A couple of months ago, I posted about my new dog, Ollie, who is a female but who is named after Oliver Queen. I also posted about the Lady!Ollie picture I found on the internets, and some brief thoughts on gender-swapping characters.
Last night during the State of the Union Address, President Obama promised to push through an Equal Pay bill so that women earn 100% of what men earn. Not more. Not the same for less. But equal pay for equal work.
This is the year 2010.
My mom, who was one of two women in her medical school class in the late 70s, used to tell me about burning bras in college and marching down 5th Avenue for Women's Rights and having men spit on her. My mom, who used to add epilogues to fairy tales and Disney stories telling myself and my sister that it was okay if after we went off to the castle and lived happily ever after, we wanted to get a job and not just be a stay-at-home parent, as long as we made our own choices, is the first person that comes to mind when I think of a feminist.
I remarked to her via IM that it's sad that it's 2010 and there's not equal pay for equal work.
"I know," she said.
After the State of the Union, Chris Matthew said he forgot that the President was black, sparking off an uproar (and rightly so) about the remark. After all, why can't an intelligent man be black? That's not what Chris Matthews was saying, I think, but he said it stupidly.
But what no one else seems to remember is that he ended his train wreck by saying that men talk about The Godfather. "It's what we do."
Huh?
During the Presidential primaries and election in 2008, a discussion of race and racism was at the forefront of nearly every mention of Barrack Obama. But a discussion of gender was limited to comments on Sarah Palin's clothing or Hilary Clinton crying. In the recent election here in Massachusetts, the female candidate was portrayed as cold by the good ol' boy driving around in his truck. She lost (though that's not the only reason). Men who are portrayed as cold are strong. Women are frigid.
Here's my point: sexism still exists, but we are so convinced in this post-third-wave-feminist era that things are okay that we refuse to admit it. It's even okay to be sexist. Ever watched a commercial for Axe body spray? How about a commercial for Progressive insurance where they mock a man carrying a bag, who insists his wife bought it? How about that, again, it's 2010 and this is arguably the worst TV pilot season for women. Teen girls fawn over strong Edward and Jacob while aspiring to be Bella, who's off wilting in the shadows of her immense love for her stalker vampire.
Everything I'm saying doesn't mean racism doesn't exist. Not at all. And overt racism is definitely worse than overt sexism. But the subversive sexism that permeates our culture is still there, and it seems like something only a handful of people are willing to talk about. And those people are often called oversensitive (at best). Really, read some of the comments in this discussion about Marvel's Deadpool cover trade-in promotion (the one where you rip up DC comics to get a reference to a show that was popular 7 years ago with half-naked women that has nothing to do with the title, Siege).
Have some highlights:
Check.
And let's end with how we started:
So to wrap this all up, I wonder if the people up in arms over "Chromatic Casting" would have similar issues with Genderswap Casting. Maybe they would. I don't know. I think it's a lot easier to be offended by racism, because racism is still considered a Big Problem, whereas sexism is something that got fixed in the 70s so we should get over it.
2010 - Equal pay for equal work. Keep an eye out.
Actually, I enjoy the idea of gender swapping characters (or degendering, which is pretty much never done, since heaven forfend we not be either Man or Woman). When done right, it's really really interesting. It's not done right very often. The trick is to maintain the essence of the character while adapting him or her to a different gender, which of course affects the way he or she will interact with society, the kinds of experience s/he has had in his/her life, et cetera et cetera. It's not just about swapping around some parts of anatomy.There's been this chromatic casting meme floating around. The idea is that you take established comic characters and insert people of color into the roles. But it's not just insertion, of course, because being a person of color changes your experiences and interactions. Just like your gender does. Anyway, it started, I think, on Livejournal and has gone viral. Got picked up, distributed and, as is the way with anything ever, offended some people. Then one of the creators wrote an excellent response.
Last night during the State of the Union Address, President Obama promised to push through an Equal Pay bill so that women earn 100% of what men earn. Not more. Not the same for less. But equal pay for equal work.
This is the year 2010.
My mom, who was one of two women in her medical school class in the late 70s, used to tell me about burning bras in college and marching down 5th Avenue for Women's Rights and having men spit on her. My mom, who used to add epilogues to fairy tales and Disney stories telling myself and my sister that it was okay if after we went off to the castle and lived happily ever after, we wanted to get a job and not just be a stay-at-home parent, as long as we made our own choices, is the first person that comes to mind when I think of a feminist.
I remarked to her via IM that it's sad that it's 2010 and there's not equal pay for equal work.
"I know," she said.
After the State of the Union, Chris Matthew said he forgot that the President was black, sparking off an uproar (and rightly so) about the remark. After all, why can't an intelligent man be black? That's not what Chris Matthews was saying, I think, but he said it stupidly.
But what no one else seems to remember is that he ended his train wreck by saying that men talk about The Godfather. "It's what we do."
Huh?
During the Presidential primaries and election in 2008, a discussion of race and racism was at the forefront of nearly every mention of Barrack Obama. But a discussion of gender was limited to comments on Sarah Palin's clothing or Hilary Clinton crying. In the recent election here in Massachusetts, the female candidate was portrayed as cold by the good ol' boy driving around in his truck. She lost (though that's not the only reason). Men who are portrayed as cold are strong. Women are frigid.
Here's my point: sexism still exists, but we are so convinced in this post-third-wave-feminist era that things are okay that we refuse to admit it. It's even okay to be sexist. Ever watched a commercial for Axe body spray? How about a commercial for Progressive insurance where they mock a man carrying a bag, who insists his wife bought it? How about that, again, it's 2010 and this is arguably the worst TV pilot season for women. Teen girls fawn over strong Edward and Jacob while aspiring to be Bella, who's off wilting in the shadows of her immense love for her stalker vampire.
Everything I'm saying doesn't mean racism doesn't exist. Not at all. And overt racism is definitely worse than overt sexism. But the subversive sexism that permeates our culture is still there, and it seems like something only a handful of people are willing to talk about. And those people are often called oversensitive (at best). Really, read some of the comments in this discussion about Marvel's Deadpool cover trade-in promotion (the one where you rip up DC comics to get a reference to a show that was popular 7 years ago with half-naked women that has nothing to do with the title, Siege).
Have some highlights:
"What I'm trying to get at is that sexism in comics isn't going untreated, and there seems to be a better balance nowadays. So to get all up in arms about this seems alittle [sic] futile and tiring."So because it's being worked on (the author gives three examples of the umpteen comic creators out there), we shouldn't discuss it. Check.
"That cover is funny. Clearly, some people just don't appreciate humor. I hate living in a PC world, where people can't take a joke. Anyone who would call that cover sexist or racist probably has some personal problems that they need to work through."No words necessary.
"Sorry I just find it funny people think this is sexist. I mean if you feel like that then go for it, but to say this is sexist considering a lot of comics from the 1940's to now have have naked women on the cover....that means the entire industry has been sexist since day one. "Uh. Yes. I love the argument that because things were more sexist in the past (or racist), to think they're sexist now is ridiculous. Hey, look, in 1860 black people were slaves. So in 1954 when they were working on the Civil Rights bill to allow black people access to voting, they should have just let it go. And since women used to be the property of their husbands a hundred years ago, we shouldn't worry about equal pay because, hey. We're not property.
Check.
And let's end with how we started:
Well the only thing I can say that, [sic] your [sic] taking this way to seriously.Okay!
So to wrap this all up, I wonder if the people up in arms over "Chromatic Casting" would have similar issues with Genderswap Casting. Maybe they would. I don't know. I think it's a lot easier to be offended by racism, because racism is still considered a Big Problem, whereas sexism is something that got fixed in the 70s so we should get over it.
2010 - Equal pay for equal work. Keep an eye out.
Your Mom sounds great! Sexism is absolutely alive and kicking and I get loud about it to prove feminism is, too. But perhaps not publicly or seriously enough.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't really like the idea of gender-swapping, probably because a LOT of my own identity is wrapped up in the fact that I am female...
@Magnetgirl My mom IS awesome! ;)
ReplyDeleteFor me, I have a non-traditional gender identity. It gives me a different viewpoint, I think, so I get interested in how characters would change were they to be a different gender. I know you don't like swapped!Kirk, but I think if it were written well, with a good backstory, it could be pulled off. But Kirk is an inherently masculine archetype, so the swapper would have to be pretty creative and careful.
I think a gender swapped Kirk could be fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThink about the qualities that make Kirk. His confidence, bravery, charisma, and ability to make split-second decisions all the while hitting on anything in a skirt?
These qualities could easily belong to a female. After all, the only thing that stands in the way of this working is our conceptions of what makes a man/woman, correct? Simply remove a lifetime of sexual indoctrination, and voila! Jane Tiberius Kirk!
I like your blog and I am a relatively new reader. I agree with most of what you say here but I think that you should be very, very careful about suggesting that:
ReplyDelete"I think it's a lot easier to be offended by racism, because racism is still considered a Big Problem, whereas sexism is something that got fixed in the 70s so we should get over it."
What you are straying dangerously close to here is commonly known as the Oppression Olympics and it is unhelpful for a number of reasons.
Firstly, you are making invisible those that suffer from both sexism and racism. You are also missing the point that women of colour don't experience racism and sexism as 2 seperate entities. They experience BOTH at the same time and it can often be different than the sexism a white woman will experience.
Secondly, you are creating a heirarchy of oppression and therefore catagorising who has it worst. This is unhelpful and diminishes the importance of recognising racism.
Thirdly, I am guessing you are white. You say people take racism more seriously than sexism, but is that true? I imagine people of colour have a very different experience of this. Your white privilege will protect you from seeing most examples of racism.
Honestly, I'm not trying to have a go - I just think you should think about all the things you are implying when you suggest that sexism is more common or more accepted than racism.
@JenniferRuth - Thanks for the comment. I'm pretty much aware that a hierarchy of oppression is a problematic construct. I wasn't try to imply that one exists here. My point in this post was that sexism, despite what the pop culture media force portrays, still exists. I thought I was clear that this had no bearing on whether or not racism still exists or whether or not racism is a bigger, smaller, equal, or non-comparable problem. If that didn't come across, I apologize.
ReplyDeleteI think that the way sexism is accepted in society is different and that, in this post-modern (or whatever it's called era) it's far more subversive than some of the outright racism we still see on a day to day basis. More or less there... not too sure.
I pass as white, my sister passes as Latina, Arabic, or Indian, depending on what part of the summer it is, and two generations ago, my family was considered Other - Jewish on the ticky boxes that have now been changed. My point is that my own racial identity is complicated, but I am completely aware of my white privilege and how it colors the way I see things. I am also aware that I pass as straight, pass as binary gendered feminine, pass as Christian, and that the only way I don't pass, really (besides as someone of non-obese weight) is as a female.
I do appreciate your comments - and most especially the civil tone with which you make them - but I can promise you that I wasn't trying to imply that sexism is more common or more accepted. It's different, that's all, and I think it's more prevalent than the mainstream talking heads are willing to admit. I wasn't trying to negate the effects of racism on people (especially not women of color), only to use the jumping off point of chromatic casting as a way to discuss what I think is a prevalent, and not often discussed, topic.
I absolutely welcome conversation about this (and any other topic). I hope I don't come across as defensive, I'm just trying to explain why this blog post says what it says, and not some of the other things it could say.
@JenniferRuth - Also, because I just found it and I know you're a new reader, I'd like to refer you to a comment a made in a post discussing lesbian identity, about how we shouldn't compare oppressions.
ReplyDeleteOkay, now I do sound defensive. Just trying to explain myself, I promise. :)
Hi Sam!
ReplyDeleteI get what you were trying to say now. And, as I said, I do agree with your post. I probably jumped the gun a bit quick there myself to assume that you don't already know these things! I apologise for that.
I think the reason that people can sometimes be quicker to dismiss accusations of sexism than they are for racism is that it usually comes from a woman. Have you ever noticed that if a man says something is sexist he doesn't get shot down immediately compared to if a woman says it? I have also seen people only take accusations of racism seriously when a white person says it.
We comic fans are a diverse lot but I don't think it is untrue to say that the main readers are white straight men and that the Big Two tend to cater to their whims quite a lot. Even the online environments are often very white and male. Maybe this environment is what contributes to the rolling of eyes, derailing and denial when a woman brings up the fact that something is sexist? Some of these dudes are very privileged and not used to being challenged. Pair that with the relative anonymity of the internet and they aren't going to hesitate to tell you how wrong and stupid you are.
Btw, I also started following you on twitter - hope you don't mind!
I like your blog and I am a relatively new reader. I agree with most of what you say here but I think that you should be very, very careful about suggesting that:
ReplyDelete"I think it's a lot easier to be offended by racism, because racism is still considered a Big Problem, whereas sexism is something that got fixed in the 70s so we should get over it."
What you are straying dangerously close to here is commonly known as the Oppression Olympics and it is unhelpful for a number of reasons.
Firstly, you are making invisible those that suffer from both sexism and racism. You are also missing the point that women of colour don't experience racism and sexism as 2 seperate entities. They experience BOTH at the same time and it can often be different than the sexism a white woman will experience.
Secondly, you are creating a heirarchy of oppression and therefore catagorising who has it worst. This is unhelpful and diminishes the importance of recognising racism.
Thirdly, I am guessing you are white. You say people take racism more seriously than sexism, but is that true? I imagine people of colour have a very different experience of this. Your white privilege will protect you from seeing most examples of racism.
Honestly, I'm not trying to have a go - I just think you should think about all the things you are implying when you suggest that sexism is more common or more accepted than racism.
I think a gender swapped Kirk could be fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThink about the qualities that make Kirk. His confidence, bravery, charisma, and ability to make split-second decisions all the while hitting on anything in a skirt?
These qualities could easily belong to a female. After all, the only thing that stands in the way of this working is our conceptions of what makes a man/woman, correct? Simply remove a lifetime of sexual indoctrination, and voila! Jane Tiberius Kirk!
Your Mom sounds great! Sexism is absolutely alive and kicking and I get loud about it to prove feminism is, too. But perhaps not publicly or seriously enough.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't really like the idea of gender-swapping, probably because a LOT of my own identity is wrapped up in the fact that I am female...