Gatefail 2009 (or, A Primer on Stories that Scream)

[Pandora's_Box]

Gatefail 2009 (or, A Primer on Stories that Scream)

Contrary to the belief of the producers' defenders, there is little, as critics have pointed out, new or 'edgy' about the proposed Sabotage storyline. While body-swap technology may not be an everyday occurrence in the real world, creating situations in which women are sexually vulnerable, making Asian and Asian-descended women the locus of male sexual fantasy, and treating people with disabilities as though they are less than fully-realized human beings is all too repetitive and ordinary. Making a white, male character sexually vulnerable to another man would be new (and avoiding homophobic hysteria while doing so would be vital and refreshing); writing a female genius with a disability who saves the day without needing to be healed in order to do so would be entirely unexpected; writing a lesbian character whose sexual choices are absolutely respected by her co-workers would be practically revolutionary. Note that, in contradiction to the arguments made by some defenders of the show, none of these alternatives require the characters to be likeable in order to break out of racist, homophobic, sexist, and ableist tropes – the only requirement is to think of women as something other than victims of their physicality, men as something other than individuals owed sexual congress as a matter of existence, and non-white persons something other than vehicles for white folk to learn something about themselves.

My thoughts are unkind. I will deliberate further before posting.

[jelgate]

The terms biased and closed minded come to mind when I read this article come to mind when I read this article.Thier are other words but this is a PG forum. The author lost my respect on how he/she is very closed to the people who support this character but is very opinion to bashing. To be honest it reads more like a blogger who has a chip on his/her shoulder

[geewillie86]

This article sucks!

writing a female genius with a disability who saves the
day without needing to be healed in order to do so would be entirely unexpected

First of all, she doesn't need to be healed. She needs to be on the ship. The only way for her to be on the ship is to use the LRC device. Apparently, anybody who would use the device from the Earth end is going to end up being in the body of Camille Wray. Since Wray isn't quadriplegic, the "female genius" is going to find herself in situations that weren't possible before. Commence drama.

...creating situations in which women are sexually vulnerable...

Who said anything about vulnerability? It could easily be that she now finds it easier to get what she wants. We don't know what the motivations are here, and its ridiculous to make assumptions about them.

...making Asian and Asian-descended women the locus of male sexual fantasy

Actually, my understanding of the character would suggest that this particular Asian woman is the locus of female sexual fantasy as well. That's why she's a "lesbian".

Making a white, male character sexually vulnerable to another man would be new (and avoiding homophobic hysteria while doing so would be vital and refreshing)

Agreed. Hopefully, TPTB will get the guts necessary to have a gay male character one day. Still, lesbians deserve to get the spotlight too. It can't all be about gay guys, and we can't cut their spotlight short because of fears of straight male gratification.

...men as something other than individuals owed sexual congress as a matter of existence

That type of attitude is what we would call a character flaw. It would be something for us to look at and remark about how bad it is. Remember, these people are going to have issues. They aren't going to be good people through and through. They're meant to have attributes that you could find offensive. That's what motivates dramatic situations where the other characters have to put them in their place.

non-white persons something other than vehicles for white folk to learn something about themselves.

As a white person, I find this statement to be egregious. Considering the extremely talented performances of Christopher Judge, Rachel Luttrell, Jason Momoa, Lexa Doig, Vaitiare Bandera, Peter Williams, and Vince Crestejo just to name a few, I think that it should be reconsidered. Don't even get me started on how annoying it is to hear us being pigeon-holed into the same category as if all of the "white people" on the show were from the same nation and culture. We're white, so we're all the same, right?

</rant>

[Coronach]

Greetings and salutations, good Gateworlders!

When I saw this article posted, I thought it quite prudent to intervene early so I could dispel worries and gobble-dee-whatzits, as well as translate this complex masterpiece into something for the masses.

I actually think the article was beautifully-written. The author possesses a certain turn of phrase that is--shall we say--breathtaking.

Here's a good illustration of such:

Universe intended to air a storyline which maligned people with disabilities

Amazing, right? Jolly good, jolly good. Not only did they pick up on the quite nuanced wording of the oh-so-important audition sides, but they--through an astounding leap in theoretical physics--have actually developed their own time machine! Quite smashing, to be sure!

Gone are the days of nervous worry over future shows. Now, for just 3 low payments of $19.95, you too can skip all of that worry and let these (unbiased) sources do the thinking for you!

overwrote a character's canonical lesbianism with heterosexual sex

Alas, good Gateworlders! See here? This is what we in the professional amateur "alternative" news industry like to refer (quite cheekily) to as "hitting the nail on the head" *chortle-giggle*

Fear not, I shall explain to you all. You see, in the course of dissecting something about a story, it is a common goal of us all to aim for a fair, proper analysis of the subject in question.

And (as is quite obvious), this article really was quite accurate in "hitting that nail", you see. Stunning is one word for it. "Borderline-fabulous", another.

reiterated the old trope of Asian and Asian-descended women being sexual playthings for white men

Yes indeedy-doodle, good samaritan! It is quite prudent in our fine journalism circle to promote equality by tearing down those dastardly white men (they're all the same anyways). Simply corking good job, fine citizen.

And, while it may mean telling Asian women what roles they can and cannot choose to portray, it's ultimately for their own good.

and – without a scene in which Perry asked Wray for consent to use her body for sexual purposes – condoned rape.

And, at last, a more serious one. Gaties, if you've been paying attention, you may have picked up a bit on the complicated world of "alternative" news sources.

The final lesson I shall teach you is that depiction=condoning. It is an oft-forgotten rule in TV and film media these days, but an important one to remember.

For those that are still confused, here are some examples to help illustrate this poignant point (oh I'm so droll ):

If there is killing in a show, then the writers condone killing.
If there is violence in a show, then the writers condone violence.
If there is slavery in a show, then the writers condone slavery.

And, more related to the fine journalist's point, if there is rape in the show, then the writers condone rape.

It is a sad state the SGU may be dipping to such a despicable low, as they have never done so by condoning ANY of the above in the past (because depiction=condoning, my friends).

In conclusion, I hope this was an enthralling tour through the wonderful world that is "alternative" journalism. It can be a bit confusing at times, that much I know. Still, it's very important that articles like this expose SGU and it's writers for what they truly are.

Only with this can we get the perfect show we all long for!

Signed,

Coronach von' Blitzelsteinn; Esq.

[PG15]

Well, that's that then. The sickness has fried Coronach's brain, and we are all the more entertained for it. Thank you, sickness!

Pan, don't bother writing down your deliberations; it will not compare to the word-shaped images that I just allowed onto my retina.

[Pandora's_Box]

:: le sigh ::

I would comment on the actual site, but I can't without an account so I won't.

So I'll say it here on a thread that should be easy to find for all, including GateWorld newbies and visitors alike.

Racism = FAIL

Sexism = FAIL

Homophobia = FAIL

Ableism = FAIL

Bad writing and development = FAIL

Discrimination = FAIL

Judging an entire series and the writers who write it based on a couple acting sides = FAIL

Losing objectivity, misrepresenting people (PG15 and SGFerrit), misrepresenting the subject matter and disregarding everything else BUT what only proves your point = FAIL

Replacing one form of discrimination for another = FAIL


The answer to ending sexism isn't to never have fictional women be sexualised, but deem it acceptable for fictional men. The answer to ending racism isn't to never marginalise a fictional person of "colour", but allow the same to happen to fictional "white" people. The answer to ending homophobia isn't to sexualise and demean a fictional heterosexual.

I don't know exactly what the answer is, but I'm pretty damn certain that it isn't more of the same.

It's sad to say, but this stuff happens in real life. Women get beat up by men. Homosexual people are discriminated against. Race determines respect for some people. It sucks, yes, and it's FAIL (to use the vernacular) and we should all work as hard as we can to eliminate as much of it as possible from our lives and the lives of those around us. But to become so reactionary to situations and stories involving people of "colour", races other than "white", homosexuals, and those physically disabled, that we turn around and demand those same injustices be inflicted upon someone else rather defeats the point.

The point is that it shouldn't happen.

And seeing what isn't there is just as bad. Guess what? Sometimes bad stuff happens to people of "colour" and it's not racism. Sometimes disabled people fantasise about walking (and moving) and it's not ableism. Sometimes bad stuff just happens. Sometimes writers write this stuff and the act of writing it does not equal condoning it.

I'd also venture it's better to wait and assess the actual material before jumping upon high horses too. I wouldn't want anyone to fall off their lofty perches.

[Orion Antreas]

You know...a thought comes to my mind that I wish I could say about the author; however, it would be inappropriate to say on the forums.

I will say however, that this author redefines the word 'ignorance'. I love how PG15 and SGFerrit's posts were used to further the author's claims by distorting the posts and like Pandora said, misrepresenting them.

Oh wells, there is no need to continue because we all (at least I hope a majority of us) can be in agreement that the article is...well, you know.

You know, I just thought about this before entering the submit button. I kept referring to the article writer as 'author' when in reality that shouldn't be the case. The article in a harsh way could be considered garbage, so therefore 'they' should be referred to as a profession involving waste.

[prion]

:: le sigh ::

I would comment on the actual site, but I can't without an account so I won't.

Then why don't you? make an account, make a post, delete the account.

[Pandora's_Box]

Then why don't you? make an account, make a post, delete the account.

Because most sites don't allow one to delete accounts.

[SGFerrit]

It's worth doing. Up until now it's pretty much been Cate posting and loads of her followers agreeing with her. I signed up. I was mentioned personally in that article, so I thought it was the right thing to do.

Here's my most recent post there:

"SGFerrit - Likely you're not a homophobic, ableist, sexist pig, but you certainly said homophobic, sexist, ableist things."

I said those things? Really? I've been one of the first to stick up for gays in Gateworld forums and elsewhere ever since it was announced that Camille was a lesbian, I've heard a lot of 'fans' expressing anger and disgust at the fact that there will be a lesbian in the show, and that in turn disgusted me, I thought SciFi fans were much more open-minded than that. Ive got a gay cousin, a bisexual sister, and bisexual friends (female and male) and I see nothing wrong with that.

In terms of ableism, I had a grandma who was bound to a wheelchair for the last few years of her life, before suffering an uncomfortable and drawn out death. I've seen the effects disabilities have on people and the families involved, myself included. I'm not one to go around making ableist remarks about disabled people.

In terms of sexism, In a world where most guys go clubbing and go for the first drunk girl they find, totally disrespecting them, I'm the guy who takes girls on dates first. The first place my hand goes is to her hand, not to her boobs just so I can brag about it later like the guys at school used to. I respect women, and consider them equal to men, not just things to be used for sex.

I've not said these things you are claiming, to my knowledge anyway, and certainly not intentionally. Post the quotes (and links to them) if I have. You tried to paint a derogatory picture of me in order to try and further your campaign here, probably thinking I wouldn't come and reply, or that I'd be ashamed or something... I'm sure you've done the same to others. This has gone from being a campaign against the Stargate PTB, trying to get what you saw as an offensive episode pulled, to a more personal campaign against people from forums on the net and how they act. Sure, there's been a big fail on the net recently. And it isn't a Gatefail. It's a Catefail.

[s09119]

It's worth doing. Up until now it's pretty much been Cate posting and loads of her followers agreeing with her. I signed up. I was mentioned personally in that article, so I thought it was the right thing to do.

Here's my most recent post there:

That was an excellent post, and while I doubt she'll respond to it with anything but contempt, I applaud you got writing it. Green!

[SGFerrit]

That was an excellent post, and while I doubt she'll respond to it with anything but contempt, I applaud you got writing it. Green!

Her response was actually fairly level headed I don't mind debating this, I've had MUCH worse arguments on the net with people who were much more closed-minded

Thanks for the G man

[PG15]

Luckily for me, I am indeed a sexist, ableist, racist, and homophobic pig; no misrepresentation here! Gosh, she had me pegged!

In fact, I'm kind of surprised so many people around here would hang out and banter with an evil mofo such as I. Truly surprised. I guess that says something about you guys, doesn't it?

[Coronach]

Luckily for me, I am indeed a sexist, ableist, racist, and homophobic pig; no misrepresentation here! Gosh, she had me pegged!

In fact, I'm kind of surprised so many people around here would hang out and banter with an evil mofo such as I. Truly surprised. I guess that says something about you guys, doesn't it?

Oh PG, old chap,

You know I enjoy a good roast as much as the next fellow. And it's quite in my nature to partake in jolly fun of being all of the things you listed.

So it should come as no surprise to you, dear boy, that we enjoy the company of your sardonic wit and droll sense of humor.

I say, I think you knew this all already. Are you, perchance, trying to engage in a clever ruse?

Bully-fully yours,

Coronach von' Blitzelsteinn; Esq.

[PG15]

Oh Blitzelsteinn, you and your drugs that I score for you because of how horrible I am as a person.