Neither do I.

Racism in the fics?

This is something I'd love to discuss since I've been thinking about the topic and found out that in the several stories I've read along this two years in the fan fiction sections I rarely find a description of someone of colour or with a certain ethnicism. I don't know if it is me or WE (I count myself in to those people, I've fallen in the same sin) are discriminating another cultures and people by the way they look.

Had been counted the times when I've seen someone different from the European/American looking type.

Don't take in account my comment if someone of colour or with ethnic features is in your fic, i'm just talking in general and I don't get the chance to read all the fics in this forum, even when I'd love to.

The only one I can remember was Aslan, the african guy Andie, Melanie, Kierra and i used for out unfinished fic Twisted Lullaby and I feel proud 'bout having him on it since he gave a certain intersting air to the fic.

All of this just to remind you to take in account to put this kind of characters on your fics, to vary, avoid the unconscious racism we're spreading in our fics and create an atmosphere of tolleration.

Any comments about this?

Well, Cleo (Whitney/QueenoftheNile) has a fic that's very multiracial!

So if you're feeling like you need some color, check out loser! also it's very hilarious.

But I think that people often put in people that aren't white. They just don't draw attention to it.

You invision people the way that you are. That's why white people have white statues of Santa and black people have black statues of Santa.

So would you rather have all of the fics just introduce new people and say, "And Claire, she was black." or Asian or whatever. Personally I'd be more insulted by that. Like when Charles Schultz, Peanuts creator, introduced a black character. The character did nothing except be black. It was only so he could say, "Look! I'm not discriminating!" He was so rarely featured, though, that I can't even remember his name!

Maybe I'm missing your point. Are you wanting more people other than white people featured in fictions? Or are there people of other colors being featured in fics that are being portrayed as extremely stereotypical or stupid?

i guess that you don't say in a fic: hey! there is andie and she is a white girl ... i mean ... you describe her but not that discriminating ... and even so ... like the latin girls ... in the real world mexican, latin american girls are quite discriminated ... but in the fics... you always read about a latin girl! so i guess it's a way of non discrimination fics ...

lol

my penny for this discussion lol

luvly
andie

maybe i just don't understand how the fics are discriminating...

*lol*

I once had the impression I would discriminate blondes cause I really never used them *grins* But I changed that now... well for a supportive ;)

But I think the others are right - to really but an emphasis on it is even more discriminating...
It's not really a topic here unlike in america...
I once had an islamic girl...

I don't really see a problem, and also... do we have any african-americans here?
I mean... I think Elijah is more of a white gals guy... or am i wrong there?
I really have no idea...

hug
Laila

LOL!

i'm gld this is working. This ws just some kind of friendly scold or arning' js to pay more ttention to it. As I said, i don't rd all the fics I'd like to read and maybe you miss good ones with mutiracial cast :)

what do you consider discrimination? would following stereotypes fall under that category? because let's face it. the reason that they became stereotypes was because most people under a certain category did act a certain way. i mean, there are of course exceptions to every rule. like i don't assume that every black person belongs to a gang. but when i see one in a bad side of town with his pants down low and a pair of nylons as a stocking cap i'm not going to approach him. would this be seen as discriminatory?

Adri the point you've raised is actually something I've thought a lot about myself. I think what it comes down to, in my own work anyway, is that when I put out a cast call I never get anyone replying that says they're coloured. I do get lots of Latina girls (and they're wonderful!) but I've never had a physical description that reads "dark skin" or something along those lines. I did put a black character in oneof my fics a long time ago as Lij's best friend - the fic was abandoned though, due to the fact it was crap. But yeah, if anyone's like me and mainly uses cast calls, I think we all find that we never get any coloured people replying. Although, I admit, that doesn't mean we can't put in other, fictional characters.

But thanks for raising this, Adri, it's definitely something to think about. I don't think anyone here wants to offend anyone - I seriously doubt anyone here is really racist, but maybe we do need to be a little bit more aware. :)

Getting off my soapbox now! lol

Jaime

Finally someone caought he idea I had, Jaime you explained it all well.

I'm talking of discrimination in terms of using the same 'look' characters, if you know what I mean (and that Rach mentioned) so, it is finally cleared. It's just a little call of attention for US to change the stereotypes we've been creating.

I'm Asian and I enjoy writing and reading fictions that feature Caucasians (except 'When the Girls meet the Men - The Europe Trip!' but I haven't gotten around to that much). I guess it's a 'conservative' (sp?) culture we have in Asia, and as most of you know, I enjoy a nice romance with smatters of smut in between (:blush:).

What I know are based on modern romance novels and the Asian ones are usually regarding the past, and not modern so it is kind of difficult to get around to writing a modern love story based on my culture. It would be weird to say this but I can say I know nothing about it.

It's no more than 'stereotyping' to some extent as pairing people of the same race together I guess; a little too harsh to call it 'discrimination' too.

I agree with peiyu...
It's really more a steriotype thing that we put ppl together who seem to fit together on superficial basis.
For example you will hardly find fics where a girl is much taler then Elijah - or has much overweight...
That is not discrimination of tall or fat girls... really...

I think often ppl tend to think opf it to much and so find causes that only increase the gap between nations, races and religions...

Completely straying off topic here so feel free to delete/report/ban this post.

How many Hollywood movies do you see that have Asians as a main character in comparison that the many about caucasians. Sure. Charlie's Angels, the Jackie Chan movies. But in comparison with the rest, it's nothing. African Americans are being included in movies to "stamp out" racism. So are Latin Americans. But whatever happened to the Asians?

Now, being in an international school, I know/knew people (Caucasian) that wouldn't even think about dating an Asian. Now, you could defend the fact that they'd look weird. But I know a couple - the guy's from Taiwan and the girls from US. THey look great together. Argh. So this is supposed to lead to how it's hard to imagine couples of different races which is supposed to lead to fics but it's not working.

I just repeated what Peiyu said, didn't I?

Nahh Eve, you aren't repeating what I said! And actually, living in such a multicultural/racial/whatever country like Singapore, it's not rare to see couples of different races here (Chinese/Malay, Indian/Chinese, Caucasian/Chinese, Caucasian/Malay, etc.). Rare, though scattered here and there; plus I've mentioned I know nothing about how they overcome their cultural differences.

I think my viewpoint is narrowing :blink: Not a good thing!


One point Eve brought up that made me think is:

Actually Hollywood is more a Western place in a way, so Asians are hardly featured here. Hongkong movies; the Caucasians are always baddies or the superintents (sp?) of police :lmao: It's quite a funny stereotyping in a way!

The sad thing is that it's difficult for an Asian to break into the Hollywood scene. The men need to know how to fight to make it big (Jackie Chan), while the women are, most of the time, mere pretty faces and damsels in distress. The only exception I can think of is Michelle Yeoh from Malaysia who acted in one of the James Bond movie and did her own moves. She's quite goodlooking too!

hi there!
I just got here (a day or so) and i just stumbled upon this post which seemed very interesting to me since I am black and I am a big fan of Elijah Wood.

All I want to say is I don't think there is discrimination in the fics in here because I know how hard it is for some people (no offense) to imagine Lij or any of the lads with a girl of an other ethnicity. But I gotta say, if we do put them in a situation like that, maybe it wouldn't be so weird (by the way I'm not talking about myself here, haha). And those casting calls you guys have, I only was aware of their existence two minutes ago, so don't yell at me! :blush: so thats all i wanted to say!

vixen

I have to admit I never thought of that.

But then, I also have to admit that I haven't used coloured or Asian characters in my fics yet (apart from the Slayer, which was deleted).
But I guess an explanation for this is:

I love black and Asian people, especially girls, because they're absolutely beautiful - but well... they're different from me (different, NOT better or worse!). It wouldn't be a problem to write about someone with dark skin or something, no way, but I guess when you make up a character, the first kind of "look" you think of is yourself. Maybe that's why. But then, I'd find it strange if suddenly there was a suspiciously high percentage of non-white characters. That would look like those "let's give 'em some respect for publicity"-press stunts, which I detest.

hehe, me too. But for the same reasons as above, I guess. *holds up the "proud brunette who can travel to Italy, Spain, Africa and South America without being bought into marriage"-sign* :lol:

I think that like some of you girls have said, it depends on the world you live.

For example, me, in my city I'm the palest girl ever, I'm discriminated because I don't look like the others (Tanned... god why can't I be tanned for one day?). But I get into a city or country where most of the girls look like me and boom! like if where from there.

So it's the same with fics. Most of the writers write about what they see in their lives. And we can't say it's discrimination since we don't put them lower or up ourselves. We just don't know them, so we can't write about them...

:)

I think...

Andie