(no subject)

[exsequar]

SPN fandom is at it again, but this time in a truly horrifying way that is hard to even comprehend.

Someone has written a J2 AU Bigbang set in post-earthquake Haiti. She uses the setting of a massive (RECENT) disaster that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Haitians as a prop and a background for a love story between two white men.

....

Better people than I have said many things about this, and they are all worth reading. There is nothing that ISN'T wrong about this, including the author's reactions to criticisms falling back on the old "I didn't MEAN to" trope. We know this fandom often fails, but this is a particularly pungent brand of privilege and racism that turns my stomach.

Please read about it and say something, as the OP at that link says.

Comments

[newredshoes]

I was following this all day yesterday. I mean. The mind just boggles how someone could never, not once, take pause and think, This is so fucked up, self!

[mybabyangel.livejournal.com]

I honestly just spent about a whole minute just blinking blankly at my computer screen. I mean, how? How can anyone think that's a good idea? How could nobody have said along the way, um, how about you don't?

I don't get people, sometimes.

[clayeer.livejournal.com]

You'd think that's the kind of thing that would strike anyone as a BAD IDEA right at the prompt stage. How do you manage to right 20k words and still not realize it's a BAD IDEA?

[figletofvenice.livejournal.com]

thanks for the links. I'm not in spn fandom anymore, but this kind of shit drives me nuts. how did that even happen? no one along the way went, "uhhhhhhh, dude, you know that's a terrible idea, right?"

[ladyflowdi.livejournal.com]

Sweet Jesus, that's a bag of fail right there. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING. How did her betas not stop her??? Are you telling me they all feel the same way she does -- that it's absolutely okay to have a major disaster that happened yesterday be the back drop to your fucking slash fic?

Her "I didn't mean to" is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Of course she meant to. She wrote 20k of it, didn't she?

[exsequar.livejournal.com]

By "I didn't mean to", what she was saying was "I didn't MEAN to take advantage of a horrible tragedy for my own wish-fulfillment colonial narrative! I MEANT to deal with it sensitively [hint: unpossible] and I think I did a good job at it". Hint #2: YOU DIDN'T. BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T.

>:(

[ladyflowdi.livejournal.com]

"I didn't MEAN to take advantage of a horrible tragedy for my own wish-fulfillment colonial narrative! I MEANT to deal with it sensitively [hint: unpossible] and I think I did a good job at it". Hint #2: YOU DIDN'T. BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T.

I just. This reminds me a little of that 1920 mentality about people (read: rich white people) trekking off to the furthest reaches of the planet to bring civilization to uncouth barbarians in loincloths. I mean, her Haitian character speaks pidgin English -- so you tell me. My inner anthropology nerd cringes in horror at this entire failboat.

What gets me is that she could have written this an entirely different way -- she could have researched the disaster, and brought a lot of the issues and problems facing Haiti today out into the fandom forum to be discussed. If she felt she really, really had to write this fic, she should have written it with decency and respect, and as a means to open a discussion about the socioeconomic and cultural ramifications facing the region in the next few years. What the disaster in Haiti should NOT have been is a backdrop for her fucking love story.

This burns of white privilege so hard I'm surprised the internet didn't go up in flames.

[himhilien.livejournal.com]

My inner anthropology nerd cringes in horror at this entire failboat.

Me too.

What gets me is that she could have written this an entirely different way -- she could have researched the disaster, and brought a lot of the issues and problems facing Haiti today out into the fandom forum to be discussed.

But doing research and actually respecting the people and the country they live in would be so much work! IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GHEY SEX. >:| >:| >:|

[foxxcub.livejournal.com]

What I find sad as well is that surely this girl had betas/friends reading over this, or who knew she was writing this story, and NO ONE thought to say, "Um, maybe this isn't the best idea?"

[alwayseven.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the link.

I was blissfully unaware in my little corner and I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.

[amazonziti.livejournal.com]

Hi! I got pointed here by some people who found me via your link. Thank you for linking to me and for doing your own signal boost. I wanted to let you know I've added this post to my list of links. If you'd rather I take your link down just let me know. =)

[himhilien.livejournal.com]

I really would like to sit the author, betas, artist, and all the people who left positive comments AND STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE FUCK THIS FIC IS WRONG down and hit them all with a clue-by-four.

[amnisias.livejournal.com]

I don't read fic very often and I'm not keen on J2 either. I did not read the story and therefore am in no position to either condone, condemn or comment on it in any way. I am aware of the concerns that people who have read the story have expressed and want in no way to take away from the criticism that has been voiced in an appropriate and mature manner.

But am I the only person who is appalled by the level of hate, spite and vulgarity that some fans feel entitled to sprout (mostly anonymously)?

[pushingyouaway.livejournal.com]

o_O


well...that's...something interesting

*facepalm*

[pau494.livejournal.com]

I can't believe this. And then I think I shouldn't be that naive because of course someone would be FAILY enough to write this piece of crap. What the fuck was she thinking? I don't understand how it never occured to her for one single second that maybe this was atrocious and offensive and WRONG. Thank you for linking to this mess. Oh fandom. Sigh.