sigelphoenix

I've gotten to the point where I haven't posted anything in so long that I feel like what I do end up posting ought to be significant in proportion to the amount of time I haven't blogged. But then I feel intimidated, so I don't write, so I feel like my next post should be even more significant, and so on.

So I'm just going to write down one-paragraph thoughts, rather than sitting around and hoping they grow into full-fledged posts.

I've dipped my toe into the world of CSAs with ratzeo, lunapome, and music_enforcer. The four of us split a box intended for a family of four (and thus, presumably, some children and not all adults) so that we don't get overwhelmed by produce. And the farm we subscribe to isn't precisely a CSA, so we're "cheating" that way too. But I start new things slowly, and this has been really working out so far. Though I should note that I haven't been necessarily eating healthier, since the most appealing recipes I find for using all this fresh produce often involves things like cheese and pancetta ... On the plus side, I've discovered that I love kale, and that stuff is effin' good for you.

I've found that I like it when the naive, idealistically helpful character gets disillusioned. Not because I want to see them suffer, but because often the naive, idealistically helpful character gets tons of credit for being good and sweet, while more cynical characters are seen as "too angry" - and even if the characters aren't explicitly of a privileged and non-privileged group, it reminds me strongly of the dynamic of "good, productive man/white person/able-bodied person/etc." versus "angry, bitter woman/POC/disabled person/etc." Sure, the person who wants to help ought to be given credit for wanting to help, but the person who is justifiably angry because they have to actually live with the hardship, and who knows why the "helper's" good will often ends up being more intent than results, is where my sympathy lies. For example, one thing I liked about the "Painted Lady" episode of Avatar was that Katara had to learn that her desire to help the town had to be accompanied by an actual understanding of the power structures facing that town before she could do any substantial, lasting good.

Speaking of Avatar ... Make no mistake, I think M. Night Shyamalan has been an asshat and I'm maliciously pleased that The Last Airbender is getting lambasted. However, I do feel a certain amount of protectiveness when protesters (more often fans who are new to anti-racism than vice versa) target Shyamalan as the source of the casting injustice. Regardless of how much control Shyamalan did or did not have over the casting, he's just a cog in the machine of Hollywood's institutionalized racism, and pinning the blame on the brown guy while the white producers escape any culpability does nothing for anti-racism. Also? Expressing your disdain for Shyamalan by making fun of his obviously Indian name ("Shyamalamadingdong" and other charming variations) means you're being racist too, goddammit.