GUYS.
THIS IS [BY] ONE OF MY FAVOURITE AUTHORS WHO HAS BRILLIANT CHARACTERISATION AND A REALLY INTERESTING TAKE ON THINGS AND IT’S A SEQUEL TO HER BOOK ON SYNESTHESIA WHICH I HAVE BEEN QUIETLY OBSESSED WITH SINCE THE AGE OF ELEVEN.
HER NEXT BOOK IS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A TEENAGE ASEXUAL FEMALE CHARACTER AND IT IS THE BEST THING.
Yay, somebody else wrote me a smashing intro post so I don’t have to write one myself and feel like a dweeb! Thanks, centrumlumina! I’m so glad you liked the essay (and the books, too!)
So, er, yes. If you would like to know a little more about QUICKSILVER in general and this aspect of the story in particular, click through to read the essay I wrote for this month’s Carnival of Aces under the topic “Asexuality in Fiction”.
(NOTE: Essay contains some brief quotes from the book and talk of characterization and the writing process, but no major plot spoilers.)
To be honest I’ve been looking at Ultraviolet on the shelf at work and thinking “Eh, maybe not” (even though I ordered it), but the chances of my reading the series now? HAS GONE UP TO APPROXIMATELY 1000%.
(via sarahreesbrennan)
The image above was created from gathering all of the significant named characters from released Marvel Studios movies as documented on the Marvel Movies wikia.
It’s pretty sad. As you can see, only 22% of the characters are women and half of them are love interests. There are over twice as many supporting characters who are men than women (and none of them function as love interests like the women do.) 84% of the characters are white.
Out of all the films, Thor probably does the best in introducing diverse side characters. Natalie Portman and Kat Denning’s characters pass the Bechdel test within the first five minutes, and some of the Asgardians are played by people of color including Idris Elba’s Heimdall and Tabano Asano’s Hogun. Four white women characters are introduced instead of the other films’ average of one or two. But even then, there’s no question that the main characters of the film are Thor and his brother Loki.
Marvel is working off of decades of existing properties that for years solely focused on white men and a the demographic market of white men. So it makes sense that many of the films would have an abundance of white male characters. Beyond ratios, what doesn’t make sense is that even in the comics there is also an abundance of characters of color, etc. that they are ignoring or underutilizing. There are already five completed films where the titular character is a white man, with more to come. There are no films in the works where the titular character is a person of color or a woman.
…
Women made up at least 40% of the audience of The Avengers, yet only one out of the six Avengers–Black Widow–was a woman. Women also made up 40% of attendees at this year’s ComicCon. Why, given the scarcity of female heroic leads in the existing Marvel films, did Marvel choose to announce the addition of several more male characters but only one new female character?
Read the full article at Racebending.com: On Marvel, Mandarin, and Marginalization
This is so sad. (Also, another reason I am super bummed we are getting *#*#$ing Ant-Man before a Black Widow movie, and I don’t even care that I love Jan.)
(…Also, and completely off the “hey more POC and ladies plz!” topic: Phil Dunphy was in The Incredible Hulk? I assume, because it’s the only movie I didn’t like and hence haven’t watched in five years? If the actual character Phil Dunphy had been in it, presumably I would have liked it more.)
(via hellotailor)
I keep reading interviews with Tyler Posey where he talks about being Mexican on his mom’s side and “everything white” on his dad’s, and how he didn’t grow up speaking Spanish and he doesn’t necessarily look obviously Latino but he clearly thinks of both himself and his character that way, and getting, like, warm fuzzy feelings of solidarity.
And I’m like, “Is this what it feels like to…feel represented?”
“And is it happening to me because of Teen Wolf?”
Honestly, I always have trouble getting to the text on articles about this issue, because whenever I see the cover art I’m stalled out by the sensation of my heart growing three sizes. GAY. INTERRACIAL. MILITARY. MARRIAGE. ON THE COVER OF ARCHIE. (Also, I think the ‘Bee is crying! AMAZING.)
I never would have called Archie Comics being my childhood obsession that I most respected as an adult, but it honestly may be. I admire that they chose to prioritize representation, and that they’ve been completely matter of fact and unapologetic about it. Look, other kid-oriented media — it is totally possible to include The Gays in an age-level appropriate and non “issuey” way! How is Archie leading the way on this, seriously.
