#i'm so sorry i keep posting starter calls i have NO impulse control
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And while I work on other replies, like this post for an Ann starter! I have a lot of muse for her right now so I want to take advantage of it while I can <33
#ooc#i'm so sorry i keep posting starter calls i have NO impulse control#but ann is so good and she deserves some love i think...........#i'm gonna go through my blog and see what I owe that i've missed; but feel free to like this even if we've already got something going on!#though only if you'd like; of course c:#i'm always up for multiple threads etc etc
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(pt 1) i really enjoy all your atla analyses & you've done a great job breaking down the usual arguments re how eip shows that kataang shouldn't have happened. i'm curious about your take on one specific argument that i just saw today, in an analysis of the show by a zker that was otherwise quite good and respectful (i know you've already talked about eip a lot, so no problem if you don't feel like rehashing). the premise: aang didn't just pressure katara in eip, he threatened her.
(pt 2) they point to when katara joins aang & asks if heās alright: āaang: no, iām not! i hate this play! katara: i know itās upsetting, but it sounds like youāre overreacting. aang: overreacting? if i hadnāt blocked my chakra, iād probably be in the avatar state right now!ā the suggestion is heās threatening her when he says āiād probably be in the avatar state right nowā to describe his anger. i think this take exaggerates and oversimplifies it, but interested in your thoughts on it.
Hello my friend!! It is true I am Old inside and donāt like rehashing dhdlksjslks BUT your comments on my posts are always incredibly kind and insightful so I am more than willing to do a bit of rehashing for you š„° Besides! Iāve seen this general take before a few times and itās always irked me for the exact reason you point out - it simultaneously exaggerates and oversimplifies the situation (and honestly thatās an impressive duality since itās seemingly contradictory, so hats off to them lmaooo) - and now is as good a time as any to address it. So, for starters, letās go ahead and get the excerpt they love to focus on so much:
Cut to Aang standing alone on a balcony. Katara enters and walks up to him.
Katara: Are you all right?
Aang: [Angered.] No, Iām not! I hate this play! [Yanks his hat off and throws it on the ground.]
Katara: I know itās upsetting, but it sounds like youāre overreacting.
Aang: Overreacting? If I hadnāt blocked my chakra, Iād probably be in the Avatar State right now!
Hereās the thing about so-called analyses of this excerpt: in a manner extremely convenient to the poster, they never seek to contextualize this moment. (I mean, to do so would deplatform their entire āargumentā - perhaps thatās why they avoid performing a full analysis?) So letās avoid that pitfall from the start.
Firstly, below are some links to related posts; Iām going to do my best to summarize the most relevant parts, but for anyone who desires greater detail, I gotchu š¤
This post explains why EIP (the play, lol) is imperialist propaganda and is intended to belittle the entire Gaang.
This post explains how Aang never acted āentitledā to Kataraās affections, particularly in regard to EIP.
This post breaks down the infamous EIP kiss like Snopes Fact Checker, covering common misconceptions, important perspectives to consider, etc.
Alright. With that out the way, itās time for some context.
Aang and Katara have this conversation on the balcony after watching 95% of āThe Boy in the Iceberg,ā a play chock-full of Fire Nation propaganda that demeans the entire Gaang in order to prop up the Fire Nation as superior (hence why the play ends with Ozaiās victory). Here is my general breakdown of Aang and Kataraās treatment in particular from a previous post:
- katara, an indigenous woman, is highly sexualized and portrayed as overly dramatic and tearful, because the fire nation objectifies women not of their own people and views them as less intelligent and less emotionally stable
- aang, the avatar, the sole survivor of the fire nationās genocide of the air nomads who is incredibly in-touch with his spirituality and femininity, is portrayed as an overly-airy and immature woman. the fire nation portrays him with a female actor to demean him (like, thatās classic imperialistic propagandist tactics) and furthermore writing his character as a childish airhead reinforces the fire nation sentiment that the air nomads were weak, foolish people who did not deserve to exist in their world
In other words, these kids have just watched almost an entire play that preys upon their insecurities and depicts them using racist and sexist stereotypes about their respective nations. It is completely understandable that tensions might run a little high and that their interactions would not be as balanced as usual (Katara and Aang have a great track record of communicating well with each other, as it happens!).
So we have to keep that in mind when examining the aforementioned excerpt. But there are other factors to consider, too! Namely: they are kids. Children. Teens. Aang is 12, Katara is 14.
If we want to be scientific, a personās brain doesnāt finish developing until they are 25, lmao, and the preteen/teen years are when the prefrontal cortex that controls ārationality,ā ājudgement,ā āforethought,ā etc. is still developing. This doesnāt mean Aang and Katara are irrational and make poor decisions 24/7 (obviously not), but it does mean that in an intense, highly emotional situation, like after watching a play that intentionally demeans them and depicts them as inferior, they are more likely to overreact, more likely to be emotional, and more likely to make mistakes. Like, Iām serious, lol. āTeens process information with the amygdala.ā Thatās part of the brain that helps control emotions! Itās why teens sometimes struggle to articulate what weāre thinking, especially in situations that require instinct/impulse and quick decisions, because weāre really feeling whenever we make those choices. Acting more on emotion. Our brains simply havenāt finished developing the decision-making parts, lmao.
In sum: Aang and Katara are both kids, not adults, and should be interpreted as such. This doesnāt negate their intelligence, because they are both incredibly smart and Aang is arguably the wisest of the Gaang, but they are human. Young humans. They have emotions, and we should not be so cruel as to assume theyād never act on them.
So taking that all together, we can now acknowledge the high stress Aang and Katara are under, understand why they might be upset (*cough* imperialist propaganda is hurtful *cough*), and examine how their youth might play into their emotional reactions. And funny thing - all analyses that come to the conclusion of Aang āthreateningā Katara here do not usually bother with this context. I canāt imagine why!
And you know what, letās add one more piece of context: Sokka states that Aang left the theater ālike, ten minutes ago,ā which is what cues Katara to go look for him on the balcony. The reason I mention this line is because to me, it suggests Aang knew he was more worked up than usual! He chose to separate himself from his friends so he could process his frustration! He did not take his anger at the play out on them; instead, he purposefully took time and space to be alone.
With that in mind, I donāt understand at all how Aangās Avatar state quote could be interpreted as a threat? Canonly, Aang is someone who was aware enough of his frustration to separate himself from the others - yet the logical next step is him threatening Katara as a result? He knew his intense emotions were because of the play (which he says himself), so the logical conclusion is that he then pinned the fault on Katara? What?? Sorry, that interpretation has no textual basis, lmao. But I digress!
Aang tells Katara, āIf I hadnāt blocked my chakra, Iād probably be in the Avatar State right now!ā As you said, this is the line people point to in an attempt to justify their (baseless) conclusion that Aang is āthreateningā Katara. So letās bring in the two key pieces of context: imperialist propaganda and age. Given that Aang is 12, and given that Aang has just watched almost a full play that demeans him and everything his people stood for (and letās not forget it also mocks his and Kataraās love for each other)ā¦
His reaction is understandable. An exaggeration and needlessly dramatic, but understandable. He feels vulnerable and insecure and Aang is human. He is human and flawed and he overreacts here and I love that A:TLA shows how even our heroes, even people who are truly good at heart and in soul, can get overly upset (especially given the aforementioned circumstances!). Would Aang actually be in the Avatar state at that moment, had it been possible? Of course not! Heās young and heās hurt and as such he says something dramatic to convey his anxieties and frustrations. The line is not meant to be taken literally, and seeing people do so despite all the factors that should be taken into consideration when analyzing itā¦ Cue a long, tired sigh from me and so many other A:TLA fans.
And to be honest? I cannot fathom how people watch this episode and come to the conclusion that Aang is āthreateningā Katara. To me, this episode - besides being a recap episode - is one that humanizes our cast even further. Aang snaps at Katara, kisses her when he shouldnāt (which the story appropriately treats as wrong). Katara pushes down her true feelings and retreats into herself, afraid to start a relationship with the boy she loves because sheās already lost him once before and canāt bear to do so again. Zuko further confronts the hurt heās enacted upon others, especially upon Iroh. Toph practices being vulnerable and accepting vulnerability from others by conversing with Zuko. Sokka witnesses how others have erased his contributions and labelled him as nothing more than the token nonbender in the group. Even Suki learns that she is not the only person who holds a place in Sokkaās heart and that she can never replace what he has lost.
To watch this episode where our heroes must come to terms with how the Fire Nation deems them inherently inferior, with how they have more fights to overcome in the future with the Fire Nation than a single war, and to come to the conclusion thatā¦ that what, Aang is abusive? A monster? Irredeemable? That he would threaten his best friend, someone he loves in every way?
Wow. That says more than enough about the viewer, doesnāt it?
#getting back into the swing of things babey āļø#aang#katara#kataang#kataangtag#the ember island players#atla#avatar the last airbender#amy answers#dramaticowl#amy analyzes#also i am speaking in GENERAL TERMS here lmaooo this is not a direct response to any one post šš
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