Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT 2887-2891 (2-6 February 2015)
Aziraphale:
--- Quote from: akujin on 06 Feb 2015, 13:43 ---From a trans perspective, technetium's heart is in the right place with their concerns, and for that reason it may be beneficial to include a *little* more reference to the unique difficulties of being trans. But sugarsparkle is also right - we aren't fully represented by the drama, which is usually all that's depicted. And only showing the dark side of being trans can breed severe pessimism and insecurity, especially among young people coming to terms with a trans identity. Sometimes the best thing we can do is provide positive role models.
<snip>
Being trans is about being different, and being different challenges people unaccustomed to or not expecting differences. More than anything, being different illustrates the best and the worst of humanity. It shows how horrible we can be, and how wonderful. The horrors are usually irreversible and thus intensely horrific. But the wonderful people are actually the majority. They just fly under the radar by treating people *normally*.
--- End quote ---
I get the impression that a bunch of people want a trans "The Laramie Project," while another wants a trans "Will and Grace". The problem is that storytelling about any individual -- much less any group of individuals -- ends up being like the blind men and the elephant; no matter how hard you try, you can only tell so much of the story. Something gets left out, or de-emphasized, only to be taken up (or forgotten) later, but you're never going to get the whole thing... even if it's your story you're telling.
Maybe (and I'm saying "maybe" because I'm not trans*, so I can't claim insider knowledge on this one) ordinary is a good thing, because ordinary leaves the door open for a hell of a lot more complexity in the end than rendering someone as a saint, sinner, or freak show (which seem to be the go-to options when portraying people outside the cis/het/white "norm"). If nothing else, it makes it a hell of a lot harder to marginalize someone when you realize their life's every bit as quotidian and pedestrian as yours 99% of the time.
Zebediah:
--- Quote from: Smallest on 06 Feb 2015, 13:57 ---
--- Quote from: Neko_Ali on 06 Feb 2015, 13:55 ---
--- Quote from: de_la_Nae on 06 Feb 2015, 13:54 ---
What's 'the surgery'?
--- End quote ---
It's when they take you into the hospital and perform a medical procedure on you, usually under anesthetic. And no, I don't think Claire has ever mentioned having her appendix out.
--- End quote ---
Aw, I was way off. I thought it was laser insertion.
--- End quote ---
Well, yeah. They have to take something out to make room for the laser.
Dalillama:
--- Quote from: DrClef on 06 Feb 2015, 13:29 ---
Perfect Boyfriend Marten stands out like a sore thumb.
--- End quote ---
I'm not seeing it; Marten is chill and laid back, in relationships as with anything else. He was chill, supportive, and laid back about Dora's insecurities and anxieties (Up to a point, admittedly, but it took quite a lot to get to that point), and Faye's too, although they weren't dating, why would he be any different with Claire? (Also, I get a little annoyed by all the 'oh he's too perfect' on a personal level, since I actually have a very similar approach to relationships as Marten, and I get a little sick of people going on about how unrealistic I apparently am).
--- Quote from: Fig on 06 Feb 2015, 13:42 ---
I absolutely refuse to get contact lenses. Sure, glasses are a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes but the thought of poking something that you normally don't poke day after day is just unnerving. Also the thought of someone carving out my corneas with a laser is enough to send me into full heebie jeebie mode. I like Claire better with her glasses, but I just happen to find people more attractive with glasses more so than not.
--- End quote ---
I can't. I tried putting them in one time, and my eye felt like it was on fire for the next several hours, even after I got the damn thing back out.
Regarding Lasik, I personally possess an unholy (and irrational) terror regarding surgeries of literally any sort whatsoever (except dental surgery, for some peculiar reason), even down to such exceedingly minor procedures as pierced earlobes (I am one of two people I know who have no tattoos or piercings of any sort, and the other one is deciding what tattoo to get when he has some spare cash).
ReindeerFlotilla:
--- Quote from: Aziraphale on 06 Feb 2015, 14:28 ---The problem is that storytelling about any individual -- much less any group of individuals -- ends up being like the blind men and the elephant; no matter how hard you try, you can only tell so much of the story. Something gets left out, or de-emphasized, only to be taken up (or forgotten) later, but you're never going to get the whole thing... even if it's your story you're telling.
--- End quote ---
This, exactly. We only have so many words. Our attention is finite. Sometimes we get lucky and capture so much of the "elephant" with one statement, it looks complete. People give praise, laud our genius, pat us on the back. But it was purely luck that our attention happened to fall on part of subject that covered so much. In the end, it still turns out we missed more than we captured.
In the internet age, there's going to be someone who will point out every detail we left out.
SomeCanadianWeirdo:
Yeah, chill out, gang. There's lots of time for drama to unfold with this relationship. At least one of the characters will say something stupid or inappropriate when they find out Claire's history. (Cosette would be a an obvious choice, if only because she has such bad luck.) We already know Claire has dad issues, and as I read the latest posts here today the thought came to mind that her dad may have rejected her after she decided to transition. If so that's sure to come up sooner or later. Clinton may not react well to the change in their relationship, as he isn't exactly a fan of Marten's.
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