Greetings Dear Reader,
If one has seen any social media over the last few days, one
has seen the applause, angst, and arguments regarding the choice to cast Ariel,
the Little Mermaid, as non-white. I find
that the fervor over this is a bit absurd.
How is it that we are arguing over the color of ink used to illustrate a
fictional mythical character? Seriously,
does it matter that much?
There are several things I have seen that deserve much more
attention. We spend far too much time loading
baggage into things that do not need baggage. Here are a few facts to consider
if one is going to venture into a discussion of any body of literature that is
translated to film.
First, what did the author state about his characters? Does he describe their culture, hair, or
race? If so, that ends the discussion of
how he/she should be represented. This
does not mean that other interpretations are not allowed or even needed. It does mean that the intent of the author
must be considered or your interpretation is in error. Authorial intent matters in every case or it
does not matter at all. As an author, I intend
to choose the former always.
Second, what is the context of the story? When it comes to literature the setting is
vital to the story. When one is
translating stories that have been around for decades or even centuries, one
should consider the context in which the story is written. Beauty and the Beast is a French tale. The Leather-Stocking Tales must be told with
a colonial flavor and show the various personalities of the Native Americans in
those stories. I often find that when
one tries to translate the culture of a story that the attempt lacks something.
Third, we should consider the purpose of our changes. If we change a story created by someone else
just to make our own agenda work, I find that irresponsible and disrespectful toward
the artist; the creator. We would not repaint
the Mona Lisa because there are not enough Inuit in DaVinci’s work. If we want to tell stories that reflect a
culture that is good. Find them, create
them, and sometimes retool old stories. If
I need to disrespect another artist’s work to create art, I may need to inspect
my motives.
I want every culture to be represented and respected in the books,
movies, and music I consume. As to
cartoons about mythical mermaids, perhaps we lost something when we quit letting
them just be cartoons. It may be that we
do not need to make it about race, gender roles, or politics. In a world where I am supposed to love
everyone, I am not willing to be offended by what color ink is chosen for a
cartoon character. I want everyone to
feel represented. I also want creators
to have the consumer respect their creation.
It was Lincoln I think who said, “you cannot please all of the people
all of the time.” I am coming to the
point Dear Reader where I think one can find offense in almost everything if
one wishes.
As for me, I would prefer to see a new tale instead of
remaking an old one. There are few
stories that bear remaking over and over.
Perhaps we should think more new thoughts and try more new things. There are so many more stories to tell. I
would rather learn more about your culture than see you tokenized in a remake. Then again, I am just a guy who writes stories
and asks you to spend a little time in my worlds. You are free to see me as wrong about all of
this. I will not get offended at that
either.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer
who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner.
He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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