#i understand the source material is ALSO predominantly men

[nonbinary-sticks-the-badger]

ive kinda given up on scu at this point but i just wanna say i really doubt we're getting rouge and amy. obviously this will GREATLY disrupt the story (not in an impossible way but certainly enough that it will have to change a fair bit) but i kinda get that itd be hard to include more cgi characters.

however.

they said they want to include big if possible and oh my god. i love big. but if they include him and not amy and rouge i will be upset. and theres a word im gonna use that sounds like homogeny and begins with m. im not gonna say the word because its not the strongest case, but considering the knuckles show had PACHACAMAC and not tikal, considering the only important women i can actually name off the top of my head are maddie, jojo, rachel (all of which are kinda thrown under the bus and/or not really used very much) and maria, who's probably gonna have like 5 scenes max and considering both rouge and amy are incredibly important to sa2 but already people know its unlikely we'll get both. well. i wont be happy if they do that

[percheduphere]

So...Thoughts on the whole people thinking Sylvie is Aro-Ace? I can kinda see her being Aromantic, but with her mentioning she's more "hedonistic" than Loki and silently hinting that she's Bi too, can't really see her as Asexual. But what do you think?

LET'S TALK ABOUT SYLVIE'S SEXUALITY, HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOKI AND MOBIUS, & HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SERIES NARRATIVE

Before I answer this, I think it's important to acknowledge that fictional characters exist for people's comfort and pleasure. I write original fiction, and I would hope that most artists believe in the right of the audience to interpret character to meet their personal needs. To me, canon is a sandbox. Everyone should play with it as they please and not hate on each other. There are more important things in life to worry about. Therefore, if Sylvie reads as Aro-Ace to you and that reading brings you joy, then she is.

This question inherently requires the need to talk about Sylki in this post. I predominantly analyze Lokius, so please, no hate! My number one rule is never yucking someone's yum. Furthermore, Sylvie plays a critical role in Loki's development and the philosophical thrust of the series, of which Mobius also contributes to as the other half of Loki's character arc equation (selflessness and sparing life [Mobius] + free will and revolution [Sylvie]). It would be biased and disingenuous to not acknowledge her contributions to the overarching narrative.

ARO-ACE INTERPRETATION

All right, your question! I can definitely can see Sylvie as being aro-ace. That's a legitimate interpretation based on how she responds to Loki's flirtation and romantic advances. It is also possible that she's an aromantic bisexual. This second possibility is more likely based on the text the audience is given.

THE CANON TEXT

Having said that, I think you're curious about what the source material is trying to say about Sylvie's character and how that influences her sexuality. I believe it's important to remember that external behavior doesn't dictate how someone defines themselves. Closeting and disengagement from intimacy because of trauma are prime examples of this.

The train scene in S1E4 reads as earnest. Loki and Sylvie are both very lonely characters. In this moment, both are trying to connect with someone who finally understands them because they are the same. It's actually a lovely nod to the queer experience.

The dialogue, lighting, and costuming (blue, purple, pink) in this scene communicates they are both queer, specifically bisexual. The lighting and costuming combining to represent the bisexual pride flag is an example of queer subtext in film. The dialogue, while direct, is also written in such a way that it avoids explicitly stating "men and women." Sylvie later comments that the brief flings she indulges in during apocalypses helped her "keep going". She even specifies that apocalypses make people desperate. This suggests that Sylvie likely didn't need to do much wooing or charming like Loki would to obtain a sexual partner. Finally, the way Tom and Sophie play this scene is vulnerable. I therefore believe we can take this on-screen admission at face value.

So the question becomes, why does Sylvie respond to Loki's flirtations the way she does?

SYLVIE'S BACKGROUND

Sylvie was orphaned and forced to run all her life from a very young age. Her backstory is deeply tragic. To live in such a way means that she never had the opportunity to experience adolescence.

NOTE: This is honestly my favorite gif of Sylvie. She's so sweet and cute when she's happy. I can't get over the 5 stars on her employee badge. "Sylvie, can you refill the straws?" "Already did it!" The sweetheart.

Sylvie working at McDonald's accomplishes two things: it allows Disney to fulfill their advertising sponsorship agreement for the fast-food franchise, and it subtly alludes to Sylvie's need to live the adolescence she didn't get to. The TVA forced her into arrested development. She never had the chance to make friends and safely socialize on her own terms. The centuries of trauma have made trust, let alone romance, completely foreign to her.

Which is why, when Loki and Sylvie have romantic scenes, she is often awkward or, if not unreceptive, wary. Her previous flings, as she agrees with Loki, were "never real". Physical intimacy without emotional intimacy is a familiar dynamic for both characters. Their relationship with one another is their first experience of emotional intimacy (or at least attempt at it) outside of their families. The pursuit of this emotional intimacy feels safe to them because they are the same entity and thus they know each other's base nature (versus nurture!) to some degree.

The difference between them is that Sylvie has not experienced social rejection in the way Loki has (nurture!). She recognizes the wrongness with which the TVA has treated her. She knows the absolute atrocities the TVA has committed. She is determined to destroy them to free herself and all timelines. Sylvie is consequently more self-assured, more confident in what she wants and believes in, than Loki. In S2, Sylvie's clarity on desire is what allows her to help Loki articulate what he wants: his friends back, most especially Mobius.

In S1E1, Loki, still posturing before Mobius, describes himself as a "liberator". At this point in the story, we know that isn't true, but it will become true by the finale. This line of dialogue foreshadows Loki's trajectory as well as Sylvie's revealed motivation in S1E4: to liberate.

THE NEXUS EVENT

There are a variety of ways for viewers to interpret what exactly the Nexus Event was. The canon, within the text of Mobius's dialogue and verbal confirmation from the creators, is that Loki and Sylvie fell in love. Now, I'm not going to spend time arguing over other interpretations here, but I will say that regardless of whatever pairing or OT3 a viewer ships, the Nexus Event was ALSO definitively this: two Lokis in the same place, at the same time, not feeling lonely together.

And Sylvie, who had confessed to Loki she has no friends and has never really experienced joy, answers Renslayer with the number of positive memories she has:

Sylvie doesn't state it outright, but the subtext is clear that her one positive memory was her time with Loki on Lamentis. Indeed, moments later, Sylvie prunes herself in an effort to find and rescue him.

SYLVIE & MOBIUS

But being the harshly pragmatic individual she is, upon arrival and encountering Alioth, Sylvie assumes Loki didn't make it. I don't think Sylvie means what she says in a cruel way. I think she believes this because she is accustomed to disappointment and accordingly guards herself with cynicism. Sylvie's traumas, her difficulty with trust, her inexperience with intimate relationships, and her cynicism all combine to create an individual who may appear aro-ace when that may not necessarily be the case. Please note, however, that Sylvie being aro-ace or aro-bisexual may still be a possibility. My analysis here is based on what the text and subtext seem to be telling us about her character.

Notably, it is Mobius who is more optimistic about Loki's survival, wondering if Sylvie truly believes that Loki is dead.

This moment is brief, but it is significant because Mobius's optimism implies that not only does he believe in Loki, he also wants Loki to be alive. Sylvie is intelligent. She can read between the lines. We can also assume an off-screen conversation took place between them that confirmed for Sylvie Mobius's genuine care for Loki. When Sylvie informs Loki of this fact, I believe we get this:

Mobius was conservative in how Loki might interpret their relationship, extending a handshake before their goodbyes. Loki, on the heels of his conversation with Sylvie, chooses to hug him instead. The result: Mobius is delighted!

I've long pondered on why Mobius would say, "You're my favorite" to Sylvie. I believe this is why: she helped along their friendship and opened the gates for physical affection between them. This demonstrates that Sylvie cares enough for Loki to ensure he is secure in his bond with Mobius. It likely helped that Mobius did not deny the TVA's evil when she pointed it out to him, and that he did not hesitate to apologize to her for it.

Ironically, it is Mobius's optimism, especially in the potential of broken things to become something better (whether it is Loki himself or the TVA), that creates the fraught philosophical divide between Sylvie and Mobius (and Loki) with regards to the TVA in S2.

THE S1 FINALE

The S2 finale is where the narrative between Loki and Sylvie turns, and the plot pivots to the deepening relationship between Loki and Mobius. Triggering this event is Loki's desire to slow down and think about the consequences of killing HWR in the Citadel at The End of Time.

This may seem out-of-character at first glance. S1E1-E4 have demonstrated that Loki's decision making is sometimes chaotic by virtue of impulse. What was the last impulsive decision he made with heavy consequences?

He ran off after Sylvie. A good decision ultimately, as Loki learns the truth about the TVA through Sylvie, but only by luck. This decision very nearly cost Loki a friendship, one he didn't even realize he had until Mobius called him a "bad friend."

Despite the fallout, Mobius recovers relatively quickly once he confirms Loki's claims and views Ravonna's recording of C-20. He reestablishes trust with Loki as soon as possible to help Loki be with the one he loves. Why? Because Mobius is ultimately selfless and wants Loki's happiness regardless of his own feelings of jealousy.

Which circles us back to the theme of trust and Sylvie's challenges with it.

Loki and Sylvie's relationship falls apart not because of lack of mutual interest, but because Sylvie loses trust in Loki and with good reason: HWR (and thus the TVA) is the cause of all her suffering.

It is not Sylvie's fault she is this way. She hasn't had enough time to develop meaningful relationships, and the one relationship that was meaningful to her (Loki's) became, in her eyes, a profound betrayal. This experience only adds to the other traumas Sylvie carries with her, making encounters with Loki in S2 emotionally difficult if not triggering.

The relationships of Loki & Sylvie and Loki & Mobius are intentionally set side-by-side for 3 critical reasons:

1.) To demonstrate Loki's growth by developing trust and thus emotional intimacy with others.

2.) To create the Plot B emotional source of conflict in S2.

3.) To set-up Mobius and Sylvie's individual beliefs and values (selflessness and sparing life [Mobius] + free will and revolution [Sylvie]), which Loki combines into his own system of beliefs and values. This combination gives Loki the strength and wisdom to ascend the throne and become the God of Stories (and Time).

THE S2 FINALE

Loki comes to his final decision after speaking with the two halves of his character arc equation. Loki first seeks out Mobius, who shares with him the distinction between himself and Ravonna. Now, this is brainwashed Mobius. Brainwashed Mobius believed Ravonna could do the impossible while he couldn't. But Loki knows Ravonna's corruption.

Beneath Mobius's wisdom that "most purpose is more burden than glory" is also Mobius's heart: he could not prune children and that instinct was the right decision. His "failure" was not a failure of duty but rather his humanity succeeding despite the brainwashing. It's this same intrinsic compassion that drove Mobius to convince Ravonna to spare Loki. Loki articulates this to Don as such. He therefore takes the message of selflessness and sparing life from Mobius to Sylvie.

Sylvie, in turn, challenges Loki, stating they should have the freedom and right to fight whatever comes on their own terms.

She also stresses that it is all right to destroy things. Upon hearing this, Loki comes to the conclusion that what is destroyed must be replaced with something better. What needs to be destroyed? Not the TVA and the people in it (not Mobius, Verity, OB, and Casey), but the Loom.

Loki sacrificed himself (selflessness + sparing life [Mobius]) in order to save all timelines (free will + revolution [Sylvie]). Loki sparing Sylvie's life is a direct consequence of Mobius having fought to spare his.

Through this sacrifice, Loki gifts Sylvie the chance to get the type of positive experiences she wants and needs, which includes future romance, if she so chooses. That is canon and is a genuinely romantic gesture regardless of anyone's interpretation of mutual reciprocation or lack thereof.

It is also canon that Loki loves Mobius and Mobius loves Loki. Their actions for one another across both seasons demonstrate this to be true. Is it also romantic? Absolutely. Is it sexual? On screen, no, and it doesn't have to be. Romance does not require sex, let alone physical contact, to exist.

Loki loves them both.

[jenner-benjamin]

Performance Writing

‘Letter of Resignation’ - performance writing.

This last year in particular I have started to become more comfortable with the fact that I am as excited by the performative act of making as I am by the consequential drawing or print. I think because my research has led to intense discourse about the disappearance of handwriting, I have become increasingly aware of this being an important aspect of my practice. As such I have started to document the process and creation of some artworks, regarding these performances just as important as than the finished outputs themselves. 

These drawings were mostly produced at home, but eventually became tiresome and monotonous. I think because I was limited to the desk in my bedroom, I felt as though everything was whispered and restricted. Once university began to slowly reopen I was able to get hold of a space big enough that I could really spread out, and when not confined by space I was able to shout about how I was feeling rather than whisper. This release was exactly what I needed to breathe a bit of life back into my practice and I am very excited by the results.

The following performances are titled ‘Letters of Resignation’. The title is an homage to the works of the same name by Cy Twombly, an artist that is widely recognised for his works that have quite clear connections to asemic writing. Furthermore there are many suggestions that can be derived from this title; letters in the sense of individual written characters, letters that we write in correspondence, resigning from a job and resigning to the fact that this is just how life is now. I enjoyed the multiple meanings that can be deduced from this, just as there are multiple ways that we can read and understand asemic writing.

‘Letter of Resignation’ - performance writing.

‘Letter of Resignation’ - performance writing.

I conducted this series of performances because I wanted to spread out and enjoy not being limited to a domestic space. I unravelled a roll of Fabriano paper and performed a series of asemic written works to music with a mop, a handheld jug mop, and a drawing instrument that I made with bamboo cane and string. These instruments are all evidently larger than a pen or paintbrush, and so in writing with these on the oversized paper I was making myself more aware that this performance was more of a spectacle than writing at my desk with a pen. 

I write every single day, therefore I perform every day, and yet I was not consciously aware that the performance was taking place. It is interesting that the change in writing implement made me acutely alert to this fact. This is definitely something to think about in terms of the context of how or where the performance is taking place. 

Does a performance need to be documented or witnessed in order to describe it as a performance? If I sit at my desk and write a letter, is it any less performance as it would be to do the exact same thing but go live on social media whilst doing it? Is every act of writing a performance, or is it a performance because it is labelled as such? I have begun to read more about some artists that explore performance in their practice in the hopes of learning more about why this method of communicating my ideas has peaked my interest.

Inoue Yûichi

Inoue Yûichi in his studio by Itô Tokio, 1984 - photograph.

‘Katsu (Sound of Metal)’ by Inoue Yûichi, 1977 - ink on paper.

Inoue Yûichi, was a Japanese artist who began working as a primary school teacher, before retraining under the tutelage of calligrapher, Ueda Sokyu. He came to the practice later on in life but is now regarded as one of the most esteemed Japanese artists of the last century. He co-founded the avant-garde society for calligraphy which in turn saw his push for liberation from calligraphy’s traditional roots, advocating documentation of the calligrapher’s physical movements and energy as being equally as paramount as the textual pieces themselves. 

Yûichi depicts traditional Japanese kanji characters, having been predominantly inspired by traditional masters of Japanese calligraphy, but performs them in such a way that has been likened to abstract expressionist action painters. This meeting of Eastern and Western culture culminates in a performative practice that is a pure expression of being in the present moment. He allowed himself to enter a state of calm that is standard practice of the Japanese art of ‘Shodo’, which connects the mind with the body. This calm state of being is thus expressed in his written performance. 

Nakajima Hiroyuki

‘Calligraphies Sonores’ by Nakajima Hiroyuki, 2018 - performance at Villa Cavrois Lille in France.

‘Shizen’ by Nakajima Hiroyuki, 2012 - performance at Galeria Nobili Milano in Italy.

Nakajima Hiroyuki is a performance artist, also from Japan, but learnt the art of Shodo from a young age. Hiroyuki understood that the art of calligraphy was highly sought after, but recognised that it had the potential to surpass tradition. He began to create abstract artworks based on his deep knowledge of Japanese calligraphy.

Not long after he began exhibiting his calligraphic abstract forms, he introduced elements of Tai Chi in to his practice, aiming to establish the process of calligraphy by way of performance. He begins his performances by standing in a meditative situation, as per traditional Shodo practices, and then in one swift movement he creates his written thoughts as an evidence of that point in time.

Hiroyuki says:

“Every work of "Sho" is created in one continuous motion, and therefore cannot be repeated or re-written. The power of "Sho" lies in this feature of non-recurrence. Even if you draw the same letter ten times, ten different forms will arise spontaneously.”

I am drawn to the sense of calm and quiet in both Yûichi and Hiroyuki’s performances. The influence of Zen Buddhism and traditional leanings makes for a great basis on which to build from. They utilise traditional ideas in conjunction with contemporary art practice to create performance writings that are not only dynamic but also speak of their cultural backgrounds. 

James Nares

James Nares is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice includes; film, music, painting, photography and performance. He uses these methodologies to explore ideas of physicality and motion. 

In the 1980s Nares began creating what are now his iconic brush stroke calligraphic paintings. These paintings document a gestural and expressive moment, a record of motion across the surface, and are inspired by Roy Lichtenstein’s own depictions of brush strokes. 

Nares suspends himself on wires above the canvas in what looks to be a slightly precarious Mission Impossible manner. This inclusion of an outside source in which to aid the creation of the painting further enhances the idea of performance, bringing an element of true action to the forefront of the drawing. The innovative employment of the wires does add an extra dimension to the works, though I would tend to think that they are required for logistic purposes as opposed to it being performance art. Nevertheless it is an interesting way in which to create a drawing, and an added point of interest. 

‘Girl About Town’ by James Nares, 2017 - screenprint on paper.

‘Damian’ by James Nares, 2014 - screenprint on paper.

Janine Antoni

‘Loving Care’ by Janine Antoni, 1993 - performance with hair dye. Janine Antoni’s work sits in the space between performance and installation. She addresses everyday activities such as eating and bathing and transforms these routines in to art, chiefly using her own body as her method of conveying these ideas. 

Antoni has performed pieces where she has scraped away at both lard and chocolate with her teeth, as well as washing away exact replicas of her face made from soap. The piece I am most drawn to is ‘Loving Care’, a performance whereby Antoni mopped the floor with her own hair, soaked in ‘Loving Care’ hair dye. She explains that in doing this she learns and reconnects with her body, finding an understanding with what happens when she puts her body in such an uncompromising space. I am reminded of the body prints by David Hammons and the performative prints that I studied in the Research Practice module. Hammons expressed a sense of cultural identity by using his body as a matrix for printing and mark-making. 

Antoni could also be seen to be putting forth a thought-provoking address of antiquated views of femininity in the domestic setting in collusion with action painting. Mopping been seen as a domestic chore and action painting popularised by abstract expressionism which was predominantly populated by men. 

This is a great instance of performance drawing, an example of the artist claiming the space as her canvas, and forcing the audience out of the room as she did so. Again, I enjoy the sense of performance art as a means of describing one's identity, this case being an emotional articulation of gender identity. 

Franz Erhard Walther

Politisch (Political), no. 36 by Franz Erhard Walther, 1967 - performance.

I came across the work of Franz Erhard Walther during my research of the Fluxus movement. He is a German artist that rose to prominence with his participatory and activated sculptural works. 

‘Werksatz’ is a series of roughly fifty wearable sculptures that are activated through audience interaction, and an exploration is made of the demands that they place on the human body. These demands are furthered by the possibility of the relationships that the objects prompt between additional participants. The fabric objects consist of a multitude of openings, fastenings and straps that encourage the user to wear and initiate them, either as a solo performance or as a collective effort. 

Walther explains that the motivation behind the wearable sculptures was to understand the negotiation between dormant and active states. This in turn suggests how the materiality of the works might change the body’s behaviour. It is also interesting to note how some of the pieces depended upon the audience’s ability to achieve an awareness of harmony within the structure, making the piece a confrontation as opposed to a simple Happening. I do like this sense of participation from the audience, if it weren't a risk to health and safety this would be something I would have been keen to explore at my end of degree show. Perhaps urging the audience to create their own asemic works in response or alongside my own. This is still food for thought for further study, as restrictions begin to ease.

Körpergewichte (Body Weights), no. 48 by Franz Erhard Walther, 1969 (performed in 2008) - performance.

Nancy Murphy Spicer

‘Hanging Drawings, 20 successive drawings, unique and unrehearsed’ by Nancy Murphy Spicer, 2015 - installation and performance.

I met Nancy Murphy Spicer as an undergraduate student after she gave a talk to my year group about her drawing practice. I have since read that she created a participatory drawing performance that questions the very nature of drawing. She establishes the line as a sensuous object that can be touched, moved and manipulated. The result is a participatory installation that invites the audience forth to engage with the line and create their own drawing.

It is an interesting conception of the physicality of drawing. The artist has brought forth the tools in which the drawing is to be made, but ultimately it is the spectator that activates its agency as a drawing. This notion not only melds the roles of artist and audience, but also gallery and art studio. 

The hanging drawings also touch upon the idea posited by Hiroyuki about the same drawing never being able to be repeated - ‘even if you draw the same letter ten times, ten different forms will arise spontaneously’. This is a thought that I have come back to multiple times throughout this course, the idea of the multiple and the edition. I am a printmaker that is excited by the accidental and incidental unplanned marks, and so the notion of works that can never be repeated is something that I have explored time and time again through print, drawing, writing, and now performance.

‘Hanging Drawings, 20 successive drawings, unique and unrehearsed’ by Nancy Murphy-Spicer, 2015 - installation and performance.

In researching ideas of performance drawing and performance writing, I again find myself being reminded of the Fluxus movement. I would propose that these performances are both Happenings and event scores. I think that this might be an avenue to explore going forward, the capacity for asemic writing to exist both as performance and event score. I do not see Letters of Resignation as a finished piece, but as a starting point to which I could further investigate. Perhaps I could record more written pieces that are less dramatic and focus more on the every day written works. These are just as much performance even without the great expanse and exaggerated writing implements. 

[theuntoldhistoryofwomen]

WOMEN IN THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF MALAYA

The history of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), also known as the Malayan communist Party (MCP), a predominantly Chinese revolutionary political party formed in 1930 that provided the backbone of the anti-colonial (both anti-Japanese and British) as well as the anti-capitalist movement in Malaya, has been systematically obscured and silenced due to the anti-communist campaigns of the Malaysian and Singaporean governments. In the exclusion of CPM, we see how history is indeed written by the victors. While some prominent male members of the CPM such as its long-time leader, Chin Peng, have written memoirs to tell their side of the story, the history of women’s involvement in the CPM has especially been forgotten and ignored despite their contributions to the party’s strength. This is because many of the women, due to circumstances of their time, were not very well educated and cannot read or write, much less write their own histories (Khoo, 2004). Women members of the CPM had remarkably similar motivations as those of recruits who joined the all-female Rani of Jhansi Regiment during WW2. Many of these women in the CPM saw the movement as a form of rebellion against the feudal and oppressive patriarchal structure that they experienced in their own lives. Born into periods of socio-economic transition and political turmoil, they witnessed injustices and the exploitation of their communities by the British and Japanese colonial governments. This compelled them to join the CPM, the only force fighting against colonialism at the time. The Maoist ideology promulgated by the CPM also appealed to its majority ethnic Chinese members (although there were also Malay, Chinese and Thai members) that felt a sense of patriotism towards communist China. To shed light on the social memory of women in the CPM, Agnes Khoo has written a ground-breaking book consisting of a set of oral history interviews with sixteen women from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia who were involved in the Malayan anti-colonial struggle and led extraordinary lives. Many of them now live in political exile, in villages close to the Malaysian border in Southern Thailand, where many of the CPM guerrillas remain stateless to this day. Their interviews highlight women’s participation not just in the CPM, but in the wider social and political landscape of Singapore and Malaya. This blog entry will highlight one voice- Guo Ren Luan who was born in 1937 in Singapore. Her full interview can be found in Khoo’s book.

Women members of the CPM. From right to left: Chen Xiu Zhu (Born 1937, Bukit Gurun, Kedah), Cui Hong (Born 1949, Thailand), Suria (alias Atom. Born 1951, Thailand). Source: Agnes Khoo.

Guo was influenced by one of her classmates at the Nan Chiao Girls' High School, but she joined the CPM on her own accord after the 1953 rape and murder of a girl by a man who was heavily influenced by pornography. This incident sparked the beginning of the 'anti-yellow culture' campaign in Chinese middle schools in which Guo actively participated. Guo says that “I joined out of my own sense of justice and initiative. As women, we felt more for the issue because we realized this could happen to us anytime. So it was natural that we did not agree with what was going on” (p. 5170-5171). The anti-yellow campaign is believed to have been originally organized by the leftist in Chinese schools to urge students to read and take interest in pro-communist materials as against non-communist content or matters which were branded as Yellow, such as aspects of Western popular culture like pornography. Guo also became very active during the anti-military service movement, which was a movement opposed to the implementation of the National Service Ordinance by the British government, a policy for the mandatory registration for military service for boys at the age of 18. According to Guo, her fellow students and her “saw it as a British plot to attack the CPM. We knew the CPM was good for the people, so we disagreed with the [British] government for using the army to repress the CPM…We did not understand the issues [of communism/the CPM] very deeply ourselves. We were against colonial oppression; that was it” (p. 5198-5199). The anti-military service movement culminated in the National Service riots of 1954, May 13th- “We were angry that such a peaceful and legitimate action of the students was brutally suppressed by the government, so we felt that we had to support them. As soon as I got there, I was shocked - the riot police with batons and anti-riot buses were everywhere. Sirens were sounding and the police were about to hit…That was the first time the anti-riot squad was used against the students. I saw it with my own eyes. It was easy to frighten the female students. As soon as the batons hit them, they all started crying and running away. I was not hit though. I just ran all the way home…The police reaction towards the students made me finally realise that actually they are not meant to protect the people” (p. 5218-5219). As a student, Guo continued to participate in various movements and rallies as part of the Federation of (Chinese) High School Student Unions, including at workers strikes like the Hock Lee Bus Strike- she sang and danced at the workers’ rallies and partook in fundraising for them. Guo says that “as my family was poor, my heart has always been with the workers and peasants, who shared my conditions” (p. 5255).

Eventually, Guo was targeted for her political activities as part of the CPM and the Students Federation which was banned by the British government. She fled in 1957 but remained underground in Singapore. After she went underground, she lived in a farmer’s house in the rural countryside area of Singapore. “We would consciously teach the housewives. Through these literacy classes, we spread our ideas and visions to them. They were basically sympathetic to us since we were seen as students oppressed by the government and hiding in their homes…We also wanted to train ourselves in hard labour so we removed our shoes and slippers and joined them in farming…In other words, we tried to integrate with them. We did whatever they were doing.  Women’s work was both in and outside the house. In the morning, the women had to wash clothes; fold them up when these were dry, prepare meals, take care of the children and so on, whilst the men could relax after work, have nice chats and drink tea. The men hardly did housework.  Literacy was our focus during lessons with the women in the village. It was not so much politics or gender consciousness. Nevertheless, we tried to share our opinions about gender equality informally when we were doing farm work or housework together with them” (p. 5348-5360). While she was underground, she also met her husband but soon after her wedding, the mass arrests of February 2, 1963, also known as Operation Coldstore, happened and her husband was later arrested.  “I left Singapore only after Lee Kuan Yew had taken over the government and the February 2nd incident took place in 1963. Thinking back, we had mobilised the masses to vote for the People’s Action Party during the General Election. We were supportive of Lee Kuan Yew then. Lee Kuan Yew came into power and he began to change. He started to arrest our people. By that time, we felt the winds of change already and were somehow prepared.” Since then, Guo has remained in exile from Singapore. With other CPM members, she lived like a nomad in Indonesia for 15 years, having to take care of her daughter alone- “In such harsh circumstances, it was very difficult, especially for female comrades to endure and persevere. As women, we not only had to protect ourselves, so that the enemy would not capture us, we were equally responsible for the safety of the group, as our male comrades” (p. 5580). It was only until the 1989 Peace Agreement which marked the end of the communist insurgency of Malaysia that she relocated to Yala village in Southern Thailand, calling it her home.

“Some people told me that I had wasted my youth and precious time in the movement.  I do not put myself on the high pedestal but I really do not find my decision a pity. I have had some very rich and extraordinary experiences. I have no regrets. My life has been enriched. I never thought that I could live until today. I had narrowly escaped so many arrests back in Singapore.  But I had a concrete goal in life and I was living together with my comrades, it was a full and rich life. This was meaningful work even though it might not be seen by the public as such.” (p. 5714) Like other women interviewed by Khoo, Guo upholds her decision to join the CPM, and believes that the CPM’s anti-colonial fight should be acknowledged in playing a role in the independence of Singapore and Malaysia.

Guo Ren Luan (Born 1937, Singapore). Source: Agnes Khoo.

References

Khoo, A. (2004). Life as the river flows: Women in the Malayan anti-colonial struggle. SIRD.

[davidmann95]

All-Star Superman Annotations: Smash Mouth

In the late 1990s, Grant Morrison legendarily met ‘Superman’ in a self-described shamanic encounter outside the San Diego convention center at 2 in the morning and questioned him. His answers and general demeanor inspired his take on the character in his 1998 Superman 2000/Superman NOW pitch alongside Mark Waid, Mark Millar, and Tom Peyer, and later his seminal All-Star Superman alongside Frank Quitely, Jamie Grant, Phil Balsman, and Travis Lanham.

The year after that initial pitch - whether out of the transcendent synchronicities Morrison has written on underlying the seeming arbitrary mundanity of day-to-day life, or significant behind-closed-doors dealings - Smash Mouth released its equally seminal All-Star.

The superheroic associations are immediately evident. But Mystery Men (very fun movie) and Steve Harwell lifting a bus are but the tip of the iceberg. Or perhaps more appropriately the edge of a cliff, for when you peer within, the connections here go deep.

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb In the shape of an "L" on her forehead

The opening of the song is obviously an evocation of the underlying rivalry between longtime nemeses’ Superman and Lex Luthor, with the latter mocking his erstwhile opponent on his idealistic shortsightedness in Lex’s mind, as well as that by poisoning him via solar radiation overdose he has at last triumphed. Of course, as the narrative remains on Superman’s side, Luthor’s worldview is exposed as self-aggrandizing solipsism, rendering him looking kind of dumb. That the figure of the song is referred to as ‘she’ is curious; perhaps this is in fact Nasthalsia ‘Nasty’ Luthor. Or it may refer to a sort of conceptual malleability of identity referring to Luthor’s eventual transformation via rehabilitation and time-travel into Leo Quintum, a decidedly more flamboyant and effeminate figure than the decidedly machismo-poisoned Luthor.

Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running Didn't make sense not to live for fun Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb So much to do, so much to see So what's wrong with taking the back streets? You'll never know if you don't go You'll never shine if you don't glow

‘Hit the ground running’ is an apt choice of words when the title of the first chapter is Faster...; the progression of time and defiance of rules, going down the backstreets, can be read as his reaching beyond the typical rules and structures that have fenced him in over decades of continuity and tradition in the face of his pending mortality, such as revealing his identity to Lois (his realization of his mistreatment of her and their relationship as his intellect increases corresponds neatly to his brain getting smart but his head getting dumb), freeing Kandor, and entrusting humanity and Quintum/Luthor specifically with his genetic legacy.

Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shooting stars break the mold

Morrison referenced in his All-Star Superman exit interview with Newsarama his initial frustration with the All-Star brand going on his definitive Superman text, seeing it as an intrusive corporate logo (not knowing that it would ultimately come to be associated predominantly with that one story) when he wanted his story to be seen simply as ‘Superman’. Choosing to work with what he had, his story finds Superman becoming a literal golden glittering all-star shooting across the sky, pure information, an untouchable incorporeal living myth sprung from a man as akin to the ‘rock star’ image formed around ordinary people (such as Morrison himself in his younger days with his band The Mixers). The subject of payment will be returned to at the conclusion.

It's a cool place and they say it gets colder You're bundled up now, wait till you get older But the meteor men beg to differ Judging by the hole in the satellite picture The ice we skate is getting pretty thin The water's getting warm so you might as well swim My world's on fire, how about yours? That's the way I like it and I never get bored

This verse at first appears to be in reference to the coming of the freezing All-Night of the Bizarro Underverse, and Superman’s return as a ‘meteor man’ crashing into a travelling circus. However, while this is a neat narrative transition it is in fact in reference to metaphorical coldness and figurative meteor men, in the form of Bar-El and Lilo, and Superman’s reckoning with his Kryptonian heritage (though the opening lines also evoke the emotional coldness and grappling with mortality that define #5-6: it is this central 6-issue chunk that make up the night side of the archetypal journey into the underworld and rebirth that Morrison has commented formed the mythical structure of the series). The ‘hole in the satellite picture’ is interesting; it could be seen as a roundabout reference to the Kryptonian couple’s conquest of human culture as seen in Metropolis both architecturally and in Jimmy’s adoption of Kryptonian overpants and belt, culminating in the literal hole in the moon (symbolic of dreams, as all culture is the product of) patched up with human cultural artifacts such as the Golden Gate Bridge. More pertinently however, it evokes General Zod’s command of the airwaves in 2013′s Man of Steel, where he not only inhabits a colonialist view of planet Earth evocative of Bar-El and Lilo, but mentions that Superman “could have built a New Krypton in this squalor”, a direct line lift from the issue. Either the time-bending syncronicities go further than initially realized, Morrison played an extremely long game while consulting on the film, or Zack Snyder is not only in fact in possession of the deep understanding of Superman and his source material that his apologists claim, but himself figured this all out a very long time ago and adjusted his work accordingly. In any case, the Kryptonian astronauts’ belief in the “uncontested superiority and grandeur of Kryptonian culture” is impotent in the face of their own failing bodies and ultimate realization that Superman is right; their time has passed, the ice getting thin, and Superman’s kindness and willingness to engage human culture on its own terms - to swim - must carry the day. Per Morrison, “In mythic terms, if Superman is the story of a young king, found and raised by common people, then Krypton is the far distant kingdom he lost. It’s the secret bloodline, the aristocratic heritage that makes him special, and a hero. At the same time, Krypton is something that must be left behind for Superman to become who he is - i.e. one of us. Krypton gives him his scientific clarity of mind, Earth makes his heart blaze.” (Bolding my own)

(Chorus repeats)

Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas? I need to get myself away from this place I said yep what a concept I could use a little fuel myself And we could all use a little change

The final non-repeating section of the song represents a final struggle between Luthor’s materialistic outlook, only able to see ‘change’ and ‘fuel’ in crass physical, monetary terms, while the enlightened Superman - transformed by his own process of personal growth and forthcoming elevation to solar deity - is capable of discerning a deeper meaning. That this is framed as an exchange, and more specifically an education, hints at Lex’s lesson at the hands of his senses in the worthwhile of the immaterial, divine unity of humanity that will prompt his transformation into Quintum, tying the story in a neat loop. Incidentally, the prospect of ‘change’ as monetary value while not a prominent factor in All-Star Superman will go on to have significant roles in both his major subsequent Superman works, Action Comics and Multiversity (the latter of which by his own admission evokes All-Star in its Thunderworld Adventures chapter, going on to reckon with the capitalistic give-and-take of commercial storytelling aiming for the type of enlightenment Morrison seeks to provide in its concluding issue), advancing the connections of the song to All-Star’s post-release impact as well as its text.

(Chorus repeats, concluding the song)

A final note: but the Meteor Men beg to differ is not only the most Jack Kirby-ass line that dude never wrote, but always reminds me of the 1993 Robert Townsend picture The Meteor Man, which I apparently viewed as a child and which I have always misremembered as having a direct connection to the 1978 Superman. I could swear I recall a bit of a picture being shown of a man with a meteor that’s the same picture of the man who found Kryptonite in the Donner film, the latter of which of course was a tremendous influence on All-Star Superman.

[hairasuntouchedaspartoftheamazon]

#because they see a man of color w vaugely long hair and go ah yes i will she/her#this character without thinking of the various compound biases probably encouraging me to do so @glitching-desert-snake

Can I bring up these tags for a sec actually?

I have a lot of...complicated feelings about how race is brought up in the danger days verse/fandom bc 1. it's not handled well in the source material to begin with (see the blatant villainization of eastern Asians in the mvs, the white-washing of The Girl in the comics, etc.) and 2. bc this is connected to MCR, a great many of the fans are hailing from emo bandom, which is a notoriously racist space!

So we're already working with a group of people who generally aren't going to be thinking about the implications of racial headcanons and how they interact with gender and stereotypes.

The thing is however, there's a SIZEABLE portion of the danger days fandom who are (and I say this with affection, if not a small amount of annoyance) baby gays. Teenagers who want to put gender headcanons on everything they can bc they want to see themselves in their stories/fuck around with gender in fiction and again, aren't thinking about the implications of their various racial and gender headcanons.

How many people are actually aware of the extensive history of Latino (and in the continental US, Native) men simultaneously being feminized/emasculated AND portrayed as disgustingly and overbearingly masculine/threat to white women due to having long hair?

And how many of you draw Jet Star, who is portrayed by a light-skinned mixed Puerto Rican man, as SIGNIFICANTLY darker skinned to make him more 'visibly ethnic' while keeping the rest of the cast white as all hell?

What some of you need to understand is that:

Having long hair, especially as a man of color, is not automatically GNC or feminine.

There are a lot of implications when you take a predominantly white story, mix it with a predominantly white fandom, and then try to slap racial and gender headcanons onto that without examining the foundations on which the story is built.

This all gets worse when you combine it with the danger days fandom/bandom's long-standing tendency to make Jet Star/Ray Toro the 'mom friend' in fanworks, which is just entirely fucking racist. A lot of people take a look at a real-life man and a character he plays-who doesn't have a single line of dialogue in either the mvs or the comics to give us a characterization-and say "yeah this is a 'mom friend', like every other person of color in media I like."

THAT SAID. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with slapping weird genders onto stupid comic book characters. In fact it's really fun and I do it regularly! But I'm also coming at this from the angle of 1. giving all the characters weird genders, not just one of the two people of color in the danger days cast and 2. I'm literally a light-skinned trans mixed Puerto Rican dude.

No, this is not a 'write only what you know' situation. It's a 'think for a hot second about the implications of gender and racial headcanons and how your biases are influencing what you're putting in your art'.

There's nothing wrong with using she/her for Jet Star. But if that's the only character you're focusing on for gender headcanons and specific racial headcanons, think about why, and then knock that shit off.

why do people always use she/her for jet star?

[willgetback]

Non-radial Ejecta Morphologies of Martian Craters and their correlation with Latidudinal-Longitudinal Values

Week 1 Assignment for: https://www.coursera.org/learn/data-visualization/home/welcome Since I am a Humanities scholar and used to be an Engineering graduate, I wanted to pick a currently unfamiliar and challenging dataset to get a fresh start to this assignment, so I picked the Mars Craters Dataset (it also tickled the fancy of the nerd in me). I wanted to 'come in from the cold' to learning data management, so to say (that tickled the fancy of the masochist in me). My research discipline is Visual Studies (currently studying the online visual culture of Indian queer men) and I am a visually inclined person, so the Martian craters with non-standard shapes (those which are other than round) attracted my attention right away. After I read through pp. 53-62 of the source thesis to understand the terminologies of the data set, I had to change my mind about my consideration set. For the creator of the dataset (and his scientific discipline), more than the shapes of the craters (MORPHOLOGY), the shapes of the 'splash' (EJECTA) created around the craters post-impact, are far more important. So I decided to concentrate on the column G titled 'MORPHOLOGY_EJECTA_1' of the Mars Craters Dataset and only those entries which are non-empty and non-Rd (Rd = Radial, the standard round 'splash' or Ejecta). I picked a random research question (akin to a self-assigned wild goose chase) that whether these selected craters (with non-standard, non-radial ejecta) have a certain distribution pattern across the Martian surface. Are their non-standard morphologies and their latitudinal-longitudinal values correlated somehow? The hypothesis, as of now, simply is, there IS a correlation (the nature would be worked on later). So I highlighted my considered data sets in my personal codebook accordingly (figuring out how to highlight took me quite a while though) and am yet to figure out my way around Google Spreadsheets (looking up Youtube tutorials about Macros and plug-ins constantly as I progress). Coming to the selection of existing literature review, I have zero-ed in on the following: 1. https://books.google.co.in/books?id=QMwt9iaYA9gC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false 2. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1987mgsv.conf...28K 3. https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(83)90125-2 4. https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(76)90166-4 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(90)90026-6 6. https://doi.org/10.1029/1998GL900177 7. https://doi.org/10.1029/2000GL012804 8. https://doi.org/10.1029/JS082i028p04055 The short summaries of their answers by these literature of my research question is  as below: 1. The latitudinal-longitudinal values of a location is correlated to the hydrothermal conditions of Martian surface which in turn is corelated with crater ejecta morphologies. In layperson's terms, how the 'splash' looks depends on how dry / wet the surface is, not just with what kind of metor is impacting the surface or what kind of 'subsurface volatiles' are present on the impacted surface. 2. “Johansen reports observations indicating that the morphology of Martian rampart crater ejecta varies considerably with latitude. She finds that Martian rampart craters can generally be classified into two major descriptive types. The predominantly low latitude "water-type" ejecta morphology typically includes a sharp ejecta flow-front ridge and a highly crenulated, lobate flow-front perimeter; the higher latitude "icy-type" ejecta morphology lacks a sharp distal ridge and has a more circular perimeter. On the other hand, Mouginis-Mark- concludes that no correlation of rampart ejecta morphology with latitude exists if one excludes his "type 6" pedestal craters. These contrary conclusions are each based on global surveys of Martian rampart craters using two different qualitative ejecta morphology classifications. This study is intended to approach this controversy in a more quantitative way.” 3. “It is suggested that target water explosively vaporized during impact alters initial ballistic trajectories of ejecta and produces surging flow emplacement. The dispersal of particulates during a series of controlled steam explosions generated by interaction of a thermite melt with water has been experimentally modeled.” 4. didn't have any directly quotable evidences for my hypothesis, as far as my ruimentary comprehension goes. 5. “The results of the analyses indicate that changes in ejecta and interior morphology correlate with increases in crater diameter. Excavation depths corresponding to these diameters are calculated from depth-diameter relationships and are compared to the theoretical distribution of subsurface volatiles. The different ejecta morphologies can be described by impact into material with varying proportions of volatiles, and the latidudinal variations seen for rampart crater morphologies correlate well with the proposed latitude-depth relationship for ice and brines across the planet. Many of the interior structres show distributions indicative of terrain-dependent influences: for example, the concentrations of central pit craters around ancient impact basins and on Alba Patera suggest that volatiles preferentially collect in these areas. However, central peak and peak ring interior morphologies show little relationship to planetary properties and probably result from changes in impact energy. Thus, many of the unique morphologies associated with Martian impact craters result from the presence of subsurface volatiles.” 6. didn't have any directly quotable evidences for my hypothesis, as far as my ruimentary comprehension goes. 7. The crater evidence therefore suggests the presence of a large ground water reservoir capped by a relatively shallow layer of ice in Solis and Thaumasia Planae. Heat associated with Tharsis may have maintained deep volatiles as liquid for a longer time period than elsewhere in the martian equatokial region. The geologic evolution of Tharsis helps explain the concentration of such a large reservoir of volatiles in Solis and Thaumasia Planae. 8. “Several types of Martian impact craters have been recognized. The most common type, the rampart crater, is distinctively different from lunar and Mercurian craters. It is typically surrounded by several layers of ejecta, each having a low ridge or escarpment at its outer edge. Outward flow of ejecta along the ground after ballistic deposition is suggested by flow lines around obstacles, the absence of ejecta on top and on the lee side of obstacles, and the large radial distance to which continuous ejecta is found. The peculiar flow characteristics of the ejecta around these craters are tentatively attributed to entrained gases or to contained water, either liquid or vapor, in the ejecta as a result of impact melting of ground ice. Ejecta of other craters lacks flow features but has a marked radial pattern; ejecta of still other craters has patterns that resemble those around lunar and Mercurian craters. The internal features of Martian craters, in general, resemble their lunar and Mercurian counterparts except that the transition from bowl shaped to flat floored takes place at about 5‐km diameter, a smaller size than is true for Mercury or the moon.” So a rough and ready hypotheis by a non-expert is: 'weird' ejecta shape is dependent of latitude and longitude as latitude and longitude are related to groundwater and ground ice locations which in turn determine the dryness, wetness and hardness of the ground waiting for the meteor visit and then the 'splash' happens.

[lay4decolonisation-blog]

She-Ra: Princesses of Power (2018) and the Representation that I Want

 **CONTENT WARNING:  ABUSE, VIOLENCE**

When I heard She-Ra was back and GAY, I had to jump straight or not so straight into it. The amazing characterisation and themes of the show fit the modern audience perfectly. She-Ra: Princesses of Power (SPOP) did what Voltron: Legendary Defender wish it did. RIP. 

The SPOP series was written by Noelle Stevenson, and produced by Dreamworks. Season 1 aired on the 13th November 2018 via Netflix. 

There’s two things I want to discuss, so I’ll split this up into sections: visual character design & complex characterisation.

Visual Character Design

80’s She-Ra         

 2018 She-Ra

 She-Ra is the hero alter ego of Princess Adora, who transforms when she calls forth “For the Honour of Grayskull!” with The Sword of Protection. 

When I saw the visuals for the series and the new outfit for She-Ra I nearly screamed. It was perfect. I will always prefer Marvel cinematic movie adaptations on the basis that women wear full body armour, and not a skirt. So it was natural for me to fall in love with the shorts, flowy skirt, useful boots and 80’s influenced shoulder flares on She-Ra’s new threads. 

She looked PRACTICAL, and totally badass. I see no male gaze in the update. She-Ra isn’t wearing heels, or red lipstick, her dress doesn’t look like it’s about to give her a nip slip, and her hair still flows like golden threads in the wind! 

Notice how I just used the ‘Male Gaze’. The Male Gaze is essentially a patriarchal control of representation of women and/or other genders in media, and can be applicable to historical documentation (Mulvey 1989). Ponterotto (2016) describes it expands on the media’s control of feminine bodies as: 

“The invisibility of women has been accompanied in an extraordinarily inversely proportionate manner by the visual display of her physical appearance, of her body as material object, to be observed, judged, valued, appreciated, rejected, modified and essentially commodified, for socially-constructed purposes. From a feminist point of view, this purpose can be claimed to be essentially male pleasure, concomitant social benchmarking and commercial profit.” (134)

From the ‘controversy’ from predominantly male audiences on the release of She-Ra’s costume it’s obvious that it’s doing its job (Lenton 2018); with men reacting with things like: 

“The character designs for this show are god awful. She-Ra looks too much like a man.” MECCA_Studios @ twitter

“if you're trying to make your girls look like boys for your show then you are not actually fighting for equality you're proving that men is the superior gender and taken more seriously than a beautiful women, you're only helping sexism not fighting it” - iamconsumer @ twitter

I wanna acknowledge this was mainly white, cishet males reacting to a show that is predominantly AIMED AT YOUNG GIRLS. SPOP’s visual design of She-Ra was so key in getting this show right. She is a woman icon for young girls growing up and seeing her on screen wearing a non-sexual costume whilst being feminine, strong and beautiful will mean something for them growing up. Women/Feminine peoples can look at the screen and say “I’m She-Ra!” and not have to feel like they have to look good for male gaze to do that.  

People Of Colour (POC) Representation

Bow, Mermista, Frosta, Netossa and Catra’s - along with ethnically ambiguous characters - redesign was kind of glossed over with the amount of objections about the Queer and Feminist arguments going around. 

So here’s some of my babies:

Bow 80s 

                                                            Bow 2018

Mermista 80s

                                                            Mermista 2018

Catra 80s                                                  

Catra 2018

Frosta 80s

                                  Frosta 2018

Bow stood out to me alot because I empathize alot for my dark skinned brother’s who don’t have any or many examples of good representation on screen that explores queer identity, gender performativity, body image and positive masculinity that is casual and fun. (I speak of course from an Indigenous background, but a lot of my community look at the African-American community on TV for dark bodies representation.) Imagine a young dark skinned boy watching Bow being fun loving, supportive, gentle, obsessed with crop tops, hanging out with girls and embodying positive masculinity, then using as a mold to treat their sisters, mums and cousins. Incredible. 

 SPOP centers ethnic looking characters amazingly with their characterisation. Having POC on screens breaks out of normalizing whiteness, and de-centers it as the default way of being (Scharrer & Ramasubramanian 2015). People might argue that fantasy worlds don’t overlap with real worlds because race mightn’t exist in the fantasy world, but when you’re a ethnic kid growing up watching/ reading white bodies being superheroes and warriors and People of Colour don’t exist you have no representation, or worse POC are negatively stereotyped. Representation is IMPORTANT. Representation is the ability to control the way the world perceives a group of people, or yourself - white people often struggle understanding this because whiteness as an identity is invisible by normalization (hooks 1992, Dyer 1997). It can be compared to men as ungendered compared to women, or non-cis and queer people with heteronormativity. So it can only be visible when colour is involved, and depending on whether it’s good or bad POC representation it can create racial stereotypes (Brigham 1971, Nosek 2007). 

LGBTQIA+ Visual Representation

I feel like you can find a lot of this, but not any by me! 

I will start with Scorpia cause she’s such a dear. 

JUST LOOK AT HER. 

Everyone is screaming ‘butch lesbian’ little to know that she is a total femme (anyone can fight me on this). Her open attraction towards Catra was loud, unapologetic and was super ultra normal. Despite her giant crab claws, I just want her to hold me gently. I think it’s another good example of different body types. Like it’s not just an exterior what makes a woman a woman or a good person a good person. Before I die of thirst, let’s move on to my Bow’s dads. 

OH MY GAWD. Bow resembles Lance and George so much. Like the perfect little mix between their two personalities UGH. Both very different individuals who share a common obsession with history. Two gay Black dudes just be out here owning the biggest collection of ancient artifacts, studying the classics and raising 13 kids like wojefdikewajfaij

Lance out here rocking dreads and the glasses with sandals *bathump* and George with his little moustache and fancy hair. They go on like a normal couple picking on one another and knowing each other’s personalities, caring about their son and reflecting on their parenting when they realize they messed up instead of blaming their kid for not understanding them okmfoerngfa

Sorry, my heart nearly went into cardiac arrest thinking about them. 

I won’t miss the exceptional drop of them telling Bow their disappointed that he had to hide a part of himself because he was afraid of what they’d think of him or do. I remember that feeling….*glances at my physical wooden closet*

SPINNERELLA AND NETOSSA.

Netossa is the only character (I’m pretty sure) who was originally dark skinned in the 80s She Ra - she also had no powers. 

Now rocking up with powers and gf, she is out here living her best life. Look at them. Just look at my babies. They swapped chokers, like wow, what a lesbian power move. Plus sized, buff queer women rocking their femininity being loyal and totally badass. Their actual appearances on screen are limited but impactful as they are seen as people seem to question more what the heck they do in the Rebellion rather than their queer relationship. 

Complex Characterisation

Let’s start with Shadow Weaver’s relationship with Catra and Adora. 

Starting off at Mystacor as Light Spinner, she a teacher and getting one of her students, Micah, to perform a spell that conjured evil magic - The Spell of Obtainment - ultimately decided her path as Shadow Weaver. She became an abusive, manipulative and self righteous authoritative figure to Catra and Adora. 

Shadow Weaver is an abuser. Abuse works differently in each situation but is defined by White Ribbon Australia in categories of:  Physical, Financial, Emotional, Verbal, Social, Sexual, Stalking, Spiritual, Image based, Dowry and Elderly Abuse. 

The emotional, verbal, social and I’m going to add economical (instead for Financial) abuse she inflicted on Adora and Catra made them stick together as companions through the hardships. Adora upon realizing the Horde’s actions and motives rejects and calls out Shadow Weaver’s abuse. Catra, on the other hand, looks for something like approval from Shadow Weaver. Catra grew up neglected and constantly compared to Adora in her duties to the Horde by Shadow Weaver, so when Adora left a shift happened in Catra. Adora was her main source of comfort and sense of safety in Shadow Weaver’s irract attitude towards her. Adora was her constant feeling of affection and comfort, when she went against the very codes that kept them together their entire lives - Catra was betrayed. Finally, maybe she could get the parental approval she was seeking from Shadow Weaver she never got when Adora was around. Also looking for validation of her moral that has been cause her actions other than rage and sadness that Adora had left her alone. Catra sort out her Abuser’s approval because that’s the only way she knew how to get validity and self assurance of her identity as a member of the Horde - all she ever knew. 

Catra feels alone and like she can’t depend on anyone, and because she knows how that feels she was also able to emotionally manipulate Entrapta into join the Horde. It’s a consistent cycle of isolation that stemmed from one person’s influence. 

The thing that differs Adora and Catra, was more Adora being given opportunities to lead and step up where Catra was always on the side. Adora gained leadership skills and an emotional capacity where she was able to trust others and trust herself. This ultimately allowed her to do the right thing and join the Rebellion. Catra on the other hand had to quickly use her head and be more aware of things other than herself which made her falter in the leadership role of Shadow Weaver, but that is her coping mechanism of isolating herself and having to immerse herself with other people and the world to take action. 

Adora’s culture shock between the way the Princesses live and the way it was in the Horde only shows how she’s been manipulated through learning the knowledge and behaviours that were enforced on her in the Horde. Princesses aren’t evil. The Horde is evil.

Adora’s role of She Ra has put a lot of pressure on her, and she is fighting her own self. 

What happened with Adora was she was specifically chosen because she’s had the experiences she’s had. She knows what it's like in the Horde. How their systems work. What type of people and kids are there. She knows all of that to use to win the war. She’s not gonna break into it, but out of it. 

When Adora breaks out of the Horde’s learning, and the truth telling begins the walls will crumble and there will be internal upset. There’s a good and evil battle going on inside of each character. Adora wants to protect her friends and do the right thing, but sometimes those two things aren’t the same thing. 

Another character I wanna bring up is Glimmer. Glimmer has been fighting to fight. She’s having to fight a struggle in her internal kingdoms. She’s been trying to tell the truth to the other Kingdoms and unite the Kingdoms so they can beat the Horde and save everything they love. She needed to stand up to her mother, the other Princesses, and herself. She is so damn strong and I love her so much omg. 

When Bow went to the ball with Perfuma and she was upset, this was because she was afraid Bow would leave her. She’s been isolated also by her mother into doing Princess things that don’t actually have a big impact, but Bow has been consistent in her life and training to be a leader. When he left her side, she was scared that she was going to be isolated again. She knew it was irrational, but that kind of stuff just happens. Sometimes our feelings don’t always make sense to us at first, and we have to look somewhere else to understand what we’re feeling right then and there. But the besties will prevail. 

The other thing I didn’t touch on earlier, but will now is age. The Princesses age from around 11-18 (?). The thing about having young people saving the world is really where we’re at. Kids are rioting in the streets trying to get big corporations led by greedy bastards who want resources and exploit people to stop, and save their entire world - yeah, you know I’m talking about situations like the climate strike. We will learn from our elders mistakes and do it right. 

We shouldn’t give up because our parents did. We will be the ones to win, just like Glimmer, Adora, Bow and the gang.

Representation isn’t a debate - it’s a necessity.  

Thanks for reading babes. 

Reference List

Dyer, Richard. (1997) ‘The Matter of Whiteness’ in White, London: Routledge.

Brigham, John C. "Ethnic stereotypes." Psychological bulletin76.1 (1971): 15.

Nosek, Brian A., et al. "Pervasiveness and correlates of implicit attitudes and stereotypes." European Review of Social Psychology 18.1 (2007): 36-88.

Bell, Hooks. "The oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation (1992): 115-131.

Mulvey, L. (1989). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. In Visual and other pleasures (pp. 14-26). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Ponterotto, D. (2016). Resisting the male gaze: feminist responses to the" normatization" of the female body in Western culture. Journal of International Women's Studies, 17(1), 133-151.

Scharrer, E., & Ramasubramanian, S. (2015). Intervening in the media's influence on stereotypes of race and ethnicity: The role of media literacy education. Journal of Social Issues, 71(1), 171-185.

https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/understand-domestic-violence/types-of-abuse/

[tomasorban]

The Ancient Greek Esoteric Doctrine of the Elements: Introduction

The discovery of the Four Elements is generally credited to Empedocles, a fifth century BCE Greek from Sicily.  Although he is commonly considered one of the founders of Western science and philosophy,

Introduction to the Elements

Peter Kingsley has presented convincing evidence that it is better to view him as an ancient Greek "Divine Man" (Theios Anêr), that is, a Iatromantis (healer-seer, "shaman") and Magos (priest-magician). In his own time he was viewed as a prophet, healer, magician and savior.   His beliefs and practices were built on ancient mystery traditions, including the Orphic mysteries, the Pythagorean philosophy, and the underworld mysteries of Hecate, Demeter, Persephone and Dionysos.  These were influenced by near-Eastern traditions such as Zoroastrianism and Chaldean theurgy.  Empedocles, in his turn, was a source for the major streams of Western mysticism and magic, including alchemy, Graeco-Egyptian magic (such as found in the Greek magical papyri), Neo-Platonism, Hermeticism and Gnosticism.  The Tetrasomia, or Doctrine of the Four Elements, provides a basic framework underlying these and other spiritual traditions.  (See Kingsley's Ancient Philosophy, Mystery and Magic:  Empedocles and Pythagorean Tradition cited at the end of this article, for more on the Empedoclean tradition; a review is also available.)

The Elements or Roots

Empedocles did not call his four principles "elements" (stoikheia), but "roots" (rhizai) or even "root-clumps" (rhizômata).  This is significant because Empedocles belonged to the tradition of Root Cutters (Rhizotomoi) or herbal magicians, and especially because he applied his theory to develop the doctrine of occult sympathies in plants ( Kingsley 299).

Empedocles used a variety of words for each of the Roots, and from their range of meanings we can get some idea of his conception of the Elments.  (I capitalize words such as "Earth" and "Element" to distinguish the magical or spiritual concepts from the mundane ones.)  For Earth he also used words meaning land, soil and ground.  For Water he also used words meaning rain, sweat, moisture, sea water and open sea.  For Air he also used clear sky, heaven, firmament, brilliance, ray, beam, glance, eye, splendor, mist and cloud.  (This inconsistency between bright clear sky - aithêr - and misty clouds - aêr - will be explained when we discuss Air.)   For Fire he also used flame, blaze, lightning, sun, sunlight, beaming and East.   (See Wright, p. 23, for a table of the Greek terms.)

However, Empedocles makes clear that the Elements are more than just material substances.  He introduces them as Gods (fragment 7 Wright = DK31B6, my translation):

Now hear the fourfold Roots of everything: Enlivening Hera, Hades, shining Zeus, And Nestis, moistening mortal springs with tears.

As was common practice with Divine Men, Empedocles gave his students knowledge in riddles to help develop their abilities, and this seems to be one of those riddles (ainigmata).   Even in ancient times there was debate and differing theories about the correspondence between the Gods and Elements, but Kingsley (Part I) seems to have solved the riddle, as will be explained later . To avoid undue suspense I will reveal the solution here:   Zeus is Air, Hera is Earth, Hades is Fire and Nestis (Persephone) is Water.

Empedocles' equation of the Roots with deities show that he conceived of the Elements as more than material substances (or states of matter).  It is better to think of them as spiritual essences (modes of spiritual being), which can manifest themselves in many ways in the material and spiritual worlds (they are form rather than content, structure rather than image).  Some of these manifestations will be explored when we consider the individual Elements; here I will mention a few to indicate the possibilities.

Most obviously there are the macrocosmic manifestations of the Elements, for example, the land, the sea, the sky and the sun.  They are also connected with the sublunary spheres:   Heaven, Earth, Abyss (the subterranean water) and Tartaros (the subterranean fire).  There are also microcosmic manifestations, for example, as components of the human psyche (mental, astral, etheric and physical bodies), which will be discussed later.   The Elements also represent the stages in various processes of growth and transformation (embodied, for example, in the alchemical Rotation of the Elements), such as the stages in  the Ascent of the Soul in Chaldean Theurgy (Divine Invocation), also discussed later.

Finally, from the standpoint of Jung's psychology, the Elements (like the Gods) are archetypes; because they are structures in the collective unconscious, they are universal (present in all people).   As archetypes, they are beyond complete analysis; they can be "circumscribed but not described"; ultimately they must be experienced to be understood.  Nevertheless Empedocles and his successors (especially Aristotle) did much to illuminate the nature of the Elements and their interrelationships (and I will be leaning on their discoveries).  Since much of the meaning of the Elements inheres in their interrelationships, I'll begin with the Elements in general before turning to Earth specifically.

If we want to understand the Elements as spiritual entities, we must go deeper than metaphors based on material substances; we must grasp their essences.  This was first accomplished by

The Powers or Qualities

Aristotle in the century following Empedocles, who based his analysis on the four Powers (Dunameis) or Qualities, which were probably first enumerated by Empedocles.  This double pair of opponent Powers, Warm versus Cool and Dry versus Moist, are the key to a deeper understanding of the Elements.   Like the Elements, they must be understood as spiritual forces rather than material qualities (warm, cold, dry, moist).

The Powers manifest in as many ways as the Elements.  The Pythagoreans identified one of the most important of these, a natural progression that can be called the Organic Cycle.  The first phase of growth is Moist:  spring rains, pliant green shoots, rapid growth.  The second phase is Warm:  summer sun, flourishing individuality, mature vigor.  The third is Dry:   autumn leaves, inflexible stems, stiffening joints.  The fourth is Cool:  winter chills, loss of identity, death.  This cycle is also the basis for one form of the alchemical "rotation of the elements," from Earth to Water to Air to Fire and back to Earth.  Although the Organic Cycle can be found throughout nature, Aristotle discovered the deeper essence of the Qualities, which reveals their spiritual nature, as we'll explore in detail when we consider the individual Elements.

Relations Between the Elements

The relation between the Powers and the Elements is represented in the well-known Elemental Square or Square of Opposition ( see figure).  (It is most common to place the Elements at the corners and the Powers between them, but it is better to place the Powers at the corners, since they are absolute, and the Elements between them, since they are mixtures of the Powers.)  The Square shows that Earth is Dry and Cool, Water is Cool and Moist, Air is Moist and Warm, Fire is Warm and Dry.

Aristotle further explains that in each Element one Power is dominant.  Therefore Earth is predominantly Dry, Water predominantly Cool, Air predominantly Moist, and Fire predominantly Warm.  The dominant Power is the one in a counterclockwise direction from the Element in the Square of Opposition; thus the arrow by each Element points to its dominant Power.  The vertical axis represents the active Qualities (Warm, Cool), the horizontal represents the passive (Moist, Dry). The upper Elements (Air, Fire) are active,  light and ascending, the lower (Water, Earth) are passive, heavy and descending.  The Elements on the right are pure, extreme and absolutely light (Fire) or heavy (Earth); those on the left are mixed, intermediate and relatively light (Air) or heavy (Water).   The absolute Elements exhibit unidirectional motion (ascending Fire, descending Earth), whereas the relative Elements (Air, Water) can also expand horizontally.  The Organic Cycle (the cycle of the seasons) goes sunwise around the square.

Unlike the chemical elements, the spiritual Elements can be transformed into each other, but only in accord with laws discovered by Aristotle (see Gill).   Understanding these laws is a prerequisite to transforming and combining them in their various manifestations.  In brief, one Element can be transformed directly into another only if they share a common Quality (and are thus adjacent, not opposed on the Elemental Square).  For example, Water is transformed into Air when the Water is acted on by a larger quantitiy of Air, since the Water's Coolness is "overpowered" by the Air's Warmth; the common Moist quality is retained through the transformation.  This process is reversible, since Air can be transformed back into Water by acting upon it with sufficient Water.

Direct transformation between opposed Elements is impossible.  Thus Water cannot be transformed directly into Fire, since they have no common Quality to give continuity to the process, but the Water can be transformed indirectly by changing it first into Air or Earth.  This occurs when the Water is acted upon by a larger quantity of Fire.  We can move around the Square, but not across it.

Raymon Llull (c.1229-1315), known as "Doctor Illuminatus," extended the Aristotelian analysis by explaining how two Elements can act upon each other.  Whenever we have similar quantities of two Elements with a common Quality, the Element in which it's not dominant is "overcome" or "conquered" by the one in which it is.   For example, when Water combines with Earth, the Earth is overcome, because they are both Cool, but Coolness dominates in Water.  Therefore, the result will be predominantly Cool, with an additional Quality of Moistness, which makes it Watery.   Llull's analysis leads to a Cycle of Triumphs, which is shown by the arrows on the Elemental Square.  Thus Fire overcomes Air, Air overcomes Water, Water overcomes Earth, and Earth overcomes Fire.  Notice that in each triumph (except the last), the more subtle Element overcomes the grosser Element.

Aristotle (see Gill) also explained a process by which two opposed Elements can be irreversibly transformed into a third.  For example, if Fire acts on a mixture of Earth and Air, these two opposed Elements will be transformed into Fire, which takes its Dryness from the Earth and its Warmth from the Air.  The transformation is irreversible, although some of the Fire could be transformed back into Earth and, separately, some of the Fire back into Air.   This process cannot be used to transform two adjacent Elements into a third, for example Fire and Air into Water or Earth.  If we kept the Fire's Dryness and the Air's Wetness, we would have contradictory Qualities; if we kept the Fire's Warmth and the Air's Warmth, the result would be neither Wet nor Dry.  In both cases the result is impossible (either by the law of noncontradiction or by the law of the excluded middle).  (The other two possible combinations of Qualities yield Air and Fire, in which case there is no transformation.)

Finally, whenever we have two opposed Elements acting upon each other, they tend to neutralize, leading to a result that is weakly one or the other.  However, the essence of the alchemical Great Work is a proper unification of opposed Elements (especially Fire and Water), a Coniunctio Oppositorum (Conjunction of Opposites) in which they form a higher unity, rather than annihilating each other; this will be discussed when we come to Water and Fire.

Before proceeding to a detailed consideration of the individual Elements, it will be worthwhile to consider some of the meaning embodied in the familiar Elemental Signs (as shown in the figure of the Elemental Square).  The triangles represent the active Power (Warm or Cool) in each Element.   The elemental signs of Earth and Water have in common the pubic triangle, because these Elements are traditionally feminine and more passive, since they have in common the contracting, uniting Cool Power (see below on Coolness); the downward triangle also shows these elements are descending (Water and Earth fall).  Conversely Air and Fire have the phallic triangle, because they are traditionally male and more active, since they have in common the expanding, separating Warm Power (discussed with Air); the upward triangle shows these elements are ascending (Air and Fire rise).  Thus the Stoics associated the analytic, masculine Elements with Word (Logos) and the synthetic, feminine Elements with Matter (Hulê).  Finally, in the elemental signs for Air and Earth, the crossbar represents a denser or grosser (less subtle) form of the Element, as Earth is of Water, and Air of Fire.

© 1998, John Opsopaus

[gsasustainability]

Annie Graham, MLitt Sculpture, Winner 2021 Sustainability Degree Show Prize

For as long as there have been humans on Earth, we have used wood. Making tools, weapons, religious idols, and so on. Yet the materiality of wood is constrained by heteronormative logic that has been shaped by the colonising, patriarchal influence of the West. Through the ontological questions of both woodcarving as object and as practice, my work aims to open up the phenomenological territory. Thus creating a space where orientations can render even when “queer” may not be part of the immediate scope. Queer ecology seeks to reimagine societal understandings of labour, identity, gender, and environmental politics.

Referring to Jack Halberstam’s The Queer Art of Failure, it is understood that there can be no universal human apparatus for perceiving objects as “neutral”. Further, my research posits that the same can be said for figurative sculpture. The temporal act of woodcarving becomes an analogy for how ‘matter’ is not simply given but is formed or materialised through time. Carving is characterised by a subtractive and destructive process. The inherent capitalism and power of anthropocentrism is also established through processes of removal; the appropriation of land, the removal of civil rights and of identity.

Before I have even begun carving, the tree itself from which the sculptures are made is an effect of labour - transplanted by commerce, felled, and processed into timber. Applications of Queer Theory allow the labour in the background to slip into the foreground where we can witness capitalism fragmenting. Like branches sawn off from a tree, the conditions of an artworks arrival are often detached and discarded from view through the dissimulating power of commodity fetishism. Marxist undertones in Sara Ahmed’s Queer Phenomenology raise questions of the conditions of liveability for those people in the background of the wood industry. The importation of exotic woods is predominantly unsustainable and unethically sourced. Violating the rights of indigenous people, deforestation is harmful to the planet and is historically engrained with the slave trade.

The valuing of ‘nobler materials’ such as marble or exotic woods is rooted in colonial ideology. Reflecting on the marble carvings from antiquity, eurocentrism has privileged the patriarchal paradigm for white male sculptors. As an extension of the research, I began the Queering the Workshop archive to dislodge this hegemony of heteronormative representation. This development allowed me to develop a more socially engaged practice, showcasing contemporary creatives and establishing an online community during this period of isolation. The newly formed collective aims to connect those who are exploring their own personal enquiry in woodwork; and then share that enquiry to advocate for intersectionality and the multitude of queer methodologies. It is my hope that by viewing oneself as the “work in progress”, one might develop critical awareness of the ethical issues of the wood industry. Like links in a chain which power the chainsaw, collaborative research through Queering the Workshop project can mobilise socio-relevant sensibilities.

Queering haptics can operate to undermine gendered assumptions about the practice of woodcarving. Referring to Halberstam, the chainsaw is not an inherently gendered object in itself. However, societal expectations of gender norms perpetuate a ‘preferred’ heterosexual reading which equate ‘strength’ or ‘capability’ in operating the chainsaw with heterosexual men. Therefore, queerness manifests through my operation of the chainsaw in order to destabilise this ‘preferred’ heterosexual reading. The speed and force of the chainsaw demands attention in the here and now with the essence of a manifesto, charging the wood with emotional force that the solid form can endure. By embracing the temporal or fragmented aspects of the body, my figurative works resist binarised categorisation with no clear gender or defined level of completion.

My approach to woodcarving refuses to assimilate with just one ‘authentic’ method of woodcarving. My use of the chainsaw and the mixing of mediums through casted concrete elements is a queering of the ‘authenticity’ of the mallet and chisel which was so valued by the Western woodcarving purists. The processes of woodcarving are similar to the rules and structures of a game. Strategies are employed to navigate the inherent limitations of the material and there are consequences should one deviate from the path. My playful approach to carving is inspired by Sister Corita Kent’s method of ‘plork’ which advocates for an amalgamation of the methods in-between the poles of the work/play binary. It is this playful engagement and orientation towards tools that led me to create the second artwork which is using a band saw as a hula hoop. “Playing” brings the body back into the forefront by concentrating on the haptic experience of woodcarving.

Recycling debris and undesirable wood is not just a means of sustainability but a means of decolonising the field of woodcarving. My decision to carve only discarded material is significant when one considers the connotations of filth or uncleanliness. Heteronormative society has historically linked queer orientations or bodies with ‘abjection’. According to literary critic Julia Kristeva, the abject (or “Other”) body is characterised by the impure, fragmented body which threatens patriarchal notions of propriety. The abject stands in opposition of heteronormative ideals which value one body over another. The colonial ideal of the unmarked body is adhered to a falsehood and is therefore a failure. To dismantle the hierarchy of form over matter I leave visible tool marks and textured surfaces as evidence to the objects construction. The matter of wood and the matter of the body are both dynamic fields of relations.

Both classical marble sculptures and modern monuments have always been used to enforce political structural violence and societal expectation of bodies. The conditioning of bodies through heteronormative ideals leads to racism, ableism, transphobia, and so on. But these monuments are in constant need of maintenance and restoration over time. Without the intervention of unseen labourers in the background the sculptures would surely collapse. Showing that nothing is eternal not even marble, metal, or the powers of capitalism. My carvings are raw and unvarnished. Eventually the wood will crack, the metal will corrode and the concrete will crumble to reflect this idea of temporality.

The chainsaw is a dangerous tool with the potential to function both as a means of destruction and creation. By using it for constructive rather than destructive ends my work aims to stimulate a more mindful use of the seemingly static and inanimate material by contemporary artists. The conservationists, labourers, slaves, and marginalised people behind the woodcarving industry come to the forefront where we can observe how materiality is the dissimulated effect of power.

[cursedcomics]

Captain Ms. Marvel

I am saddened by the amount of bile directed at Brie Larson because she happens to be a strong and vocal feminist.

I have ALSO thought, “maybe she doesn’t need to weigh in on EVERY issue” and that maybe some of her unpopularity with the predominantly male Marvel comic reading crowd is self-inflicted.

But as a male longtime Marvel comic reader, I’ve come around on that point.

Why?

I think it goes back to the very beginnings of the character. We’re going to go there with a brief stop along the way at her first on-going title Ms. Marvel #1 in the 1970′s.

Take a look right above the headshot. 

“This female fights back!”

The 70′s were the heyday of Ms. Magazine and the feminist movement.  This book was published January 1st, 1977.

On November 7, 1975, the pilot for the Wonder Woman TV show starring Lynda Carter was released and instantly connected with women everywhere.

Women were a tough to reach demographic for the comic industry by this point and marvel looked around for a character that they hoped would allow them to attract more female readers.

Over the next 5 years Marvel would launch other books with female leads- Red Sonja, She-Hulk (feb 1980), & Spider woman (april 1978), but unlike the latter two other characters who were designed to protect other  marvel from another company creating a character that sponged off their successful male variants, Ms. Marvel was an established character.

While the Wonder Woman TV show empowered women and encouraged them to strive to be their best selves,  the Ms. Marvel effort was all about the feminist movement, encouraging the male world to recognize that females wer just as accomplished and encouraging females to expect and feel safe demanding that recognition. 

The source material and the day demanded it. Carol Danvers was not just a former soldier, she was an officer.  A  leader of men and women in an age where women were starting to actively politically complain about the glass ceiling. 

Her new book had her leaving the comfortable regimented chain of command structure of the military and heading into the private sector.  She was publishing a magazine and taking no crap from none other than J. Jonah Jameson.

Ms. Marvel #1 was a book designed for the feminist movement.

With that in mind, re-evaluate Brie Larson’s actions and words off the set through the lens of taking on the role of a feminist icon. 

ANY actress playing Ms. Marvel is going to get asked questions about  issues important to feminists and will probably be invited to events for feminist causes.  She isn’t being radical for going or agreeing with that stuff. If you ask most women they either agree or at least “understand her perspective”, so your “moderate” female friends might sound just as “radical” if quoted in the papers.

Brie Larson has kind of an unfortunate lot.  She is really too short to play the Carol Danvers from the comics.  She wasn’t  viewed as going to come off as convincing going toe to toe with male actors in a physical fight scene (although to her credit she did well in the movie).  She was hired because she is a kick ass actress with the ability to steal a show with a tiny bit of screen time (see her work in Community).  She is a fantastic actress with a range far, far beyond what we will ever likely see utilized in the Captain Marvel character.

With this in mind, as well as her being powered up over the recent years in the comics, it isn’t surprising that they wanted to present her powers and flying and energy blasts in the movies for the most part.  From that perspective it makes sense for Marvel movie folks to utter the cringe worthy proclamation that she is “the strongest avenger” on an Avengers team with Thor and the Hulk. 

Plus there IS some basis to that in the changes they’ve made to the character in the comics over the last decade.  

It isn’t just obnoxious pandering as it may have seemed the first time we heard that....and more to the point it isn’t Brie Larson’s fault.

Brie Larson is stepping into a role that is loaded with expectations and frankly responsibilities, just like Chadwick Boseman did with Black Panther. I think in that regard, more power to her for standing up for “feminist beliefs”.

And finally, if nothing else I told you was compelling, let the bile go for the good of Marvel movies. 

Robert Downey Jr. is gone.  

Chris Evans is also “retired”.  

Marvel needs an actor or actress they can have roll movie to movie to give it a bump.  Maybe Larson isn’t that character, but the  presentation of Nick Fury in space suggests they are going that direction and it would be easier for them to get there without longtime Marvel Zombies chomping at the bit to tear it down.

So cut her a break, OK?

[charlenelouise-gdc]

3.4.3 — SPMP:

1st + Review

From all my recent research and considering the work that I was building up towards FMP prior to Term 3. I thought I’ll be able to fuse them together and propose a new way of communicating the idea. This is the pitch deck I presented and my findings after the tutorial.

The project is inspired from content from my dissertation, where I investigated how the bedroom is deeply rooted into the female identity since so much of our culture is cultivated there. After all, the patriarchy has domesticated us. Despite the physical limitations, we were still able to cultivate a rich culture and have a valuable experience, engaging with the wider world. This can be seen through the posters of on our walls and the records we collect, as an example. 

I also started thinking about the ways girl hood is documented formally in art forms. This is where I found Laura Greenfield’s photo book called “Girl Culture”. I felt this is a good touch point, because it offered an honest portrayal of what it means to be a girl. It’s raw and untailored. It has a documentary feel to it and offers a “just is” observational perspective. This is a rare find. I feel like the documentation of girl culture and femininity is always edited, sanitised and “perfected”. Whether in other photographic works or in films.

In addition, when girl culture is talked about; the focus is more or less on sexuality. It feels like a limited point of view. There is more to our formative years beyond this. During this period, we begin to like things and start forming our own tastes. In a way, we’re laying out foundations of identities then. For instance, it has been reported that our music tastes peak at 14 (New York Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/10/opinion/sunday/favorite-songs.html).

I would like to offer something different beyond this narrative and this is where “being a fan” comes in. Like I mentioned earlier, this feels like a rite of passage for girls, especially in a musical context. This is embodied the most in boybands; they are propped up by a predominantly female fanbase. In turn, making it a feminine space.

I also refined my investigation to the K-Pop scene, because they have a very specific fan culture and they pretty much pioneered boybands. I decided to focus BTS and their fanbase Army, since they capture the zeitgeist of this culture the most; they are the moment.

I would like to offer something different beyond this narrative and this is where “being a fan” comes in. Like I mentioned earlier, this feels like a rite of passage for girls, especially in a musical context. This is embodied the most in boybands; they are propped up by a predominantly female fanbase. In turn, making it a feminine space.

I also refined my investigation to the K-Pop scene, because they have a very specific fan culture and they pretty much pioneered boybands. I decided to focus BTS and their fanbase Army, since they capture the zeitgeist of this culture the most; they are the moment.

I looked how this looks like offline and online. Although its most evident in concert venues, the way they experience fandom is mainly in the comfort of their own bedrooms; making it a very specific branch of “bedroom culture”. This can be evidenced by the content they make and share with each other online. A good example of this are their own self made videos posted on TikTok.

With a simple scroll through the tags, you can see the love and fun shared. I feel like this perspective is not shown often in the mainstream lens or the general narrative, when female culture is talked about.

It was then natural for me to look into the interpersonal relationships built and caused by this culture. I found this article (see image above, featuring take aways) that perfectly encapsulates why fandom culture is special. Again, since its emotional impact and the positive effects it has on people is often undocumented or overlooked. This article was heartwarming to read and shows how special fandom could be. Its easy to do this since its so specifically female and intrinsically tied with emotions, which is often frowned upon generally by society.

I also wanted to investigate the theoretical side to this too. In my research, I realised that people had tried to put this phenomenon into some theoretical contexts, referencing sociology to marketing. There was a conference held in Kingston University, dedicated to BTS earlier in the year. I’ve listed the papers/talks that I found interesting, focused on fandom culture (see image).

I feel like there’s a useful conversation taking place about this. Through this discovery, I feel like I can add more to this and there’s an audience waiting for more content about this subject.

This made me think about a documentary that I watched recently called “The Last Dance”. It documents Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bull’s legacy as a sports team, especially at their prime in the 1997 Play Offs. I admired how the documentary protects their legacy and its told in such a loving lens. I feel like there hasn’t been anything like this for their feminine counterparts (boyband and fan culture). Especially considering how the crowds and screaming can be found in both cultures, except that the audience’s gender is different (for the large part).

As I’m distilling my findings and trying to find my own conclusions, I came across this important quote by Dr.Epps-Robertson. If we wait for others to tell this particular story on feminine fan culture, it may not be an accurate portrayal of what it truly is and a lot of it is going to be lost.

In fact, its already is. At present, the majority of the stories that documents feminine fan culture is very negative. Its is selective its in portrayal. It likes to dwell on the foul behaviour. Although there is some negatives that comes out of this culture (stalking, obsession etc), it is not the only aspect that is made up of. It’s only a small fraction of it. They miss out on the joyful things that can come out from fandom and the community formed by it (e.g. TikToks, mentioned earlier). For the large part, they are misunderstood because the people who are documenting this are outsiders to this culture. Middle aged men writings and musings about music for women and experiences by young women will never be accurate critique of the culture. It is not meant for them and they will never understand.

It also made me think about how female passion is portrayed differently. I feel like this is not far of how this masked under the guise of hysteria; a belief that has harmed women for a long time. The prosecution of women for having emotions are deeply embedded into our history. Unlike in the Michael Jordan documentary, male fans are portrayed as passionate. Fangirls, on the other hand, are portrayed as crazy and insane. However, both are just displaying passion.

With all of that in mind, I wanted to take the matter in my own hands and create a mini-documentary, recording feminine passion and culture around it through a boyband focus (BTS particularly). I wanted to be able to protect this experience and tell it accurately.

This project is to document a unique girl culture, through an understanding and loving lens. It hopes to be a wholesome depiction of what it means to love and positive bonds it cultivates. The project will be for girls, by girls. From one fan, to another.

Obviously, I need to re-think how documentary could be presented. Quarantine has limited my options. However, I began my research by looking into the traditional documentaries and see how I can subvert it after.

“I used to be normal” is an interesting example to look into because its follows an interview style. The story comes from directly from the fangirls themselves. It captures their enthusiasm and wholesomeness well. I may not have the luxury of being able to follow people’s journeys across the span of 4 years like in documentary, but I can still conduct interviews via webcam.

“Beyond Clueless” and “Romantic Comedy” are good examples too. They are both documentaries told through archive material. This is an ideal technique to use as I can just use original content by the band and construct the narrative using it. These can be easily found online. More so, I won’t be violating any copyright laws as long as I keep the clips less than 30 seconds.

That said, I really wanted to use the idea of “falling in love through the screen”… because I feel it encapsulates the experience perfectly; this is where fangirl culture begins and ends… you discover the band and their music through your screen, whether through the phone or the computer… and you fall in love with them gain when you take pictures of them in real life when you attend their cultures… also, it is reminiscent of how they share with their community (through TikTok, Twitter and other forms of social medias).

I want to use personal videos to portray the narrative, combined with archive material such as online videos and concert footage. Mimicking the way they hold their phones up in concerts.

I also want to crowd source some memorabilia too. Another type of imagery to compliment the archive footage.

I also like the idea of potentially using google maps to mimic the concert experience (e.g. going to the venue with friends).

REVIEW

Unfortunately, during the review, I discovered that the idea too big for the timeframe and the limitations of the project. Despite being able to rethink the way the documentary could be presented, its still too big, especially considering how short the timeframe (documentaries take a long time to make) and its risky to wait for interviewees. Also, it was flagged up the narrative isn’t quite clear yet - I need to decide what is the story I wanted to tell.

At first, I felt disappointed in the review since I poured a lot of time into my research and thought I was building something that was viable. However, through hindsight, it wasn’t the right idea for the project. After much thought, it was still too close to my original FMP idea and I think I would disappoint myself if I can’t execute it in a way I originally wanted to. I think it would be best to execute this on a later date, when I have the means to do so.

It’s time to reflect on this and see what else I could potentially work with.