#fandom discrimination

[horizon-verizon]

Before HOTD, I never knew people could dehumanize children born out of wedlock to such extend, with their absolutely excessive, obsessional and vitriolic hatred. They rarely even let anyone compliment Jace, Luke, or Joffrey without telling people they’re bastards, as if that nullifies their good traits. It’s almost like they don’t see them as normal human beings who deserve to live and have the same opportunities others do. It’s genuinely frightening to see them espousing such views and sentiments; and they don’t spring out of nowhere, either. 

Therefore, I think it goes beyond merely looking at the story through a medieval lens. I even remarked upon it myself, that it sure seemed to me like there was a very high probability that such fanatical disgust could bleed over into their real world views of, say.... children born out of wedlock, children of adoption, women who have children with different men, and so on. Yes, it’s a fictional world but when people are that much passionate about conservative values, it just feels disturbing.

I am sure, too, some try to use the "it's a fictional world" thing to justify it. Problem is, if you have that much of an issue with fictional bastards having any sort of "undeserving" privilege or just safety so much that you can't even acknowledge GRRM is not trying to subject illegitimate people to the same fates or conditions of degradation you're trying to justify, then you're probably just projecting your own "values" about who deserves what. The text doesn't support your ideas upon not-so-past deep inspection and when you recognize it writes these things as tragic instead of "neutrally" and cynically deserved.

When I say that Jaehaerys and Alysanne loved each other, I am saying so bc the TEXT clearly and unambiguously shows me that. Despite me knowing they are siblings. That's not me saying royals or anyone SHOULD be with their siblings in real life nor me ever encountering siblings/incestuous couplings (TikTok is a wild place) in real life and thinking that is cute. Those people want to reinforce what is already present in them, justify how they think safely under the guise of "it's fiction, bro", bc incest itself as a phenomenon is not a principle. But believing that illegitimate people shouldn't be treated as human and have rights definitely is a political and (a)moral idea specifically meant to uphold conservative, patriarchal structures.

[horizon-verizon]

Twitter was a mistake. No, actually, Humanity was a mistake.

I’m not joking, this is the very first time that I saw white-on-white blood purity and classism in action.

I assume the user is white because of the obsession with having Nordic features for “Nordic” Targs...who actually model more from Mediterraean/Hellenistic cultures.

[horizon-verizon]

Alicent’s fans believing “bastards are monstrous by nature.”

And then, you have incredibly sweet and good children like Tommen and Myrcella. 😭

Bastardy is a legal existence, not a biological one. Like race, though it does have real-world consequences, it is still a construct and should not be seen as an inherent fact.

Therefore, even "legally", Tommen and Myrcella are not even bastards, because Robert Baratheon -- knowing -- or at least in some deep pot in his brain suspecting -- that they aren't his -- accepted them as his kids for his own good. (*EDIT* he didn't know)

Really they are and they aren't, but we won't get into that.

Why?

A)

To maintain his image of not being cuckolded.

B)

Because Tywin Lannister is still his main support and the reason he even was able to successfully rebel and gain the throne. Plus he's genuinely scared of him.

C)

As many male monarchs and lords did throughout medieval and recent history, so that he could have heirs (or/and ensure their already existing "trueborn" kids' parentage do not get suspected...or reduce the suspicion). Eleanor Herman, in Sex with the Queen, says as much in the introduction of the book:

With regard to royal children, the only consideration more important than their kingly blood was the monarch’s self-interest.  Many kings acknowledged children they knew had been fathered by someone else. Often, kings did not want to cast doubt on the paternity of older children they knew to be their own. In the case where the king could not father children, sometimes court factions heartily desired the queen to bear bastards in order to stabilize the throne and cement their own interests.

Fortunately, the queen’s complete and utter disillusionment with her husband usually set in after the birth of the heir.  And so it was not deemed worthwhile to lose international prestige, throw the nation into tumult, and question the paternity of all royal children, simply to deny the one cuckoo in the robin’s nest. In the early nineteenth century, the last son of King John VI and Queen Carlota Joaquina of Portugal was extremely good-looking and slender - unlike either of his parents - and happened to be the spitting image of the handsome gardener at the queen’s country retreat. Other than a few snickers behind painted fans, no one said a word.

D) *EDIT*, corrected by ladystonewolf in comments below

As GRRM said, Robert also genuinely didn't think that anyone physically weaker than him would dare to disobey, rebel or plot against him and his strength in any sort of way, much less his bound-to-him wife/a woman.

........................................................................................

All that being said, yes those are sweet kids and Myrcella has a backbone. The idea that children born out of wedlock are inherently evil, disloyal, overly-ambitious, and weak is untrue.

I mean: William the Conqueror, Orys Baratheon, Brynden Rivers, Jon Snow, Jon of Gaunt’s children (ancestors of today's British monarchy), Benedict Rivers/King Benedict Justman, and so many more!

[horizon-verizon]

The way no one would have stan Alicent if the Faith of the Seven as Muslim coded, and people would have no problem calling her a religious bigot.

Sadly, agreed. If the series were mainly read by those with such a background or in a country officially (not totally) Muslim and absent an extremist regime, no, but since ASoIaF is written by a white male American for mostly an American/English audience, yeah. The U.S. and England are just too...hmm, what's the word? Islamophobic.

And if there were a tv adaptation like HotD where Alicent remained 15 and Viserys much older....oh boy, I see the comments flashing by my eyes even now. Suddenly, there's a whole new meaning to "child bride", then!

[horizon-verizon]

dhaaruni is also islamophobic, a proud patriot, and support the american military. one of her tags is literally “land of the free home of the brave.”

sounds block-worthy.

[brutalia-week]

I didn’t see anything in the rules about ableism not being allowed by this event. As a disabled person, this makes me nervous. Is it safe for me to participate in this event?

Oh, I'm sorry! The only reason there isn't a rule about ableism is because I was trying to make the rules short and easy-to-comprehend, so I did cut back on the ones I deemed unnecessary to state. That is NOT to say ableism is allowed any way, shape, or form, but to say that I figured 'no discrimination' should be a given. Besides, those rules are mainly just for the content you can contribute, not anyone's behavior outside of that content, because I cannot really control that. Of course, now that you mention it, I am reminded that ableism (and other discrimination) can definitely seep it's way into the fanworks themselves, and we don't want our work to include any of that awful stuff.

The only issue is, Brutalia Week is only a little over a week away, so it's a bit difficult to change the rules now. Likely, only a small chunk of the contributors will even hear about the rule in time. But if this is really worrying you, and you want me to add a new rule anyway, please DM me to let me know (or send another ask if you'd prefer to stay anonymous).

If you don't send anything else, I will simply wait until next year to add a "No discrimination" rule, but it will still eventually get added.