Well, you will probably dislike this reply but I'm saying it anyway:
People didn't discuss the concept of privilege on the internet back when the book was published, so there wouldn't have been any backlash against such a statement at the time. Not as many readers were sensitive to it. I'm not saying that nobody noticed it (I don't know) or that it's a good conversation particularly, but identity politics simply weren't a hotbed of discussion back then. As such, Applegate likely didn't think she was writing anything offensive. More authors are probably sensitive to it now.
That aside, even in today's context I can see some kids (who probably have never studied identity politics) having that kind of conversation whether it comes off awful or not, so it's not entirely unrealistic.
Basically I agree with charreed above. My wife is Indian, and it's never been a huge factor in our relationship.
'Course people didn't discuss privilege on the Internet during this time. The Animorphs were probably paying per-minute rates through AOL (excuse me, Web Access America) at the time. (Heh.) But racial and sexual oppression and whatnot isn't a new topic or anything. Civil rights groups have been discussing these issues using this same framework since way before they even GOT civil rights. I guess now that more people are seeing a world of perspectives outside their own, privilege is getting discussed more. I don't think the question of why Applegate didn't get crap for this is really the thrust of the OP's post. This isn't really about whether people have the knowledge and context to discuss identity
( ... )
Yes, don't get me wrong here (it's a pretty bizarre passage in the novel), but as a semi-historicist I'm pretty sure the explanation has a lot to do with the era, that or Applegate just wasn't thinking about what she was writing. It's probably especially upsetting to someone who totally grasps the theme of the series at this point, established in #19.
I'm in the middle of a series re-read, and I forget exactly the context of this conversation in Megamorphs 4, but assuming this is in the alternate timeline, Cassie may be concerned from a pre-relationship standpoint that it's not going to work out with Jake for a number of reasons. I think that's a legitimate concern if it's the case, totally reasonable. Plenty of people make absurd judgments about those they are attracted to. Well, I'm still just getting to Megamorphs 3, so I'll get there eventually.
I think you're probably right that Applegate didn't really think about the possible ways the scene could be taken. A white author writing a black character as someone who's insecure about her race (and brings it up, on her own, out of context, as a possible reason Jake might have a problem with her) is a bit problematic, especially if it's followed by a white person trying to reassure her that this guy literally DOESN'T SEE her race. (That sort of oversimplification has always kind of bothered me. Not judging on race? Awesome. Not "seeing" it? Noooo.)
And as I mentioned, it's realistic for Cassie to worry about this if she doesn't know Jake very well. But I don't think it's realistic for her to bring it up the way she did (especially considering no other books suggested she was in any way worried about her race making her an unacceptable dating partner; never seemed to go through her head!).
I found it awkward way back when I first read it, long before fandom discussions of privilege were in style. It is a realistic portrayal of Rachel's privilege, though, even if it's really KAA's privilege we're actually seeing. At least it came from Rachel, and not Jake. (Remember, when he describes Cassie himself, he says 'black' and doesn't bother to make an issue of it.)
Perhaps the rewrite will fix that -- fifteen years ago it was considered rude among middle class white people to notice someone's race, let alone discuss it, and that's where Rachel is coming from in that dialog. Now more people understand things like erasure and privilege, at least somewhat. Perhaps sending a tweet to KAA might be a good idea?
Maybe because on some level Cassie considers it to be a flaw and Rachel, as her best friend, is aware of that? Or maybe because that's just how Rachel talks, or how Jake thinks? Jake probably doesn't notice that she's a nerd with unstylish clothes, either.
Not everything is a soapbox. Sometimes the characters really aren't as enlightened as you'd hope they'd be. I'd be really disappointed if suddenly they stopped speaking in character in order to use all the right words in order to not be offensive or to send a more pure message. Given how much Grapplegate didn't want to preach, I can't see them doing that anyway.
UGH seriously that is just unpleasant. I mean, they're kids, I said idiotic things about race/gender/sexuality when I was younger, but I'm still not quite sure what KA or her ghostwriter were thinking when they included that passage. I am very aware that all of the black people I know or black- it doesn't limit my perception of who they are as a person, but it adds to their identity and ignoring it is acting like it doesn't matter, like it doesn't affect their life experiences and cultural standing.
Anyway, I could rant for hours, but yeah- awfully weird little slip-up. -C
So, let me get this straight. Two thirteen year old mallrats are talking about a boy and race, and they say something stupid and offensive. Why is everyone criticizing KA? This might be the most realistic, believable bit of dialogue in all of Animorphs!
Hello everyone, I'm new to livejournal, but I have been following this community for a while. It's been a while since I've read Animorphs, but I hope I can join in the discussions in the future instead just make silly jokes.
I guess because 95% of the time, Animorphs is not about "realistic dialogue," and if it is, and that dialogue is flawed somehow like it is here, it's usually called out. Having a bit of problematic dialogue like this, without some context that shows how it's a flawed way of thinking, is a little disappointing. If Animorphs is didactic (and I do think it is), then there should have been some "woah, who are you to tell Cassie that she's forgiven for being black?" or something like that. Especially when these apparent 13-year olds are sensitive to so many other forms of power and oppression (I'm not really even sure I knew what homosexuality WAS at 13, let alone the power structures and hegemony that subjugated it), this is kind of a glaring flaw.
I don't know any thirteen-year-olds that spoke the way the Animorphs spoke. It was entertaining for a thirteen-year-old to read, but I never thought the point was actually verisimilitude. The point was creating heroes, characters for kids to look up to. It's a fine line, because they were kids who made mistakes, but I really don't think they behaved and thought like most thirteen-year-old kids.
Comments 54
People didn't discuss the concept of privilege on the internet back when the book was published, so there wouldn't have been any backlash against such a statement at the time. Not as many readers were sensitive to it. I'm not saying that nobody noticed it (I don't know) or that it's a good conversation particularly, but identity politics simply weren't a hotbed of discussion back then. As such, Applegate likely didn't think she was writing anything offensive. More authors are probably sensitive to it now.
That aside, even in today's context I can see some kids (who probably have never studied identity politics) having that kind of conversation whether it comes off awful or not, so it's not entirely unrealistic.
Basically I agree with charreed above. My wife is Indian, and it's never been a huge factor in our relationship.
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I'm in the middle of a series re-read, and I forget exactly the context of this conversation in Megamorphs 4, but assuming this is in the alternate timeline, Cassie may be concerned from a pre-relationship standpoint that it's not going to work out with Jake for a number of reasons. I think that's a legitimate concern if it's the case, totally reasonable. Plenty of people make absurd judgments about those they are attracted to. Well, I'm still just getting to Megamorphs 3, so I'll get there eventually.
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And as I mentioned, it's realistic for Cassie to worry about this if she doesn't know Jake very well. But I don't think it's realistic for her to bring it up the way she did (especially considering no other books suggested she was in any way worried about her race making her an unacceptable dating partner; never seemed to go through her head!).
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Perhaps the rewrite will fix that -- fifteen years ago it was considered rude among middle class white people to notice someone's race, let alone discuss it, and that's where Rachel is coming from in that dialog. Now more people understand things like erasure and privilege, at least somewhat. Perhaps sending a tweet to KAA might be a good idea?
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Not everything is a soapbox. Sometimes the characters really aren't as enlightened as you'd hope they'd be. I'd be really disappointed if suddenly they stopped speaking in character in order to use all the right words in order to not be offensive or to send a more pure message. Given how much Grapplegate didn't want to preach, I can't see them doing that anyway.
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Anyway, I could rant for hours, but yeah- awfully weird little slip-up.
-C
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Hello everyone, I'm new to livejournal, but I have been following this community for a while. It's been a while since I've read Animorphs, but I hope I can join in the discussions in the future instead just make silly jokes.
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um, what? It's been awhile since I've read the series all the way through, but I found the dialogue to be pretty realistic for that time period/ages.
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