Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT

WCDT 2887-2891 (2-6 February 2015)

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Jynto:

--- Quote from: AprilArcus on 08 Feb 2015, 20:25 ---
--- Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 08 Feb 2015, 16:55 ---It is also [a relationship] that imposed on him a duty to be open-minded in a way that was not foreshadowed in the first couple of thousand strips.

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What?

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No one in the comic is saying he has to be open-minded about this, except perhaps the narrative of the comic itself. No one could blame him if he got weirded out about Claire's body and decided not to take the relationship any further. Even Claire would probably understand - relationships have been ended over much less. But since this is a comic, he'd lose the audience's sympathy if he did that, and they would turn on him with pitchforks and projectile muffins.

It's precisely because of the fact that this relationship is put on a pedestal in a way that real relationships are not, partly because it's between fictional characters, but also because one of them is notably transgender. They have become a flagship for healthy transgender relationships. All aboard the S.S. Claireten, flying the rainbow flag!

For better or worse (and for real transgender people it tends to be worse), it means that Claire is a representative of transgenderism as a whole, due to being both fictional* and transgender. Marten, by association with Claire, is also a representative of how one should aspire to act in this situation. In real life, a straight-cis-white-dude like him would not usually be under this kind of scrutiny. Claire shouldn't be either, but the real world is not all there yet.

*The same arguments could be made for celebrity relationships, but for a different audience.


--- Quote from: AprilArcus on 08 Feb 2015, 20:51 ---Strip 1024 makes it absolutely clear that Marten doesn't have a problem sleeping with penis-havers, he has a problem sleeping with men. In other words, his particular flavor of straightness has nothing to do with genitals and everything to do with gender presentation. Claire x Marten may seem to be forced for a lot of reasons, but contradicting Marten's on-panel statements about his sexuality is absolutely not one of them.

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Well found! But I think that that shows my point further, as in real life it would not be possible to hold a person to something they said years ago. Real people change over time too, so he could have said something and meant it, and then not followed through with it later on and he'd still be being honest/true to himself. In fiction however, people don't tend to change unless it's part of their character arc.

Akima:

--- Quote from: Silverzippo on 08 Feb 2015, 20:53 ---I will afford people common courtesy, but I will not grant them the luxury of special privilege based on potentially hurt feelings.
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Someone makes a statement like this and claims that other people are claiming privilege... :roll:

What is "common courtesy" if not a consideration of other people's feelings? On what basis do we decide that consideration of another person's feelings is "special privilege" rather than "common courtesy"? Just who allocates to any individual the right to decide that consideration of their feelings is "common courtesy", but consideration of someone else's is "special privilege"? And to demand that other people accept that their decision about "common courtesy" vs. "special privilege" has some sort of authority or legitimacy?

Personally, I do not believe one should demand from others what one is not asked for oneself. If you don't have to handle intrusive questions about the precise configuration of your genitals, your dietary habits, religion etc. you should consider whether anybody else's are any of your business. Also, I think everyone should think about whatever is the sharpest burr under their own saddle, before declaring someone else's feelings to be invalid, and consideration of them "special privilege". As forum regulars know, I am prickly about racism, because I am a member of a minority ethnic group in Australia that has lower status than the majority. Racism is not the same as prejudice against trans people, and I'm certainly not going to get into Oppression Olympics, but I always ask myself, when I observe how people react to trans people, or depictions of them, how I would feel it "trans" were replaced with "Asian". Anything I don't like, I should not inflict on others. If I expect privacy, I should offer it to others.


--- Quote from: DSL on 10 Feb 2015, 07:14 ---the use of "Body English" instead of "Body language," which took a special snowflake "five minutes to process,"
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I don't know the context, but on the face of it, that seems silly. However, native English-speakers, or even people like me who've been using English for a long time, should consider just how "slangy" we should be in forums where ESL people hang out. On the other hand ESL people should take the opportunity to improve our colloquial English, without slipping into sloppy expression ourselves, of course. :lol:


--- Quote from: Akima on 07 Jun 2013, 03:25 ---"Why do you gotta"...  All those years learning your bizarre language, aspiring to speak it "like a native"... Wasted.  :-D
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