Apparently I take book representation overly personally or something.
That's because it is personal. How people are represented in books (and other media for that matter) is definitely personal, especially when you have a marginalized identity that books either want to erase or villify. It totally is personal.
Books matter. They influence people, they transmit cultural information, they stick in people's brain - and using those books to prop up stereotypes and completely ignore people is totally personal.
I don't generally "identify" with those straight male characters, but I don't generally identify with characters--and when I do, it's usually about personality, not identity. But apparently readers like me are unicorn
There's a post in there about what it means to identify, but know that you're not the only unicorn in the herd. I'm there, too.
I also think we oversell this idea that a reader must "identify", especially when I think by identify people really mean "be interested in and sympathize with". Sure you need a character people can be interested in and possibly sympathize with, but that's not the same as identifying with. I mean, I can sympathize with someone who is having issues with their children and parenthood - but I'm childfree. I have no kids and never plan to. I don't identify with parents, I'm not one. Their experiences are vastly divergent from mine, but I can be interested in their struggles and empathize with their experiences if I'm reading a book.
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Date: 2011-04-05 09:16 pm (UTC)That's because it is personal. How people are represented in books (and other media for that matter) is definitely personal, especially when you have a marginalized identity that books either want to erase or villify. It totally is personal.
Books matter. They influence people, they transmit cultural information, they stick in people's brain - and using those books to prop up stereotypes and completely ignore people is totally personal.
I don't generally "identify" with those straight male characters, but I don't generally identify with characters--and when I do, it's usually about personality, not identity. But apparently readers like me are unicorn
There's a post in there about what it means to identify, but know that you're not the only unicorn in the herd. I'm there, too.
I also think we oversell this idea that a reader must "identify", especially when I think by identify people really mean "be interested in and sympathize with". Sure you need a character people can be interested in and possibly sympathize with, but that's not the same as identifying with. I mean, I can sympathize with someone who is having issues with their children and parenthood - but I'm childfree. I have no kids and never plan to. I don't identify with parents, I'm not one. Their experiences are vastly divergent from mine, but I can be interested in their struggles and empathize with their experiences if I'm reading a book.