Alternative Identities, et. al.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Alternative Identities, et. al.

new phone who dis: May 24, 2007; by VideoGames; Morbid Hound

Jack Gladney posted:

I think that real identity politics--that is, identity politics directed at civil rights issues in the historical, lived in, public world--is very much aware of identity as something imposed. Blackness arises out of the conviction on the part of white people that there is a category called blackness that defines who you are and what you can't do or be. In America there's this category "asian" populated by people who everywhere else in the world would be racist as gently caress toward each other, yet because of their context they understand that chinese and korean are equivalent identities here.

Maybe the best way to study the tumblr crowd would not be to think about their own categories, but how they behave toward them. What about looking at how teenage subcultures function to construct or define identity? Maybe these weird fuckos are more like skater punks or jocks or mods or something, embracing a really specific subculture in order to experiment with differentiating themselves from the culture and the family.

There's tons of scholarship about how kids use music, or science fiction, or sports to construct an identity--the whole point of it being that they want to participate in something that belongs to them and some smaller community. They get really into it because they're using it to experiment with being an individual. If a lot of these people are just kids, maybe that's a better model for what they're doing.

It remind me a lot more of religion than anythng else. They have their sacred cows, their chosen people, etc.

# ¿ Jun 20, 2014 04:34

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 15, 2024 20:30

new phone who dis: May 24, 2007; by VideoGames; Morbid Hound

Sharkie posted:

Personally I think that's totally fine and is a legit way of going about writing the character. I'd encourage you to listen to and read about trans people's first-hand stories in order to see how it could come up without having them walk onstage wearing a t-shirt reading "I am transgender," though you probably already know that's important. Good for you for including transgender representation!

Here's another (clumsily metaphoric) way to think of the whole "what level of inclusivity should I include" question that sidesteps the whole issue of validity: imagine that you're in the early 1960's, and you're writing a book, tv show, etc. It's pretty easy to see why including a black character would be a laudable goal, but including an Amish character would have less social import.

Who is "they"?

The really weird and extreme tumblr folks with the fictives, multiples, etc. It's like they're all their own little personal Jesus.

# ¿ Jun 20, 2014 05:51

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Alternative Identities, et. al.