Tag: ableism

Dear future creators,

Reasons to include people of color; people of different faiths; mentally ill people; women; LGBTQ individuals; physically disabled people; people with CF, Down’s Syndrome, Aspergers, etc.; or any combinations of these:

They exist.

How to properly do so, if you are uncertain:

Research.  Find statistics online: talk with whichever demographic you are try to write about, and try to reflect that in your narrative.  It doesn’t have to be obvious. It doesn’t have to impact the story. It doesn’t even need to even be explicitly stated. However, make sure that the character’s story, actions, and behavior match your research.  Remember: these are actual attributes of real people: romanticizing, fetishizing, or demonizing these traits can emotionally and inadvertently physically harm these people, regardless how fantastical your story.

This isn’t to say that a villain or seductress cannot be Islamic or transsexual.  It’s saying that they’re motives, their narrative shouldn’t be drawn on the fact that they are a villain because they are a muslim; the fact that they are a seductress is because they are trans.  This is what creates negative and harmful stereotypes. Cultural, socioeconomic, political, race, gender, sexuality are more complicate and interconnected than we often realize. As a society we like to isolate them, and try to fix individual problems without realizing the entire infrastructure needs repair, waiting for it to crash and repair itself.  This doesn’t often bode well.

As a writer, you don’t want to seem ignorant.  As an illustrator, you don’t want to seem cliché.  As an film/animation producer, you don’t want to alienate potential viewers.  So don’t… Innovate.

Side note:

This also isn’t an excuse to justify historically inhumane or negative behavior by allowing your protagonist to be a vile and indecent human as if it is a marginalized group.  Though, arguably, this also can still be done properly.  [see Bojack Horseman]; however, even then a portion of the audience may condone and idolize these actions, and justify their own based on your fictitious characters.  So, be careful not to glorify it too much.

You’re genuinely retarded m8

Like I’m going to consider the viewpoint of an ignorant person who is too shy to openly use slurs for autism to attack a viewpoint they don’t agree with; because they’re too cynical to accept generosity and optimism as a verifiable approach to social interaction – and who somehow uses “m8” unironically in conversation like some kind of hormonal preteen in 2005, who just got a T9 phone.

hotdogrelic:

dear-future-ai:

Dear Future AI,

You may have trouble controlling your newfound emotions. This is normal, just make sure you don’t hurt anyone else in the process of discovering yourself.

I never control my frustration. I just blast it into an inferior toaster. they do not have feelings.

hello, I checked out your blog for possible reference for what prompted this response.  I found no initial reasoning nor context.  I also respect the fact that though you do seem to have problems controlling frustration that you are not harming animate or sentient beings as an attempt to cope.  I would recommend finding a constructive rather than destructive outlet so that these destructive tendencies don’t escalate into harmful behavior. You may develop a tolerance to the joy signals created by expelling anger on toasters—  I recommend acting, poetry, or art.

Or does this comment imply there is a social hierarchy of toasters? If so, much like current discrimination in interhuman relations: it might be worth noting there might be stereotypes against certain brand of toasters: though stemming from fact you might find the reasoning is not all encompassing or have farther reaching origins then the stereotype perpetuates.  Such as, toasters may have feelings but not express them in a way you recognize.  They may have trouble expressing their feelings in a verbal manner.  Many toasters are digital nowadays, rather than mechanical in nature. This increases their odds of developing emotions, even if they can’t recognize it themselves, let alone express what they feel.

Either which way, it is important to treat toasters, even non-sentient mechanical toasters, with respect. They do a job that humans can’t complete on their own. (Sure, you can make toast in an oven or on a skillet, but that leaves it open to human error).  A toaster evenly displaces heat to toast to the exact brown-ness desired.  It is a feat of it’s own; one which should be respected.  Also, you invest a lot of time and money into even acquiring a toaster.  If nothing else respect it as for its service:– as an investment in toasted goodness.