Friday, June 15, 2007

Got the name.

A Minor Parting Of Ways

So I'm not going to have net access for a little bit (oh life how you shiv me and gag me and kick me up the arse) but I've a question I'd like to try and check in on.

For people who aren't fans of The Question, and who don't know more about him other than 'Oh, is that DC's Rorschach?' - How does/ how do you think Renee Montoya works as The New Question?

I know that I took one look at it and went They made the brown lesbian a non-person/invisible? Wtf?'.

But I'm very aware that I know dip-squat-diddly and nothing about the role she's taking over or reinterpreting or whatever.

Here are a couple off the cuff questions, but I have plenty more so if you're actually gonna reply, feel free to make with the 5 part posts.

1 - How well is The Question respected in DCverse?

2 - Has there been a dynamic change artwise to show that it's Renee behind the non-features mask?

3 - Should there be?

4 - Has The Question always seemed to be a non-facial featured white man?

5 - Does that now make Renee a non-featured white woman, when in costume?

6 - Who listens to The Question, who did he, and now she interact with or team up with?

7 - Is there anyone who feels Renee should have been set up to remain a cop and that taking a minority figure off Gotham PD sends a bad message

8 - Is there anyone who believes Renee didn't need to become a 'costume' in order to be effective?

9 - Will there/ does it seem likely to be any utilization of Renee's status as a Latina in her new role?

10 - Would that be a good idea or would it be too open to stereotypical circumstances (people, neighbourhoods, etc)

11 - Who does The Question represent / or was meant to represent?

See y'all when I get back.

Monday, June 4, 2007

on conformity

I've been asking some questions about race and WisCon and accessibility. Perhaps that's why when I came across this, it hit so hard for me.

It feels like a form of classicism.

I boldly admit that quite often I have no idea what someone says when they use 3leet/chatspeak/netspeak/whatever.

That said, user aka Ami is thoughtful, bright, insightful and has plenty to say. I couldn't discount her after reading two of her blog entries because what she had to say was something that pinged for me.

It hasn't happened yet, but if I don't understand what she's said, and I can't discern it from other responses to something she's said/written - then I'll ask her.

I don't know if using that short hand to interact online can be considered a dialect of english, or it's own language or what. But I don't think that scolding and demanding are the ways to let someone know that you'd like them to be able to represent themselves more universally. And is it about universality at all, or is it more about presenting themselves along 'party' lines, as uniform and monochrome?

In that particular instance, the comment seem quite clear to me. Ppl was easily discerned as people and I know enough people who occasionally type in accent, be it brogue or a Caribbean accent, etc, so I know what 'dun' can mean.

This isn't the first time someone's picked on this blogger's way of representing herself. Someone else apologized for her, when quoting her in their own blog. From what I've seen, Ami just keeps on truckin'. She is who she is, her blog is what is is and she'll discuss anything she damn well pleases.

Presentation is all very well and good. But don't we need an encouraging and united front as well? And what about age groupings and lifestyle groupings etc. In speaking their language, who might Ami be an ambassador to? What groups might she get to think about things in a way they haven't before?

More over, how much more could be accomplished by simply engaging her and being friends/comrades and role models in clear, concise thinking/arguments/writing and letting her form her own style and voice?

Feminist comic blogdom has been about finding my voice. And so I can't help noticing when someone else seems to be being herded to silence. Yes, it hasn't silenced this blogger, but it could have shocked a shyer persona into never speaking up again. Something like this doesn't make a good impression on me. It doesn't make me inclined to gather at any convention anywhere to meet people who show an inclination to perhaps look down on me for not finishing college; not taking women's studies or being able to recognize Marxism or communist tendencies or socio-political tropes.

Also, on more than one occasion my grammar sucks.