Notes on a scandal
I'm making this post not because I want to engage with godofwine, who is frankly not worth the trouble, but to spell a few things out for myself and for anyone else reading who is interested. I originally was going to post this f-locked, but in fact I think it needs airing, and for people to keep talking about it. I have not addressed every charge that has been levelled at me -- there isn't the time -- but here is a response to some of the things that have baffled me the most.
For reference: my original post is here; godofwine's response to it is here.
Part the first: is it a racist comment?
The pared-down exchange goes like this...
Yusuf (the Indian one): What do you think I am-a cabbie?
Eames (the white one): You do all look alike to me
Expressing the view that a group of people not of your own ethnic background "all look alike" is racist because it groups all people who are Not Like You (i.e., not white) under one heading, and so treats them as a block group and not as individuals. It's racist because you're dismissing that group as being unworthy of individual desires, needs, hopes, wishes, histories and, of course, your attention. You are saying that you care so little about the person you're addressing, that they could be anyone and so, in effect, to you they are no one. You're saying you can't be bothered to look past the colour of their skin, because one glance has told you all you need to know -- they aren't Like You, and so are undeserving of your time.
Is this comment racist? You're damn right it is. The fact that some PoC have thickened their skins against this particular insult by sheer dint of its prevalence in the parts of the world where they live does not, objectively, make it less so.
Part the second: is the context sufficient to mitigate the racism?
The comment is undeniably racist, but it might not be found to be offensive if there is sufficient understanding between both parties, and consequently we as the reader. Do I make racist comments sarcastically to my friends? On occasion, yes. We have enough shared experiences to put the comment in context, i.e. I'm frustrated with the world and I need to blow off steam, and so I'm saying that I can't tell you apart from your girlfriend because you all look the same to me not because I believe it, but because someone said it to me earlier and I know you'll understand the hurt that that caused.
Do Eames and Yusuf have this context? Not in this story, no. I'm not going to go back and re-read, but I'm fairly certain that the author takes no steps earlier in the fic to establish that Yusuf is 100% comfortable and happy about Eames making racist comments to him ironically/sarcastically. In fact, Yusuf and Eames's friendship is barely touched on until the exchange above.
It has been suggested, by godofwine in her comments, that everyone who reads this story will be aware that this is a joke. My questions is: how? How will they be aware when this behaviour has not been previously established and so comes from nowhere? How am I to be satisfied that Yusuf really does find it funny? The answer is: I can't be, and I'm not. Godofwine suggests that Yusuf laughing in response is all the proof we need that it really is a joke. Well that's just wrong. How many of us have laughed at something that made us uncomfortable simply to avoid having to start something?
If Eames had been any ethnicity other than white, or if there had been more exploration of their friendship and the form it takes, I would (probably) have less of a problem with the comment, because it becomes something shared. Instead, it remains one more little reminder of the way white people can exercise their power over people like me any time they feel like it.
Part the third: casting moral judgements
One question floating around seems to be: why should I be allowed to cast a moral judgement on halflinen just because her perception of what is racist and hurtful does not coincide with mine? Quite frankly, my response is: why should I not be allowed? According to my morals, it is wrong to be racist. As I have established above, the comment is a racist one. She has decided not to alter it, or provide a better context for it, which is her right. But once she has made that decision, the hurt she causes me becomes deliberate. That makes me think less of her as an individual, which is my right.
Let me summarise. She is deliberately and knowingly hurting me, therefore I think less of her.
Part the fourth: no one said you didn't have the right to your opinion
Yeeeees. This has been bandied about quite a bit. godofwine herself, in reply to another commenter, says: I don't contend that you and the_moonmoth have a right to be offended... She says that quite a lot, as do others. And yet...
And yet, let us make a list. These are the words Godofwine uses to describe me in her post and the subsequent comments: absurd, dangerous, entitled, condescending, not able to read the story objectively, not able to understand the story, perceiving the characters wrongly, not giving the author the benefit of the doubt/only seeing the worst, angry, bitter, wilfully misinterpreting, not smart enough to understand, being offended because I want to be offended, the racism only exists in my head.
So I'm entitled to my opinion, but she'll abuse me at every step and question my ability to even have an opinion.
Some quotes from her post:
I do understand btw, I just don't find your argument -what there is of one- persuasive
...but conversely if halflinen thinks the_moonmoth is being over-sensitive (which she may or may not)...
In a film where so little is revealed about the characters, the fact that the_moonmoth's extrapolation automatically jumps to "colonial" -which carries with it a certain loadedness- I think does reveal something about her perceptions.
...it's not going to be pointed out because we're so sympathetic to her feelings of outrage and to the issue she raises (whether it's actually applicable or not).
Here, when the question of racism is at best contentious (and at worst, only existing in the minds of a few individuals)...
I think it's worthy to mention here the none [sic] is actually "not in on the joke". That is, Yusaf and Eames both know it's entirely a joke, the author knows it's a joke, and the reader (unless suffering from some kind of willful misinterpretation) knows it's a joke.
what the_moonmoth was "brave enough" to do was rant about how the world doesn't accept her definition of racism and therefore fails so much. I actually think I extrapolated more of an argument from her post then was actually there.
I mean, I seriously doubt that you personally was not smart enough to figure out that it was a joke, and I wouldn't want to insult most readers and say they're not. [addressed to another commenter]
Emphasis mine.
So I'm entitled to my opinion, but she'll use inflammatory, hyperbolic and belittling language against me in an attempt to completely invalidate that opinion. And yes, these aren't the full quotes, and are pulled out of context, you can read the post for yourself if you would like to. I don't think she comes off any better in prose.
What it comes down to is this: while Godofwine repeatedly says that I have the right to my opinion, what she actually says is utterly contrary to that. While she says I have the right to my opinion, what she actually does is try to shut me down.
There is a lot more I would like to say about this, but it's been a long few days, I'm busy at work, I'm tired, and I want to go to bed. Comments will remain unscreened for now, but if you feel the need to be offensive I reserve the right to freeze or delete your comment and ban you. You see, I have the right to expect to be able to enjoy myself in fandom, without risk of personal attack or out-of-the-blue racism. I'd appreciate it if you bear that in mind when commenting.
ETA: some links. Read this, and if you recognise anything that you have either said or found yourself agreeing with, then I also recommend reading some of these.
For reference: my original post is here; godofwine's response to it is here.
Part the first: is it a racist comment?
The pared-down exchange goes like this...
Yusuf (the Indian one): What do you think I am-a cabbie?
Eames (the white one): You do all look alike to me
Expressing the view that a group of people not of your own ethnic background "all look alike" is racist because it groups all people who are Not Like You (i.e., not white) under one heading, and so treats them as a block group and not as individuals. It's racist because you're dismissing that group as being unworthy of individual desires, needs, hopes, wishes, histories and, of course, your attention. You are saying that you care so little about the person you're addressing, that they could be anyone and so, in effect, to you they are no one. You're saying you can't be bothered to look past the colour of their skin, because one glance has told you all you need to know -- they aren't Like You, and so are undeserving of your time.
Is this comment racist? You're damn right it is. The fact that some PoC have thickened their skins against this particular insult by sheer dint of its prevalence in the parts of the world where they live does not, objectively, make it less so.
Part the second: is the context sufficient to mitigate the racism?
The comment is undeniably racist, but it might not be found to be offensive if there is sufficient understanding between both parties, and consequently we as the reader. Do I make racist comments sarcastically to my friends? On occasion, yes. We have enough shared experiences to put the comment in context, i.e. I'm frustrated with the world and I need to blow off steam, and so I'm saying that I can't tell you apart from your girlfriend because you all look the same to me not because I believe it, but because someone said it to me earlier and I know you'll understand the hurt that that caused.
Do Eames and Yusuf have this context? Not in this story, no. I'm not going to go back and re-read, but I'm fairly certain that the author takes no steps earlier in the fic to establish that Yusuf is 100% comfortable and happy about Eames making racist comments to him ironically/sarcastically. In fact, Yusuf and Eames's friendship is barely touched on until the exchange above.
It has been suggested, by godofwine in her comments, that everyone who reads this story will be aware that this is a joke. My questions is: how? How will they be aware when this behaviour has not been previously established and so comes from nowhere? How am I to be satisfied that Yusuf really does find it funny? The answer is: I can't be, and I'm not. Godofwine suggests that Yusuf laughing in response is all the proof we need that it really is a joke. Well that's just wrong. How many of us have laughed at something that made us uncomfortable simply to avoid having to start something?
If Eames had been any ethnicity other than white, or if there had been more exploration of their friendship and the form it takes, I would (probably) have less of a problem with the comment, because it becomes something shared. Instead, it remains one more little reminder of the way white people can exercise their power over people like me any time they feel like it.
Part the third: casting moral judgements
One question floating around seems to be: why should I be allowed to cast a moral judgement on halflinen just because her perception of what is racist and hurtful does not coincide with mine? Quite frankly, my response is: why should I not be allowed? According to my morals, it is wrong to be racist. As I have established above, the comment is a racist one. She has decided not to alter it, or provide a better context for it, which is her right. But once she has made that decision, the hurt she causes me becomes deliberate. That makes me think less of her as an individual, which is my right.
Let me summarise. She is deliberately and knowingly hurting me, therefore I think less of her.
Part the fourth: no one said you didn't have the right to your opinion
Yeeeees. This has been bandied about quite a bit. godofwine herself, in reply to another commenter, says: I don't contend that you and the_moonmoth have a right to be offended... She says that quite a lot, as do others. And yet...
And yet, let us make a list. These are the words Godofwine uses to describe me in her post and the subsequent comments: absurd, dangerous, entitled, condescending, not able to read the story objectively, not able to understand the story, perceiving the characters wrongly, not giving the author the benefit of the doubt/only seeing the worst, angry, bitter, wilfully misinterpreting, not smart enough to understand, being offended because I want to be offended, the racism only exists in my head.
So I'm entitled to my opinion, but she'll abuse me at every step and question my ability to even have an opinion.
Some quotes from her post:
I do understand btw, I just don't find your argument -what there is of one- persuasive
...but conversely if halflinen thinks the_moonmoth is being over-sensitive (which she may or may not)...
In a film where so little is revealed about the characters, the fact that the_moonmoth's extrapolation automatically jumps to "colonial" -which carries with it a certain loadedness- I think does reveal something about her perceptions.
...it's not going to be pointed out because we're so sympathetic to her feelings of outrage and to the issue she raises (whether it's actually applicable or not).
Here, when the question of racism is at best contentious (and at worst, only existing in the minds of a few individuals)...
I think it's worthy to mention here the none [sic] is actually "not in on the joke". That is, Yusaf and Eames both know it's entirely a joke, the author knows it's a joke, and the reader (unless suffering from some kind of willful misinterpretation) knows it's a joke.
what the_moonmoth was "brave enough" to do was rant about how the world doesn't accept her definition of racism and therefore fails so much. I actually think I extrapolated more of an argument from her post then was actually there.
I mean, I seriously doubt that you personally was not smart enough to figure out that it was a joke, and I wouldn't want to insult most readers and say they're not. [addressed to another commenter]
Emphasis mine.
So I'm entitled to my opinion, but she'll use inflammatory, hyperbolic and belittling language against me in an attempt to completely invalidate that opinion. And yes, these aren't the full quotes, and are pulled out of context, you can read the post for yourself if you would like to. I don't think she comes off any better in prose.
What it comes down to is this: while Godofwine repeatedly says that I have the right to my opinion, what she actually says is utterly contrary to that. While she says I have the right to my opinion, what she actually does is try to shut me down.
There is a lot more I would like to say about this, but it's been a long few days, I'm busy at work, I'm tired, and I want to go to bed. Comments will remain unscreened for now, but if you feel the need to be offensive I reserve the right to freeze or delete your comment and ban you. You see, I have the right to expect to be able to enjoy myself in fandom, without risk of personal attack or out-of-the-blue racism. I'd appreciate it if you bear that in mind when commenting.
ETA: some links. Read this, and if you recognise anything that you have either said or found yourself agreeing with, then I also recommend reading some of these.