sasha_feather (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sasha_feather) wrote2009-11-18 06:26 pm
sasha_feather) wrote2009-11-18 06:26 pm
Entry tags:
A couple of thoughts on language; one thought about casting and "Glee"
"pimping" a show, book, or fandom
I suppose an argument could be made that we're reclaiming this word, (I have changed my mind on this point) but it still seems suspect to me. Thoughts? Is there another word we could use instead? "Tipping" someone into a fandom?
Using "teenage girl" as an insult
There are two elements to this, one is ageism (young people are undeserving of respect), the other is misogyny (young women are *especially*) undeserving of respect.
The moment that sealed it for me was a couple of lines from a fanfic called Ordinary Life by Cesperanza and shalott:
"Oh, shut up," Rodney said, panting, when he climbed out after five laps and dropped back into his chair. "We don't have much of a swimming season in Edmonton. I bet I could kick your ass ice skating."
"Sure, and if that were a real sport instead of something teenage girls do, maybe I'd care," John said, tipping the bag back for the last crumbs.
"A man who uses as much hair gel as you do should not be casting aspersions on teenage girls," Rodney said.
I laughed aloud, because this is it exactly; and later thought: it doesn't matter if you use hair gel or not-- no one should be casting aspersions against teenage girls.
-----
In linkspamming "The Special Disability (Fail) Episode" of Glee, I saw several people say, "I wonder if any people in wheelchairs tried out for the role of Artie?"
The producers claim that they did have wheelchair users audition, but that none were as talented as the able-bodied actor who was cast.
I'd like to point out that there is a different way to frame the question. Did the producers actively recruit wheelchair users for this role? Did they go out of their way to create an accessible and welcoming environment? Is there a reason that a wheelchair using actor might stay away from such an audition? Oh, like maybe discrimination and oppression?
Using "teenage girl" as an insult
There are two elements to this, one is ageism (young people are undeserving of respect), the other is misogyny (young women are *especially*) undeserving of respect.
The moment that sealed it for me was a couple of lines from a fanfic called Ordinary Life by Cesperanza and shalott:
"Oh, shut up," Rodney said, panting, when he climbed out after five laps and dropped back into his chair. "We don't have much of a swimming season in Edmonton. I bet I could kick your ass ice skating."
"Sure, and if that were a real sport instead of something teenage girls do, maybe I'd care," John said, tipping the bag back for the last crumbs.
"A man who uses as much hair gel as you do should not be casting aspersions on teenage girls," Rodney said.
I laughed aloud, because this is it exactly; and later thought: it doesn't matter if you use hair gel or not-- no one should be casting aspersions against teenage girls.
-----
In linkspamming "The Special Disability (Fail) Episode" of Glee, I saw several people say, "I wonder if any people in wheelchairs tried out for the role of Artie?"
The producers claim that they did have wheelchair users audition, but that none were as talented as the able-bodied actor who was cast.
I'd like to point out that there is a different way to frame the question. Did the producers actively recruit wheelchair users for this role? Did they go out of their way to create an accessible and welcoming environment? Is there a reason that a wheelchair using actor might stay away from such an audition? Oh, like maybe discrimination and oppression?
no subject
no subject
no subject
Pimping, otoh, is about pushing and forcing upon, and doesn't take a preposition. It's a manly active verb! So, like, my synonyms keep having this problem of being in the wrong register. Possibly in the right register: things like "advertise" and, pretty high on the scale of very masculinist verbs, brandishing. (If I were filmed brandishing my fandom, the camera would travel up it slowly to the very tip, where there would be a bit of "glint!")
no subject
How about "dazzling" or "entrancing" or "sweeping" someone into a fandom?
no subject
no subject
no subject
Or maybe they saw a script or two, and didn't want to be a prop. I doubt that the cast has much script/story input -- the show comes off as tightly (if formulaically) written, and nearly everyone is so deliberate in their delivery, that it doesn't strike me as a collaborative project.
I'm still mulling all of this over. I might not get to my Glee post tonight. But I am having thinkythoughts GALORE and I will post on it at some point this week.
no subject
I look forward to reading your thoughts on this. I know a lot of people love this show, and I think there is room for much discussion of it. I liked our conversation about how the interest in the show gets people excited and talking about these things-- Mystickeeper and I have talked about how we have learned more about critical thinking and antiopression from the internet and WisCon than we did from college, and that's largely because of discussions like these ones.
no subject
Oh, absolutely! I guess I got the critical thinking piece, but I would not be where I'm at on antiopression and discussions of representation if it weren't for WisCon. And I don't even think that thoughts about access and disability activism would ever have occurred to me without WisCon and these sorts of discussions! I almost hate to admit that, but there it is.
The other thing that's fascinating to me is that I hardly realized how these thoughts/ideas/conversations could impact me on a personal level, until they started doing it. Learning about access & disability representation/activism through the lens of WisCon and related folk has had such a huge impact on how I think about myself, that I'm not even sure I know how to put it in words.
Also, this comment is a really long way of saying that I hope to volunteer for Access at WisCon next year. ;)
no subject
Oh me too! It changed my life! I don't know where I'd be without this community and these conversations. In my mind one can use disability studies as a door to opening up ALL kinds of things in the world and in one's own life.
I'm so happy to hear that you want to volunteer! :D
no subject
I have this horrible suspicion that they had someone with a wheelchair audition, thought that was an awesome idea, and ran with it. This is based off nothing but my own cynicism, though.
I suspect they never advertised that a person with a disability would be welcome to audition.
oops I commented on LJ
I see pimps nearly every day on the street. I am HELPING my friends and myself publicize our work, not viciously using their bodies for my own profit.
I think to "reclaim" a word, one must somehow have been personally affected by it. Most of us on LJ do not fit into that category.
That said?
I think I've used it.
For similar reasons, I really hate "bitches," but I may have used it once or twice, too.
As for whether or not the casting director actively and vigorously sought out actors in wheelchairs, if they had, they'd be trumpeting this fact to the heavens.
Re: oops I commented on LJ
That is an excellent definition of reclaim, thank you!
That said?
I think I've used it.
I am somewhat of a radical who is trying to eliminate a lot of oppressive language from my vocabulary, and it is very very difficult, because it's around us all the time and completely insidious, and sometimes I slip or just don't want to think about it anymore. I don't think we have to be paragons of perfect language use to criticize common usage or say that it is wrong--if that were the case, no one could ever criticize. We couldn't even correct each other's spelling.
As for whether or not the casting director actively and vigorously sought out actors in wheelchairs, if they had, they'd be trumpeting this fact to the heavens
GOOD POINT.
no subject
no subject
Fact: there exist disabled actors who can sing, act and dance.
Fact: McHale cannot dance in a wheelchair.
It just seems so *disingenuous* to me to talk about how difficult it is to find talented people!!! when they already dropped one of their requirements for their abled candidate, and it was the one it is highly likely only disabled actors would be able to fulfil.
(Glee pisses me off so much. It's worse now that the spate of Glee-induced posting centred around FWD has died down, and now when linkspamming I just keep running into posts that do things like putting the word disability in quotes when it refers to stuttering or say things like "So, overall, Glee played a pretty tricky game, and tackled a ton of discriminatory topics. Were they successful? [...] We find out Tina really doesn't have a stutter, though that isn't really in the discrimination category, but a revelation." I may have to bail from the linkspam because it is upsetting me just that much; am already thinking of writing an intro for the next linkspam with the Wikipedia page for stuttering linked in blinking sparkly text which is probably a bad sign.)
no subject
I agree with you completely, disingenuous is a good word to use for those statements.
no subject
no subject
Re the use of 'pimping'...
My vote is going to 'reclaimed' because that's how I use it. However, I'll sway to the common-usage practices of fandom if there is another word which comes to the fore.
(deleted and reposted because didn't finish the though the first time)
no subject
no subject
no subject
(Anonymous) 2013-01-12 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)I really, really hope not. I can't imagine anything more off-putting than being told I'm more desirable for disability. People like that are exactly whom disabled & minorities are trying to keep away from.
no subject
I see pimps nearly every day on the street. I am HELPING my friends and myself publicize our work, not viciously using their bodies for my own profit.
I think to "reclaim" a word, one must somehow have been personally affected by it. Most of us on LJ do not fit into that category.
That said?
I think I've used it.
For similar reasons, I really hate "bitches," but I may have used it once or twice, too.
no subject
Plugging? Pushing?
I'd like to point out that there is a different way to frame the question. Did the producers actively recruit wheelchair users for this role? Did they go out of their way to create an accessible and welcoming environment? Is there a reason that a wheelchair using actor might stay away from such an audition? Oh, like maybe discrimination and oppression?
Yes. And whenever the "best person for the role was cast" excuse comes up, it seems to come with a side of "there are NO wheelchair users (or people who are Other in some way) good enough/as good as able-bodied people". Which, how do you know if you don't look?
no subject
It makes so much sense now that I've been reading and reading about privilege and oppression. The impetus is on the marginalized people and not on the privileged people (the producers, writers, directors); and the system is RIGGED against the marginalized people already.
no subject
no subject