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I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only r...
Answer
#6: Post edited
by
James McLellan
·
2022-06-17T17:06:18Z (almost 2 years ago)
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #5 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck"; or didn't even bother to do that much before showing up in front of clients and bosses for book club, and wanting to contribute impressively even though they are clueless about the material and desperately trying to read the other book club members, who may, too, be faking it.- If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #5 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
- As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck"; or didn't even bother to do that much before showing up in front of clients and bosses for book club, and want to contribute some impressive insight even though they are clueless about the material and desperately trying to read the other book club members, who may, too, be faking it.
- If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
#5: Post edited
by
James McLellan
·
2022-06-17T17:02:35Z (almost 2 years ago)
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #5 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck"; or didn't even bother to do that much before showing up in front of clients and bosses for book club, and wanting to contribute impressively even though they are clueless about the material and desparatly trying to read the other book club members, who may, too, be faking it. If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #5 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
- As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck"; or didn't even bother to do that much before showing up in front of clients and bosses for book club, and wanting to contribute impressively even though they are clueless about the material and desperately trying to read the other book club members, who may, too, be faking it.
- If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
#4: Post edited
by
James McLellan
·
2022-06-17T17:01:52Z (almost 2 years ago)
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #5 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck". If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #5 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
- As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck"; or didn't even bother to do that much before showing up in front of clients and bosses for book club, and wanting to contribute impressively even though they are clueless about the material and desparatly trying to read the other book club members, who may, too, be faking it. If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
#3: Post edited
by
James McLellan
·
2022-06-17T17:00:07Z (almost 2 years ago)
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #4 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.- As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck". If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #5 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
- As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck". If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
#2: Post edited
by
James McLellan
·
2022-06-17T16:59:21Z (almost 2 years ago)
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.- As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck". If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
- > I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews.
- > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry?
- I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story.
- I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own.
- As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar, and arguably competing for the #4 spot with the Numenor. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future.
- As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck". If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.
#1: Initial revision
by
James McLellan
·
2022-06-17T16:54:39Z (almost 2 years ago)
> I realize that many aspects of these races contain hidden racism--blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white elves that are completely superior, barbaric orcs with dark skin who just happen to be the only race that wears dreads/braids, banking goblins with hooked noses that totally aren't Jews. > How can I involve some of these older elements, while leaving behind the racist subtext some of them carry? I'm not sure that you can. There are a lot of fine points others have made : (a) this is your world, (b) write to your target audience, (c) understand the material, (d) add your own tweak to make the material your own, (e) avoid oversimplifying anything, unless that's exactly what you want to do for your story. I think I'll add this : my perception is that people that are seeing racist subtext are only superficially engaged in the content. They probably have not read the book. They may have skimmed a few chapters at a book club. They most certainly have not read any "the making of" content, or researched the material on their own. As such, telling them that elves are not "all-powerful" will likely only make things worse. Heck, they elves are an arguable #4 behind Eru, the Ainur, and the Valar. They were never intended to be "all powerful" as an English stand-in for the Nordic aelf. They are only meant to be strange and different. But tell these things to an angry person, and you will see that they do not care. They didn't care enough about the content to really engage with it then, nor will the person likely care about the content enough to engage with it in the future. As an author, I don't think you can protect yourself from someone who reads half a paragraph from a random page and decides - "you suck". If you do all of the things others have recommended (a through e above), you will have done well. In my opinion.