#the adventture zone

[herbgerblin]

A continuation of this and this.

This is very nebulous, because answering asks individually would be very time consuming. I was concerned that I’d accidentally go off topic, or that the way the asks were phrased meant that I’d have to jump though a lot of mental hoops before getting to the heart of the matter. So like, bear with me:

“Yes, but [insert retroactive justification here]”

The McElroys have made decisions, and who can—with the rapid growth of their franchises—afford to make better decisions. Like hiring a diversity/cultural sensitivity consultant to give them feedback before finalizing the production of their content. It’s disappointing when their intentions are not enough, or when the ramifications of their intentions come out negative. But the options to mitigate the damages are definitely out there.

“Enough about Lucas, imagine Kravitz...”

Imma be real with you, chief. The desire to turn attentions to what Kravitz’s design might look like, rubbed me the wrong way. Because 1.) it felt like handwaving away the issues that BIPOC were bringing up about Lucas in favor of something doing “fun” and 2.) like Lucas, Kravitz’s design has already been decided upon. Whether we’ve seen it or not, we have no baring on what he’s going to look like in the graphic novels. 

It’s fun to speculate, but BIPOC have been made uncomfortable by the decisions being made by the book developers for years. And they are a large part of what made the franchise so successful to begin with. (I joined the fandom after the first GN already came out, so much of this is still fresh for me.) That’s not something that should be swept under the rug. A lot of folks have already reached their breaking points in term of support, and for others, that point is coming.

And like, I know Kravitz is probably going to be fine. But I’ve already braced myself for worse case scenarios. First worse case scenario is: he’s white/an abstract color/design and we lose an opportunity for positive black, gay, male rep. Second worse case scenario was this. I hate to say it, but he’s Schrödinger’s black guy right now. And as funny as that is, the fact that we STILL are dubious about the design decisions being made is cause for concern. 

“Well, the cast already has a lot of people of color”

What often goes unrealized, is that that statement is always one step removed from, “Haven’t you people (of color) had enough?” And that is a dangerous mentality to have. The idea that we are one big conglomerate of non white people kicking and screaming about every little choice ever made. When in reality, we are different ethnic groups who have found grievances with different designs—and also the lack thereof—and we are trying to uplift each other. Everyone who has spoken up about this deserves the right to see themselves represented. And those who haven’t, shouldn’t feel like they’ll be glossed over if they do.

I appreciate the people who, instead of reacting immediately to my opinions on Lucas’s design and came running at me with speculation and inquiries, took the time to absorb what was being said, and sought out what other people had to say. I’m not some wise old guide who knows or understands the answers to everything. I’m a fan of a podcast who happens to be Black at the same time. My values may be different, but my desired fandom experiences aren’t.

Also, while we’re at it, here’s my paypal: paypal.me/everlastingrandom