It was me. The greater context was this post and a bunch of other random conversations I’ve had with people about whether Asami (or frankly, any of the people in ATLA/LOK) actually count as “adequate Asian representation” since the Avatar world is only based on Asian cultures and does not actually take place within the real world context of those cultures. Usually we conclude that though we agree that all of the people within the Avatar world are not white (though some have much lighter skin and resemble white people, such as the Air Nomads and Fire Nation) and are based on Asian cultures, it’s questionable whether we can count them as actual Asian representation. We just usually do like 99% of the time because we know that extra-textually, the nations are all based on Asian cultures and it was actually pretty explicit in ATLA that this was the case.
Also is in reference to Asami in particular, because of the fact that, except for her clothes (which are vaguely culturally Asian-based [Japanese in particular, because Fire Nation]) and her name, she has basically no real connection to anything that would provide representation. Like, Lust and Asami look exactly the same.
But we’re supposed to believe that one of them is Asian and the other is not simply because of the world they live in, despite absolutely no mention of Asami’s cultural heritage or way of life outside of her name and the color and style of her clothes. The way she is canonically presented within LoK, there is nothing to tie her particularly to any Asian culture outside of the fact that extra-textually, the Fire Nation is based on Japan.
That’s what the core of the matter was: practically speaking, Asami provides no more Asian representation than Winry does outside of the fact that one show is based in European culture as a whole and the other in Asian. I was just pointing out that calling Asami the “pinnacle of Asian representation” is utterly ridiculous. She’s not white (as previously established) and she is Asian, but to call her “the best Asian representation” in a show where you could use literally so many other characters that are far more connected and overtly based in Asian culture is laughable. That was the point: not that she wasn’t Asian representation, but that she was barely Asian representation (only by virtue of being in a show based on Asian cultures).
I freely admit I used the wrong wording, and that that could easily lead to confusion over what I was was trying to get at, and I apologize for that. All of these conversations have come out of certain parts of the LoK fandom (particularly Asami stans) basically making Asami out to be the pinnacle of representation and the greatest thing LoK ever gave to us (despite, you know, Korra being around). The greater context is the linked post, the Asami fandom, and the LOK fandom’s habit of blatantly favoring lighter-skinned characters over the darker-skinned ones that are just as much if not far more progressive (aka, calling Asami a more progressive character than Korra). Basically, the whole mess came about because certain people in the fandom continue to glorify Asami and diminish Korra’s importance in her own damn show. Sorry if this caused confusion.
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hms_anon2015-06-15 02:07 pm
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(Anonymous) 2015-06-17 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)Also is in reference to Asami in particular, because of the fact that, except for her clothes (which are vaguely culturally Asian-based [Japanese in particular, because Fire Nation]) and her name, she has basically no real connection to anything that would provide representation. Like, Lust and Asami look exactly the same.
But we’re supposed to believe that one of them is Asian and the other is not simply because of the world they live in, despite absolutely no mention of Asami’s cultural heritage or way of life outside of her name and the color and style of her clothes. The way she is canonically presented within LoK, there is nothing to tie her particularly to any Asian culture outside of the fact that extra-textually, the Fire Nation is based on Japan.
That’s what the core of the matter was: practically speaking, Asami provides no more Asian representation than Winry does outside of the fact that one show is based in European culture as a whole and the other in Asian. I was just pointing out that calling Asami the “pinnacle of Asian representation” is utterly ridiculous. She’s not white (as previously established) and she is Asian, but to call her “the best Asian representation” in a show where you could use literally so many other characters that are far more connected and overtly based in Asian culture is laughable. That was the point: not that she wasn’t Asian representation, but that she was barely Asian representation (only by virtue of being in a show based on Asian cultures).
I freely admit I used the wrong wording, and that that could easily lead to confusion over what I was was trying to get at, and I apologize for that. All of these conversations have come out of certain parts of the LoK fandom (particularly Asami stans) basically making Asami out to be the pinnacle of representation and the greatest thing LoK ever gave to us (despite, you know, Korra being around). The greater context is the linked post, the Asami fandom, and the LOK fandom’s habit of blatantly favoring lighter-skinned characters over the darker-skinned ones that are just as much if not far more progressive (aka, calling Asami a more progressive character than Korra). Basically, the whole mess came about because certain people in the fandom continue to glorify Asami and diminish Korra’s importance in her own damn show. Sorry if this caused confusion.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2015-06-17 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)