The Shepherd's Crown -
The Final Discworld Novel.
quote [ Let’s raise a big glass of curdled identity politics to Michael Derrick Hudson, whose poem “The Bees, the Flowers, Jesus, Ancient Tigers, Poseidon, Adam and Eve” has made it into 2015’s Best American Poetry after only 40 rejections under his real name (Michael Derrick Hudson) and 9 under the assumed name to which it is attached in the anthology, which is the adorable “Yi-Fen Chou.” ]
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HP Lovekraftwerk said @ 4:28am GMT on 9th September
Upon further reflection, I think your comparison is also mis-applied. The people behind Avatar aren't trying to pass themselves off as Easter, Buddhist, or somehow of a given culture. They're creating a work of fiction and making ho bones about who they are or what their background is, assuming that has any relevance.
Trying to pass yourself off as something you're not, when it's not an attempt to create a character (i.e. Borat, Ziggy Stardust, Mr. Robinson of SNL fame, etc.) is where you enter into shenanigans that will (and likely should) draw fire from certain quarters. I don't think I have to remind anyone of the "A Million Little Pieces" fraud. I think as in this case, the problem is someone was basically telling a lie about who they were and what they'd done because they saw an advantage in doing so (true or not).
Were I to release a rap album with liner notes claiming my inspiration came from my first-hand experiences growing up on the streets of Detroit as a poor black kid, I think consumers would rightly be angry once they found out I was a white guy who'd never set foot in Michigan since he was 10, and that was to vacation at the Great Lakes. Sure, you can appreciate the artistry of what I've done, the same way people might still like listening to Milli Vanilli songs, but it doesn't change the fact that I used fraud to try and sell records via a made-up "authenticity."
HP Lovekraftwerk said @ 4:28am GMT on 9th September
Upon further reflection, I think your comparison is also mis-applied. The people behind Avatar aren't trying to pass themselves off as Eastern, Asian, Buddhist, or somehow of a given culture. They're creating a work of fiction and making ho bones about who they are or what their background is, assuming that has any relevance.
Trying to pass yourself off as something you're not, when it's not an attempt to create a character (i.e. Borat, Ziggy Stardust, Mr. Robinson of SNL fame, etc.) is where you enter into shenanigans that will (and likely should) draw fire from certain quarters. I don't think I have to remind anyone of the "A Million Little Pieces" fraud. I think as in this case, the problem is someone was basically telling a lie about who they were and what they'd done because they saw an advantage in doing so (true or not).
Were I to release a rap album with liner notes claiming my inspiration came from my first-hand experiences growing up on the streets of Detroit as a poor black kid, I think consumers would rightly be angry once they found out I was a white guy who'd never set foot in Michigan since he was 10, and that was to vacation at the Great Lakes. Sure, you can appreciate the artistry of what I've done, the same way people might still like listening to Milli Vanilli songs, but it doesn't change the fact that I used fraud to try and sell records via a made-up "authenticity."
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HP Lovekraftwerk said @ 4:28am GMT on 9th September
Upon further reflection, I think your comparison is also mis-applied. The people behind Avatar aren't trying to pass themselves off as Eastern, Asian, Buddhist, or somehow of a given culture. They're creating a work of fiction and making ho bones about who they are or what their background is, assuming that has any relevance.
Trying to pass yourself off as something you're not, when it's not an attempt to create a character (i.e. Borat, Ziggy Stardust, Mr. Robinson of SNL fame, etc.) is where you enter into shenanigans that will (and likely should) draw fire from certain quarters. I don't think I have to remind anyone of the "A Million Little Pieces" fraud. I think as in this case, the problem is someone was basically telling a lie about who they were and what they'd done because they saw an advantage in doing so (true or not).
Were I to release a rap album with liner notes claiming my inspiration came from my first-hand experiences growing up on the streets of Detroit as a poor black kid, I think consumers would rightly be angry once they found out I was a white guy who'd never set foot in Michigan since he was 10, and that was to vacation at the Great Lakes. Sure, you can appreciate the artistry of what I've done, the same way people might still like listening to Milli Vanilli songs, but it doesn't change the fact that I used fraud to try and sell records via a made-up "authenticity."
