an utter embarrassment it is.
How about you guys? Is there anything you enjoy (tv shows, movies, books, plays, whatever) with severe problematic elements? Did you continue to partake in these guilty pleasures after you became aware of the issue, or did you walk away?