We had this discussion already.
I saw this post come up this morning. I thought: "OK, it's not horribly bad; it looks like the OP, after some comments, could see why this is offensive and maybe it'll be okay!" This is the text of the OP's post, in case it gets taken down.
So... I'm taking a Lost Generation Lit class. This is roughly 1900 up until 1930, possibly through WW2 depending on who you ask. Because of the Great War, everyone wanted to write about it, but not everyone participated. Some said that those who didn't serve in an army couldn't even think about writing about war.
Sound familiar?
Maybe it's just me, but this seems like the current fandom arguments that white people can't write 'PoC' (hate that term but whatevs, only thing I can think of), straights can't write gay, and healthy can't write injured/terminally ill/etc.
Why do people keep saying this stuff? Obviously, quality is quality. Literature is literature. Prose is prose. People can and will write stuff that they don't have direct knowledge of. Doesn't mean they'll suck, doesn't mean they'll be great. Just... Stop trying to limit what people can or can't at least attempt to write. Freedom of speech and the equivalents that other countries have, yanno? No need to get worked up over anything unless it's actually a malicious representation. That doesn't mean having a black guy as the villian, or the gay one as comedic relief. That means if they're portrayed as complete and utter monsters because of their racial ancestry or sexuality or whatever the heck else.
This is more fandom than fanfic, so sorry if it doesn't really go here, but it's been annoying me and I decided to post it here as well (it's been in my journal for a couple of days). Also: first post yay?
I gave up trying to read the twisting comments of the OP after awhile. But seeing saciel start to pull out the tone argument--again and again and AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN--I...I...I don't know. I remember zie from the last time fanficrants went and got into a huge racefail, but seeing so many people--half-a-dozen, at least--try to explain, again and again, PATIENTLY AND CALMLY (Oh my God, the irony) why zie was wrong, it didn't sink in. And so all I can repeat is OW OW OW.
ETA: There's actually quite a nice little summation by lil_utterance about why this post's comments are so very faily. Here.
So... I'm taking a Lost Generation Lit class. This is roughly 1900 up until 1930, possibly through WW2 depending on who you ask. Because of the Great War, everyone wanted to write about it, but not everyone participated. Some said that those who didn't serve in an army couldn't even think about writing about war.
Sound familiar?
Maybe it's just me, but this seems like the current fandom arguments that white people can't write 'PoC' (hate that term but whatevs, only thing I can think of), straights can't write gay, and healthy can't write injured/terminally ill/etc.
Why do people keep saying this stuff? Obviously, quality is quality. Literature is literature. Prose is prose. People can and will write stuff that they don't have direct knowledge of. Doesn't mean they'll suck, doesn't mean they'll be great. Just... Stop trying to limit what people can or can't at least attempt to write. Freedom of speech and the equivalents that other countries have, yanno? No need to get worked up over anything unless it's actually a malicious representation. That doesn't mean having a black guy as the villian, or the gay one as comedic relief. That means if they're portrayed as complete and utter monsters because of their racial ancestry or sexuality or whatever the heck else.
This is more fandom than fanfic, so sorry if it doesn't really go here, but it's been annoying me and I decided to post it here as well (it's been in my journal for a couple of days). Also: first post yay?
I gave up trying to read the twisting comments of the OP after awhile. But seeing saciel start to pull out the tone argument--again and again and AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN--I...I...I don't know. I remember zie from the last time fanficrants went and got into a huge racefail, but seeing so many people--half-a-dozen, at least--try to explain, again and again, PATIENTLY AND CALMLY (Oh my God, the irony) why zie was wrong, it didn't sink in. And so all I can repeat is OW OW OW.
ETA: There's actually quite a nice little summation by lil_utterance about why this post's comments are so very faily. Here.