Wow. So apparently Stephen Colbert has got bigoted Star Wars fans in a lather.
First, I’d like to acknowledge that although I’ve watched all but 1 Star Wars film in the entire franchise, I’ve never been a big Star Wars fan. I don’t dislike the franchise. Like I said, I’ve seen all but 1 of the films. But I wouldn’t say that I’m a part of the fandom.
With that said, I’m just now learning of how the lovely Kelly Marie Tran (who played Rose in The Last Jedi, for those who don’t know) was harassed off of Instagram due to racism, sexism and misogyny constantly being spewed at her by bigoted Star Wars fans. And I only learned this because I like to watch Colbert’s monologue throughout the week.
Well, apparently Colbert called out the fuckery (in his own Colbert-ian way) and now there are reaction videos on YouTube lambasting Colbert for calling them sexist, racist trolls. Their argument it seems is that he’s attacking all Star Wars fans. Because, you know, if you’re a “real” SW fan, you’d be engaging in hateful rhetoric, bullying and prejudice online toward an actress of a franchise you love. If you’re not doing that, you must not be a fan.
It just trips me out how this world of geekdom/nerdom/social outcasts that the sci-fi/fantasy fandom community is supposed to represent is filled with the same level of masculine fragility, white supremacy and constant bombardment of harassment, bullying and ostracization that so many of the white males claimed to have suffered at the hands of the mainstream (read: non-geek) community for decades.
A community that insists that they’ve been bullied, hurt, rejected and threatened for being different because they were nerds, geeks or oddballs, are so quick to take up the mantle of the bully themselves when they believe their opponent is “weaker,” inferior,” or “deserving.” And all too often, we see this play out against people of color, women, and women of color. At the end of the day, these white men (and I know it’s not all white men, so you don’t need to say it) don’t want to be respected like everyone else, they want to be in the same position of power that the people who supposedly hurt them are in. They want to do to others what the mainstream has done to them. And somehow, they think it will result in themselves being seeing as the Alpha or the protagonist. Ain’t that something?!
Whether it’s Kelly Marie Tran in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Jada Pinkett in Gotham, Sonequa Martin-Green in Star Trek: Discovery, Leslie Jones in Ghostbusters, or Katie Leung in Harry Potter in the Goblet of Fire, let’s all admit that sci-fi/fantasy fans have a serious fucking problem with women of color. Especially women of color who they consider sexually undesirable.
I know the problem exists for men of color too, but the shit the trolls – and let’s be honest – and actual fans throw at women of color in the nerd/geek world is essentially the same hateful tactics men (especially white men) have thrown at women of color in the mainstream world for centuries. And as women of color, we often feel like our concerns go unanswered or our pain unnoticed.
So I’m glad that people are turning out for Kelly Marie Tran the same way they turned out for Leslie Jones. I’m happy to see here on Tumblr that they are some SW fans who are calling out this fuckery and shunning those hateful bigots, giving them no where to seek refuge for their online Klan meetings.
Because you’re right. These people are scum. Just like the haters of Star Trek: Discovery because it didn’t put a white male front and center. Just like the haters of Leslie Jones for just daring to exist. Just like the haters of Cho Chang because she kissed Harry Potter like it said to do in the script – and the book! (Seriously, I heard some white fans harassed Katie Leung in real life and sent her death threats. This was before the days of Twitter and Instagram.)
So please continue to show the world that us sci-fi/fantasy fans are not all bigots, hate-mongers and assholes. I know there are a lot of them (::cough:: comic book fans, you too. ::cough::), but just as we need to show the world that America isn’t the Tiki Torch Whites at Charlottesville, Va., we need to show the world that these trolls, bigots and haters are not who we are.
OK. I don’t feel like responding to this in a comment, so I’m going to respond to it in a reblog, as I believe it deserves to be addressed. I’m kind of tired at the moment, and it’s just easier to type this out on a desktop keyboard than on my phone.
I’m completely fine with Colbert’s video not addressing the harassment or fuckery that Boyega had to put up with even before the first reboot film came out. And I’ll tell you why in a minute, but first, to address your point about the fake trailer, if you go back and re-watch the trailer, Finn’s name isn’t included in the short list of “cool male characters” who get dropped into a pit.
The dialogue in the video is (listen from the 2:39 mark):
“… all the cool male characters like Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron fell into a big hole after Rey cut their penises off.”
Although I would’ve preferred for Colbert to include Finn as a part of his “cool” male lead characters list along with Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron, the reality is that a lot of SW fans (and casual fans) don’t see him as “cool.” They like him, but they don’t think he’s cool. I disagree with them, but I know I’m in the minority. So maybe that’s why Colbert didn’t include Finn’s name. I don’t know.
But since his omission from the fake trailer list is not the most salient issue in this discussion, I’ll move on.
What I think is the most salient point is is that Colbert was addressing the current issue with Kelly Marie Tran being harassed off of her social media channels due to bigoted trolls and fans. Although Boyega has put up with a lot, he’s 1) never left social media, and 2) has had a lot of people defending him since the attacks began – and not just in the nerd community. People have been defending Boyega and calling out and mocking the racist hate he’s been receiving since the moment it started. There have been articles in the US and abroad addressing it, most written by members of the SW fandom, the mainstream pop culture news platforms, and members of the Black community in the US, Nigeria, and the UK.
So no, Colbert didn’t include Boyega in his call out on the bitchassness that has affected Boyega, but I don’t see that necessarily as a flaw. Boyega has been, and continues to be, defended to racist trolls. And Boyega is still active on Twitter and Instagram. Not as much on Twitter as he used to, but I believe that has more to do with him being busy with his new production company than avoiding dealing with the racism in the fanbase. (Also, I use Twitter less these days too because of all the constant angry rants or depressing news that bombards you every day, so I can’t judge him for that.)
Boyega has had people stand by him. And his absence from Colbert’s monologue on this issue – that’s specifically about Kelly Marie Tran – isn’t a sign that Colbert doesn’t stand by him too. Instead, it’s a sign that he chose to focus on an issue that is currently hurting this specific woman. I’m not going to find fault with Colbert for that.
Also, I’m a little disappointed with all this “What about John Boyega?” and “What about Jake Lloyd?” commentary I’ve been seeing. Are we that fucking anesthesized to the pain of women of color that we can’t give them their due when they’re hurting and have people come together to address why that’s wrong? Do we have to drag men into it because the notion of us caring about an Asian-American woman’s unnecessary pain seems so foreign to us? Women of color so rarely get to receive this type of attention when they’re attacked by men, and actually see people take the woman’s side. And it’s even more rare for a women of Asian descent.
Can we have this moment be about Kelly Marie?
I adore Boyega. That’s my nerd. But this isn’t a moment about him. Sure, we can reference the bigotry that has affected his life in this particular fandom, but it shouldn’t take the spotlight from what’s happened and happening to KMT.
But that’s just my 2 cents.
Colbert doesn’t defend John. When John was getting a ton of racist shit after the TFA trailer came out, Colbert did a segment making fun of Fans complaining about Kylo’s lightsaber. It’s revisionism to say that John had the same level of defense from commentators, media and official sources. Abrams didn’t say anything about John’s harassment until a year later.
I know Finn wasn’t part of the pit part – as he should not have been. But the video’s one acknowledgement of fandom’s antiblack racism was Porgs with a Black Lives Matter sign. Not Finn as the male lead, which pissed off the people they were targeting just as much as having woman leads.
Which suggests it was more about getting feminist applause than actually dealing with an issue that DOES go beyond Kelly. By the logic that it’s all about Kelly and only Kelly, the video shouldn’t have highlighted other women like Rey and Holdo who have also faced fandom misogyny.
Disney is riding a narrative right now that says the only reason to dislike TLJ is if you’re a bigoted, misogynistic manbaby, and this fits that narrative without bringing, you know, the “volatility” of blackness into it.
I support Kelly Marie Tran. Colbert can suck it.
People who say they defend Asians while denigrating and ignoring Black people and other POCs can fuck all the way off. The hypocrites who claim to care about racism while ignoring antiblack racism are very much included. That’s missing the whole damned point and it’s worse than useless. If you treat antiblack racism like business as usual because Black people are “strong” and can “take it” or some such shit, if you don’t even see it happening and only go uwu poor dear over people you deem worthy of protection, then you are part of the problem.
I had been seeing a therapist a few months ago, due to my C-PTSD, depression and childhood trauma. During that time, I had been struggling with finding a job because of my condition, and whenever I was able to apply to a very hopeful job with a good salary, my therapist appeared very skeptical and against it. I couldn’t understand why. She would suggest that I apply to Walmart instead of the types of jobs I had been applying to. I didn’t catch on, right away, of what she was really implying, and she just kept suggesting walmart. Every week when I updated her on my job search, she’d ask:
“Well, have you tried Walmart? What about Walmart? You’ll be able to get a nice apartment and live on your own if you do Walmart.“ I would just look at her, baffled as to why in the bloody hell would she think that a part-time position at Walmart would get me a nice apartment AND pay the bills in southern California… The thing about that, though, is that I wasn’t seeing through what the ole’ bitch really meant.
During one session I complained to her about how my panic attacks and nightmares were getting worse ( I didn’t realize that she was the cause). Her response to that was to give me a worksheet called “Monkey Trap,” about a metaphorical monkey getting its hand stuck in a jar. It had absolutely nothing to do with what I had originally complained about. I still didn’t catch on right away, but the nature of my depression and c-ptsd makes it very hard for me to spot abuse right away,( and you can easily look this up in case anyone wants to shame me for not seeing her for who she really was right off the bat), plus it was my first time in therapy, so I didn’t know what to expect.
Then, she started to completely ignore and scoff at the idea of me having PTSD/C-PTSD. She didn’t want to acknowledge it. I would try to explain my childhood trauma, and she’d tell me to get over it. Her reason for this?
“You are a strong black woman! Don’t try to make me believe that you can’t handle abuse! It’s nothing to you!"
That’s right. She said it. This disgusting woman was denying me the proper mental health treatment because of her racist idea that "strong black women” don’t feel pain, can’t experience trauma and no way could develop PTSD. “Black women don’t usually have PTSD,” according to her…
I have notified my health care provider, insurance, and complained to the BoP about this woman. I just want everyone who might be seeking mental health care to be careful and research a counselor/therapist before you see them. If anything feels off, get out! If they seem indifferent, get out! If they try to shush you and do not want to listen, get out! Since it was my first time, I didn’t do any of that, but I’m here to tell you that if it is your first time in therapy, please be aware of this. Research before you go in. Have an initial consultation. If they violate your mental health in any way, report them to your Provider or the Board.
I don’t care who you are, if you complain about the amount of attention Black Lives Matter and Black issues get you are antiblack. “But Native Americans!” “But Asians!” Shut up. Tearing down Black people does not help any other community. Yes it can be frustrating when issues you care about don’t get enough focus, but I promise it’s not Black people’s activism that’s getting in your way. Do your own work and don’t act entitled to what gains Black activists have achieved. You’re not as progressive or nice as you think you are if you’re willing to use Black people as a scapegoat.
@gamrlinafrye How so? Because I call out people who use anti-Asian racism and Native rights as an antiblack talking point? And here I thought both causes deserved so much better than be used to tear down Black people’s efforts to, uhhh, not be murdered. Pitting Black and Native peoples against each other is actual white supremacist rhetoric, btw, espoused by Klansman Asa Earl Carter (better known as the author of The Education of Little Tree). The model minority myth about Asian Americans is another antiblack construct. Our different communities have been used against each other in a classic divide and conquer tactic, and it serves no one except white supremacists to play into it.
I don’t care who you are, if you complain about the amount of attention Black Lives Matter and Black issues get you are antiblack. “But Native Americans!” “But Asians!” Shut up. Tearing down Black people does not help any other community. Yes it can be frustrating when issues you care about don’t get enough focus, but I promise it’s not Black people’s activism that’s getting in your way. Do your own work and don’t act entitled to what gains Black activists have achieved. You’re not as progressive or nice as you think you are if you’re willing to use Black people as a scapegoat.
@avarii oh absolutely, many different communities are working hard every day to be heard and they deserve attention. My intention was to point out that people who like to shit on BLM act as though Black people should bedoing the work for nonblack folks, as though it’s somehow wrong for Black people to stand up for themselves. Also, while BLM may get more attention than some other causes, a lot of the attention BLM gets is far from positive as many Black people have pointed out in the notes. Hypervisibility is not privilege, and it’s ugly as hell to scapegoate Black people for it.
They’re wrong. It’s irritating enough to see people change the context of the song for all-white ships, but to say the original interracial couple the song’s about were only dealing with classism, not racism? Wrong, dismissive, revisionist.
It’s saying that in order for the song to have meaning for them, they have to remove the blackness.
Scientific fact, actually. Researchers at the University of Toronto Scarbrough found that White people’s neuron system fired less when viewing people of color performing actions, which indicates that they have an emotional disconnect when thinking about people of color; in essence they really don’t connect with us on a basic level of human empathy. (Source) The same people tested scored higher on a subtle racism test, as well.
Jesus
Reason why I don’t trust or fuck with white people proven by science.
There was actually a study done (if better science Tumblr wanna link the source that would be awesome) where they showed a Black person’s hand being tortured and a purple hand being tortured and measured the empathetic response and ppl actually had more empathy and a higher emotional response for a purple ass alien hand being tortured than a Black person’s hand smh
This is literally the basic underlying concept of what we mean when we say Black Lives Matter
I don’t care who you are, if you complain about the amount of attention Black Lives Matter and Black issues get you are antiblack. “But Native Americans!” “But Asians!” Shut up. Tearing down Black people does not help any other community. Yes it can be frustrating when issues you care about don’t get enough focus, but I promise it’s not Black people’s activism that’s getting in your way. Do your own work and don’t act entitled to what gains Black activists have achieved. You’re not as progressive or nice as you think you are if you’re willing to use Black people as a scapegoat.
“Group A should be getting as much attention as Group B” not “Group A needs less attention because Group B and Group C doesn’t have that much”
Nope, still illegitimate. The first argument always shades into complaining about Group B, implying Group B is somehow privileged in its oppression or is hogging the spotlight, as a quick glance at the notes should tell you. That’s a problem when Group B is not, in fact, privileged. “LGBT+ people of color are ignored in comparison to white LGBT+ people because of societal racism” is a correct statement. “Native American causes are ignored compared to Black people’s causes because of Black people won’t let anyone else get attention” is not.
Benjamin Sisko was bummed (but still supportive!) when Jake wouldn’t follow in his footsteps as a Starfleet officer. I wonder, though, did he think about his alternate 20th century self, the talented science fiction author who was ground down by racism?
Jake did follow his father’s legacy, it’s just that neither of them knew it at the time.
L.J.'s Obsessions 