Race, Fandom, and the Shoes of Other People--Part 2 (With the Imus Addendum)

[hederahelix]

Comments

[hederahelix]

No worries. Thanks for leaving comments at all, and also, it's tagged, so you shouldn't have trouble finding it again even if I go through a bout of spamming.

[annathepiper]

Thank you for posting this. Thank you for speaking out. I'm reading a couple of those links you shared in your references section now.

[hederahelix]

You're welcome. I'm just sorry I couldn't get it together faster.

[annathepiper]

I think words like these are never too late.

[paper_tzipporah]

1) This is fantastic, and thank you for taking the time to write and post.

2) Some of the links didn't work for me. Specifically, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study one, which I would love to read more about.

[hederahelix]

You're welcome, and I think I've fixed all the links now. Let me know if you come across any others that don't work.

[shusu]

Yes, yes *yes*, and thank you. The overall lack of respect for the gravity of the issue -- and the widespread intensity of that side-stepping -- was really discomfiting to me. It was like all the solidarity I had felt while in fandom was a sham. I do have problems with prejudice, the kind that's ingrained into a colonial, classist, racist society, and I can't just sit around and claim otherwise... so it bothered me that so much of fandom was jumping at the chance to claim otherwise. It's not *easy*. But I can't imagine not-doing it. The number of people I'd betray by letting up! Including my own friends and family

[hederahelix]

I mean, I think the thing that's so hard with all of this is that the dividing line between a thinky thought of trying to figure out a situation and a maliciously racist one is often intent, and we cannot measure intent. Is someone who says "but what about gender in SGA?" sincerely saying "yes, racism is a problem, and while we're talking about that, can we also talk about gender?" or subtextually sticking his/her fingers in the ears and going "la la la, I can't hear you talking about race, I'm oppressed too, I don't wanna talk about race."

Often, especially in off the cuff online communication, it can be damned hard to sort out.

The biggest problem, I think, results when behavior seems to replicate a pattern over time. The problem is, the perception of that pattern, especially on livejournal varies so widely on what discussions you've been around.

rambling on methods

[shusu]

we cannot measure intentOh yes, I absolutely agree. I guess I should explain -- I've probably been misconstrued a bit in the past, on this -- what I do when on my regular flist-surfings is not only check my flist, which is a cross-section of multiple fandoms, I also check in on several communities and individuals who have large watch-flists. So it's like a very broad, shallow scraping off the top. The random element is off, my own perception is in play, but the sample size is generally much larger than the average reader's and I make this run every two or three days, for at least a year now. Grain of salt needed, but not entirely non-useful

Re: rambling on methods

[hederahelix]

Okay, I still have nothing profound to say because of work, but *now* I know where I remember your name from. It's that icon which is fabulous

[delux_vivens]

hugs and kisses. hugs and kisses.

[hederahelix]

You know, I haven't had a chance to tell you how much I like that icon, and the one with the rainbow, so rather than just write a simple "you're welcome" comment, I'll say that.

[delux_vivens]

You're welcome! The ooga booga icon was inspired by witchwillow and made by epilady, and hte rainbow was done by yeloson.

I do have some other nifty icons planned that i think you'll find quite amusing... *rubs hands with glee*