#problematic representation

[symskellet]

[queerasbuck]

I hope I'm not just an incomprehensible tumblr mutual to you but also thee most problematic bi/trans rep of all time

[calveesmain]

Problematic Rep??

You know, honestly, i hate the whole "problamatic rep" conversation, It's getting out of hand.

Hazbin is a great example of this. Take Vaggie for instance, who's character is under fire for fitting the "angry Latina" stereotype. Or Alastor, who gets shit because he's clearly a villan, and his character is "villifying Asexuality" or Angle who is a sex worker and gets shit for "fetchizing gay men" and for looking effeminate because it's "transphobic".

Honesy, It's bullshit. Nobody is villifying asexuals or latina women or gay men. And trying to say that is to throw out the entire character in favor of the character's ethnicity or sexuality. Your taking away these character's abilities to be complex, because you want the presented picture of your community to be absolutly shiny. Your the ones villifying these groups by deciding that thier ethnicity or sexuality directly correlates with thier issues. Your deciding that all an asexual character should be is asexual. That skin tone should be a characters header trait, and it's not. Stop treating LGBTQA and Ethnicity as character traits and start treating them as normal things. Nobody has to debate "problematic representation" of cishet white people because for years in the media it's been seen as the norm. People of color, LGBTQA people, these are normal people with flaws like anyone else and it's time we treat them as such.

Vaggie's lead character trait was never that she's Latina. It's that she's proud and protective. She has a short temper when it comes to keeping Charlie safe because she knows how dangerous Hell is, and she loves Charlie. Not because she's Latina. Don't confuse the two.

Alastor is a smooth talker with a charming personality and a winning smile, and enough charisma to last two lifetimes. None of that has to do with the fact that he's asexual. Sexual attraction has nothing to do with his power.

And Angle Dust. Honestly, angle is the hardest to argue for because sexuality is directly tied to his character. He's a sex worker. And he's damn good at his job. But he's alot more than that too. He's quick witted, funny, relatable, and honestly super sweet. He just doesnt know how to show it. Angle seems like the most redeemable character in the show. His work is just that. Work. So what if he's gay? That doesnt effect his character. He's still gonna so what he's gonna do.

Bottom line is, the show does a good job of /not/ tieing ethnicity and sexuality directly to characters. Noone sais "oh yah, I'm X so that's why I'm doing this" and nowhere is the corralation implyed. I wish people could just see that, but all they want to do is look woke and make a social justice case out of everything. You wanna know what the best thing for any of these communities to do now is? Its to write stoeies like this. Show real complex people who also happen to be minorities without tieing thier race/sexuality/mental illness/ ect. to the issues in the story. Those things aren't character traits to be used by the plot, they are people traits that should just. Exist. And hazbin is doing a great job of that so far.

[angreskestrel]

Literally all “rep”

Cis dude: We can’t be together *other cis dude*!

Other cis dude: I know but I can’t help how I feel! *swoooon*

Or...

Cis lady: ”I can’t understand these urges and how much I feel them!”

Other cis lady: “I totally understand....mine urges art impossible to deny.”

OR!

*Cis lady* “I’m super bi but you’re cute”

*Cis dude* “Of course I am, let’s get it on babes.

Meanwhile my bullshit is:

Tam: I’ve got a cock.

Various lovers/interested parties: oooooh that sounds fun.

Lyn: Whoop, it’s a cunt now, sorry.

Various lovers/interested parties: wtf man. wtf. WTF?

Tamlyn: oops?

Various & etc. nonsense: hmm. Is this a dealbreaker or IS IT

[inthemidstofbuddie]

Tbh, in cc's new series, as well as her upcoming ones, the diversity is actually really good (and I say that as someone who has refused to let any of my cousins read The Mortal Instruments) and her current books are actually, like, interesting. Plus, from what ive noticed, her fans are generally willing to call her out for any problematic aspects and she understands them. Ik shes done and written some shitty things, but I can see her improving now and it's really refreshing.

it’s definitely refreshing to see a bestselling author who found her niche improving, i just wish that more authors who didn’t need to improve (i.e. authors whose early books don’t include harmful and problematic messages/tropes) were given the chance to shine, y’know? i mean yeah we all have to grow and i’m glad that my early stuff never sold bc there was some bullshit there (typically caused by internalized homophobia and/or internalized misogyny). but that’s just the thing: my early stuff didn’t sell and i was able to shake off the problematic stuff but i’m only 23. sj/m and cc, for example, are in their 30s and 40s, respectively, and they’re not only still writing some deeply problematic stuff, they’re hitting bestseller lists with it. 

but then i had the excuse of being a teenager when my stuff had a lot of bullshit in it, and i don’t claim to be completely perfect now (not at all! no author can claim complete perfection–i mean, hell, the belles by dhonielle clayton has a crapton of transphobia and fatphobia, from what i’ve seen in reviews, and that book is praised to the heavens). but i’m still just in my early 20s and have worked to kick my prejudices to the curb, while people like sj/m seem to cling to them for all they’re worth. 

i dunno, this is a big ramble so i’m not sure if it makes sense. i guess the point of all this is that while it’s good to acknowledge previously problematic authors moving beyond their prejudices and working to include better content, i still find it uncomfortable that we’re praising bestselling authors for things that unpublished authors or authors with minuscule book deals do like it’s second nature. 

[tubooks]

To me, continually asking us to “fix” these portrayals feels patronizing — hey Natives, we know you have zero representation of any kind on TV, but rather than working with you to create some contemporary awesome programming, we’re gonna let you come consult with us and try and make something hugely offensive only slightly offensive. Sound good? Fabulous.

Dr. Adrienne Keene, 'Why "Fix" Tiger Lily? Why Can't We Just Let Her Go?'