An extended critique of Ferd's vid "Strip"

[thingswithwings]

I don't know what the current fandom convention is when posting something that critiques someone else's work - I've heard that even whispering that someone might not be perfect can destroy souls and ruin christmas fandom for everyone. Also, I know very well from experience that I don't like it when random white male American people show up in my

Comments

[elbomac]

Thanks for the recs, and for the really thoughtful critique and reminder. I continue to be amazed at, no matter how aware I try to be, privilege is pervasive.

And thanks also for the reminder of Denzel in blue leather pants.

[thingswithwings]

These are all important things to remind ourselves of, now and again. :)

[sasha_feather]

The vid is offensive on a number of levels, and the fact that she felt inclined to defend it as "just for fun" seems to indicate that she knows that. "Don't pick on my vid, it's just for fun!"

Great post, I enjoyed reading this.

[thingswithwings]

Yeah, the preemptive "just for fun" defense is definitely suspicious - I didn't notice that, but you're completely right.

[anatsuno]

*reads and learns and nods and loffs*

[acari]

This is a very interesting read. You certainly made me think. I don't normally watch multifandom vids so I was unaware the vid existed. I watched the vid before I read your commentary so all I knew was that there was something about it that made you angry but I did not know what it was specifically

[thingswithwings]

Yeah, the female bodies in undress definitely overwhelm the male, in this vid. On that score, I think the vidder is making an effort - the use of Lex Luthor and Austin Powers helps, but I imagine that in terms of source, there's a lot more of the one than the other. But you're right in that the Rhett Butler smugface puts it into a skeevy context.

[twospots]

Blah! The thing that made me most uncomfortable in that was the OMG MALE GAZE LOOK EVERYONE BOOOOOBIES. Which, okay, is in the source material, but the vid reinforces it in ways that made me very uncomfortable.

Of course, I can't really tell whether this bothers me more or less than the issues that you pointed out, what with you having pointed them out already and torn them apart and all.

Also? I am too cynical. I watched the happy ladies vid and sadly, it was not an antidote to the OMG Straight People in Love and Pretty Costumes vid. I have seen too many of the sources. I kept being like, "Oh yeah? You're happy NOW. Guess what happens next??" Actually, I was doing that for the ones I didn't recognize, too. This is why I do not watch Ladies in Love movies any more.

In conclusion, the world is depressing but it is always awesome when you dissect it because you always do it so brilliantly.

[nextian]

*points up* This! This what you said. Especially that last sentence.

[twospots]

Dissecting makes everything better!

[thingswithwings]

Yes, definitely! The malegazeyness of it is really nasty.

"Oh yeah? You're happy NOW. Guess what happens next??"

ahahahahaha ow. So true! I love how Charmax references that on the lyric "the beast won't go to sleep" - yeah, we just can't get rid of all those dead lesbians! But . . . Imagine Me and You is in there? And some other happy sources? Sigh. eruthros is like you on the refusing to watch - her policy is that she won't watch anything where the queers die/get raped/end up miserable and alone at the bottom of a bottle. Fair! But it means she basically just watches But I'm A Cheerleader over and over.