gdp's Comments

Godheval.net : Privilege and the American Dream

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:29:55 +0000

If you think race privilege and class privilege exist separately in their own cultural vacuums, then there is a lot you don't understand about American social dynamics. Race and class are intertwined, race itself being a political tool to create class distinctions, first on the grounds that one race was human and the other less than. Then, as it pertains to whiteness, certain European immigrants were able to enroll in "whiteness" as a social category, which granted them numerous benefits that black people were not given - at the very least, to no longer be excluded from certain opportunities on the basis of their race. This is white privilege, and it correlates directly to the ability of poor whites historically to amass wealth and emerge into the middle class. As for Asians, while you may want to make a comparison between their struggle and that of black people for the sake of neither being white or having that privilege, the black dilemma is quite unique, as no Asians are contending with the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow. Each struggle is unique. Also, if any group is next to be able to enroll in "whiteness", it will be East Asians (Chinese, Japanese, mainly), but not the Cambodians, Laotians, Indonesians of South/Southeast Asia. Point is, you're trying to aggregate a bunch of different things and explain them all away with one stroke, rather than looking at many complex dimensions of it. You also seem to want to elevate the importance of class privilege over race privilege, which is a very white tendency, especially for those who don't want to acknowledge the institution of white supremacy because of the social responsibility and psychic weight it carries.

Godheval.net : White

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:32:09 +0000

This is an old article and my views on the subject have changed significantly. I will probably write a follow-up one of these days, but I've left this one intact just to be able to trace the evolution of my thoughts on race and racism. Thanks for the comment; you've raised some important points.

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:29:09 +0000

Does that mean you won\\\'t be coming back? Blast!

Godheval.net : Black, White, and Jade: Race in Video Games

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:20:27 +0000

Sure, you can disagree, but you'd be wrong. A simple look at her filmography shows that most of the characters have not been black. It's not like I'm making this shit up. Look at the voicechasers link I posted, or check IMDB.

Godheval.net : The Social Media Placebo

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:36:51 +0000

I'm in.

Godheval.net : The Social Media Placebo

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:26:47 +0000

Mm, I regard anarchism the same way I regard libertarianism: that it's only feasible for people with great amounts of privilege. Not that the government is doing much of anything for people without it, but I have less faith in humankind to right itself without laws than I do in the free market to regulate itself.

Godheval.net : The Social Media Placebo

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:24:09 +0000

Yeah, definitely in favor of it. I'm struggling right now with the whole Target thing; haven't shopped there since hearing about their support for that idiot in Minnesota.

Godheval.net : Respect Facilitates Progress

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:41:14 +0000

Pretty much. It helps them to think that resources are already being unfairly allocated to PoCs through "reverse racism". And yeah, you should definitely read Alexie; his work is really rich and layered with meaning, to a point where I wonder if it's all intentional, or if it just bubbles up out of his proximity to the PoC experience. Either way, it's always thought-provoking.

Womanist Musings : White People, Whiteness and Senseless Repetition

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 20:32:24 +0000

I'm curious - and this is a comment for Mashow, AHW, and other white folks on here who at least seem to "get it". What would you say is your incentive for trying to learn POC truth? That's what it comes back to for me when I navigate these "anti-racism" spaces, when I think about what can be done to deconstruct and disempower Whiteness, like the "Unlearning Racism Project" I'm a part of through my school. Incentive. What reason do white people have - apart from the conceivable long-term psychic benefits - to address white privilege or supremacy? Clearly "being a good person" is not enough, especially amongst self-satisfied white liberals who already think they are. I feel on some level that if I can understand the incentive of the few that "get it", maybe I can translate that into something I can use when broaching the subject with others.

Godheval.net : 20 Reasons Why I'm Not Voting Today

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 18:52:19 +0000

Feingold does sound pretty decent; at a glance the only place he disappoints me is his support for that B.S. healthcare bill - Democrats had no reason to compromise on a single-payer plan. They could've passed it if they wanted to, but...the Health Insurance lobby flooded them with a lot of money and got enough of them to back out. A quick look at Open Secrets shows that even he received a good amount of money from "Health Professionals", so that's not much of a surprise. All things considered though, I wish my state would've had a candidate like him on the ballot. He might've got me out to the polls.

Godheval.net : 20 Reasons Why I'm Not Voting Today

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 18:46:18 +0000

We didn't even have any Green Party Candidates on any of the ballots; otherwise I might have gone out.

Godheval.net : 20 Reasons Why I'm Not Voting Today

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 18:45:21 +0000

Doing things on a local level; for example, while I can't expect the Federal government to ever do what's required to fix the education system, I can do my best to teach kids what they actually need to know, rather than just what meets the requirements of some standardized test as so many teachers are doing. Much of what's going in the non-profit sector reflects what we as individuals and groups can do outside of the purview of government. I mean, it would be nice if we could count on them, but history has shown us that we cannot. Short of a complete overhaul of the Congress - like how certain European countries can completely absolve their parliaments and call for special elections - I don't have much of an interest in participating in this so-called-but-not-at-all democracy.

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 07:11:04 +0000

Semi-relevant note: The fellow in the video is a white southerner, so for his sake alone, I'm the last person who will assume the worst about white southerners.

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 07:04:03 +0000

This seems to be something you're incapable of understanding, or perhaps just unwilling. Water boy? Seriously? If that character were any other ethnicity, would it have changed the story at all? Nope. There is nothing explicitly "white" about that character. And again, I ask, for all the "open mockery" of Texans and conservatives or whatever you're claiming (where's your evidence?), how does that AFFECT Texans or conservatives? Do Texans really give a damn what anyone else around the country thinks about them? Does that "discrimination" affect their ability to do ANYTHING in life? As for "what history of pain and alienation" have I suffered...what do you want, my life story? Do you figure that because this isn't the 60s or earlier that I haven't really experienced it personally? Even if I hadn't, the piece you don't seem to get is the historicity of it - you underestimate things like how history continues to echo into the present, how even if I was never directly discriminated against, such discrimination in general forms a context in which I exist and determines how others perceive me, and how I need to carry myself on a daily basis. It is so complex that I would have to recommend you some books to read, because I can't explain it all here. And no, it's not about censoring cartoons, it's about the creators making more respectful design choices. Are you one of those people who would argue "Well, black people say the n-word all the time, so why can't I say it?" or "If they don't want us to say it, they shouldn't either" ? At some point it becomes an issue of simple respect. It's not about "political correctness", or "free speech", it's about acknowledging, hey, I see that that word hurts you when I say it, or that that image evokes a painful history, and I'm going to respect you enough not to use it. It's as simple as that. At the point when even one person makes a serious argument for the social effect of Elmer Fudd or Water Boy or Yosemite Sam on any group of people, then the creators of such things should listen. Thing is, beyond you bringing it up for the sake of being contrary, I don't think anyone really cares. You want to better understand? Check out this video; set aside an hour to watch it straight through or don't bother. It's up to you. Are you here to argue with me, or are you here to better understand? If the former, I'm really not interested. If the latter, definitely check out the video: http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?pread...

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 06:29:50 +0000

Everyone's entitled to an "opinion", but when it comes to how racial caricatures affect people in groups with a history of ridicule, dehumanization, and disenfranchisement - no, really, white people tend not to "get it". As for the stereotypes against Southerners, sorry, but I can't really empathize. Because beyond causing some hurt feelings and, indeed, reducing a range of people to characteristics of a few (never heard of the eating alligator one), it has no lasting social impact. Also, what's particularly interesting about those stereotypes is that they're created and maintained by other white people. So again, who is at fault? Perhaps "white" southerners should try to start distancing themselves from whiteness, then. Anyway, the exaggeration of the idiot hunter? What the hell is that? Again, I point you towards my argument about social impact. There is no group of hunters who have been historically, or are currently being disenfranchised by these "stereotypes" - it has ZERO impact, and does not evoke any long history of pain and alienation. I didn't "touch" Yosemite Sam, because the same argument applies. Who is hurt by that character? Is there a red-haired dixie fellow somewhere who is all broken up inside everytime he watches Bugs Bunny? I seriously doubt that. The two things just aren't comparable. And your argument about "cartooning itself is an exaggeration" doesn't hold water. Caricatures in themselves are fine, but those that - again - evoke a certain history are not acceptable. There are - as I argue in my post - many ways to cariacaturize "black" characters without turning to the blackface model. As for the "squinty Asian grandpa" - I take great issue with that as well, along with the countless other instances of yellowface prevalent throughout American media culture. I don't mention those things here because they're not relevant to The Secret of Kells. Which brings me back to why you're even arguing with me in the first place. Even if we were to agree that Yosemite Sam and Elmer Fudd are painful stereotypes - and really, give me a break - does that somehow justify the use of blackface caricatures in this movie? This is what I meant when I said that white people always want to bring it back to themselves, as if they truly are the center of the universe.

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:33:27 +0000

Oh, okay, well now that you've cleared that all up for me, I can move on with my life and not be concerned about such things. Thanks! Good thing white people are around to set us straight on just how we should react to racism. Phew! You clearly have zero knowledge about this subject, so your comment really has no bearing on the discussion. There is nothing inherently demonized or ridiculed or dehumanized within or around "whiteness" or white people, so any arguments about "white caricatures" is wholly irrelevant. Elmer Fudd is not a "white caricature", it is simply a cartoon character; there is no particular person or group of people or culture that is being affronted by his existence. It is incredible to me how white people (or ignorant apologist PoC) try to bring any discussions of racism back to how it relates to white people, when white people do not at all experience discrimination in any meaningful way. There simply is no comparison to be made between cartoon blackface and a "white" cartoon character - when the latter actually doesn't really exist. They are merely the default cartoon characters, which in itself is a statement.

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:26:41 +0000

I just remembered that I posted something on the "nature" of beauty some time ago, and it gets my point across with a little more...grace. http://godheval.net/philosophy/perception-of-valu...

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:06:10 +0000

And I'm not even about to read some random paper by some student at Bryn Mawr, a school of vapid know-it-all white liberals. I caught one term at a glance, though: "golden ratio". Leave it to a Westerner to try to quantify beauty mathematically, again, as if there is a specific standard for something so abstract and subjective. Conveniently I'm sure that a greater proportion of Europeans meet whatever "golden rule" that that person is setting about beauty. It's just a bunch of high-minded pedantics to justify ethnocentric views. "No no no, this can't be argued, it's MATH!" Yeah? Well 1+1 = 2 nuts in your mouth. Fuck outta here with that shit.

Godheval.net : The Secret of Kells That Should've Been Kept

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:01:57 +0000

Pretty much everything you're saying above is off topic. And again, some of it is just plain wrong. I didn't "fail to realize" anything - what you're saying about wealth/class is not some independent phenomenon, it is a direct result of what I'm saying about race and perceptions thereof. The darker people I'm talking about are not such because of "being out in the sun", but because of their heritage, usually indicative of some closer proximity to Africa. It is true in the case of the Caribbean and South American "mulattoes", and of peoples of the Indus valley versus the European people of the north - again, proximity to Africa usually means darker. Southeast Asians vs. East Asians, same deal. And what does Japan influencing the west have to do with this conversation at all? Nothing. I mentioned Japan only for its near-worship of European features; if you'll remember, our conversation was about the perceived superiority of the white standard, not European influence in general. Everything I'm talking about is "cultural factors" - those, however, often being responses to perceived biological realities. Again, I didn't forget anything. Sparse on specific details? Sure, because I'm not trying to write you a paper here. But lacking anything in getting my point across? Not a bit.

Godheval.net : Privilege and the American Dream

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:31:21 +0000

If your point was that you're a fucking idiot, yeah you proved it for sure.