Okay, maybe I'm just not seeing it because I'm focusing on Lord of the Rings as an example.
Tolkien's characters are positively loaded with racial baggage, but it's all Middle-Earth baggage. The fic-a-thon concept is to change the race of a "white" character to something "non-white" and explore how it changes that character's portrayal.
There aren't any caucasians in Middle Earth. There are hobbits and dwarves and elves and goblins and orcs and humans, and some of these have sub-races (like the Uruk Hai, the Numenoreans). A Hispanic Aragorn or an African Bilbo would make as much sense as if the Green Goblin from Spiderman were actually a Tolkien goblin, or if Catwoman were one of Larry Niven's Kzin.
I only mention this because LotR has actually been claimed in the fic-a-thon. Every character in that story (or at least, every character who has a race) is intrinsically tied to his or her race. Much of the story is, in fact, the story of racial tensions in Middle Earth.
Star Wars is another example. Nobody in that story even knows our galaxy exists, let alone cares about our racial tensions. A better job could have been done in the casting, to present a more inclusive collection of faces, but imposing tensions between races that just plain don't exist in that setting is hardly informative, to my thinking.
Suppose Peter Parker were Puerto Rican. In a city that's pretty clearly New York, at the time the original comic was set, I doubt he could've made it as a freelance photographer; that's an example where I get it.
I'm not sure I'm going to understand this. It may just be one of those things I don't have the perspective to see. That's largely why I brought it here, instead of there -- didn't want to derail the forum, because it's not really my place, and I'm fairly sure bringing it up there would be rude and offensive.
Thanks for the reply. I'll let it simmer for a day or two, or maybe until I can read what gets posted and try to learn from that.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-06-08 05:36 pm (UTC)Tolkien's characters are positively loaded with racial baggage, but it's all Middle-Earth baggage. The fic-a-thon concept is to change the race of a "white" character to something "non-white" and explore how it changes that character's portrayal.
There aren't any caucasians in Middle Earth. There are hobbits and dwarves and elves and goblins and orcs and humans, and some of these have sub-races (like the Uruk Hai, the Numenoreans). A Hispanic Aragorn or an African Bilbo would make as much sense as if the Green Goblin from Spiderman were actually a Tolkien goblin, or if Catwoman were one of Larry Niven's Kzin.
I only mention this because LotR has actually been claimed in the fic-a-thon. Every character in that story (or at least, every character who has a race) is intrinsically tied to his or her race. Much of the story is, in fact, the story of racial tensions in Middle Earth.
Star Wars is another example. Nobody in that story even knows our galaxy exists, let alone cares about our racial tensions. A better job could have been done in the casting, to present a more inclusive collection of faces, but imposing tensions between races that just plain don't exist in that setting is hardly informative, to my thinking.
Suppose Peter Parker were Puerto Rican. In a city that's pretty clearly New York, at the time the original comic was set, I doubt he could've made it as a freelance photographer; that's an example where I get it.
I'm not sure I'm going to understand this. It may just be one of those things I don't have the perspective to see. That's largely why I brought it here, instead of there -- didn't want to derail the forum, because it's not really my place, and I'm fairly sure bringing it up there would be rude and offensive.
Thanks for the reply. I'll let it simmer for a day or two, or maybe until I can read what gets posted and try to learn from that.