3/28/2007

Apologese* to Ren (again)

Sorry about how that last thread turned out, it wasn't supposed to go like that, I was just ranting inanely and at lenght about stuff that irritates me.

However, AradhanaD's points: valid.

And that knife in your gut feeling?

Your capitalism thread.**

Seriously, some days I don't feel like reiterating for the guzzilionth time why, no, people don't get "paid more for working harder" under capitalism, no I'm not poor because I'm lazy, no I am not worth less, and not therefore less of human being, than you just because you're middle class and I'm not (thank you rootie tootie for that).

And why yes - praising a system that puts prices on people's heads like that, and steals most people's money and tells them that that's oh so much better than getting public services isn't a good thing thankyouverymuch... I hate capitalism like I hate the fucking tip system, I have seen so fucking much money, that I earned, wiht my hurt ass high heeled feet, because I hate all those feminine rituals ren, to answer your question, all of them, because I CAN'T give them up and be allowed to live, and I would love to, I dress like a fucking man on my days off for exactly that reason (the mid week, when I don't pull shifts, I am free to be me, and that me is on the butcher side of andro) but gotta put the slapstick on, and wear the heels and the skirts and the tops, and earn that pissant percentage of those piss ant tips with the fucking constant pinches nad touches and slaps on my ass and attempted rapes and everything else, all to have what I do earn with that hell stolen from me at the end of the day, legally, because if I don't accept that fucking tip system and minimum wages I don't have work to do.

No degrees you see - and everything needs a degree even the make peice clerical shit these days - because one kid got to go to college because that's all my mother could afford after she left my abusive father - and my eldest brother got that ticket.

He's some techie last I heard, which chafes my ass with jealousy and anger because do you know what I wanted to be when I little? A doctor, to make a difference, to help people - and he wastes his chance on being a fucking techie just because he enjoys that work, the fucker.

Won't ever be able to pull the money neccesary to do medical school because of the bills, known that since I was ickle despite the occasional brief glimmer of hope that's been dashed once too many times now thankyouvery much, and the rent and hte bullshit upon bullshit that sucks up what cash I do make.

Look, be proud in who you are but don't do that at anyone's expense - that you have to find your strength in that sort of garbage (the movie - not your work) is a problem, not yours but THOSE things', the big invisible elephants in left Blogistan that are sometimes seen and somtimes not.

If you get pride from a place that does come at someone else' expense - and I mean truly at the expense of other people not some linkage that requires a mind like a heat seeking corkscrew to grasp - like the way the glorification of the 300 and the spartans comes at the expense and erasure of the thousands upon thousands of helots they killed and raped in every sense of the word back in the day, isn't worth it in the long run ren, seriously, and I know you get told what you're allowed to feel pride in all the time by people who are more concerned with bringing you down because you've got bigger tits than them (and while you can't say that without sounding like a stuck up jerk, I can, so there) - sometimes you're sucking up selfworth from toxic sources, because life wants to poison you honey, and it will do things like that towards that end goal. While it may just be liking 300 today, tommorrow you'll be dancing down whitegirl lane hand in hand with heart or lindsey beyerstein - imperialists take all forms, and they don't wear the black hats or the black face in real life.

And having those generations of rape (and who speaks for the dead if no one does?) glossed over to sell war upon iraqi, afghan and soon to be iranian babies - yes that makes me angry ren, and yes it's toxic because it makes you dance*** for your self worth, makes you give up that ability to care for the lost and downtrodden that the world needs, just so you can grasp some small amount of pride that it'll rob you of with interest at the next opportunity - and yes it'll undoubtably pretend to be trying to protect you from yourself, but meh.

Okay, but I meant taht last post to be at them, you know, that they that it'd take too long to get specific about.

So I'm sorry that all makes me angry, and that my aim is poor.

Cheer up - and eat a manwich dammit, I'm hungry.

* how the fuck do you spell that?

** Sorry, I'm a grudge camel, my humps, my lovely spite filled lady lumps, on my back... well, just on my back.

*** your profession fucks my metaphors up dammit, you know what I mean, a dancer by choice is not the same thing as a hobo who's being paid to beat up another hobo for the amusement of a rich brat - that's what I mean, choice makes a distinction. A big veiny distinction

9 comments:

Renegade Evolution said...

RM:

Hum, long hours in heels with ass grabbing...I know that one. I was once a waitress too.

You know what? I cannot believe all of this is over a movie. I utterly understand that a great many people hated it, found it offensive, and yes, hate based elements of it were obvious. I've felt the same way about films with anti Jew and anti Russian and anti East Asian sentiments and stereotypes. The week I had last week I wanted to go watch something with a bunch of buff, sweaty men and epic style battle scenes. Hell, I've nearly worn out my "Gladiator" dvd. "300" fit the bill. I get to have guilty pleasures too. Really, I do. Some people smoke weed. Some people drink to excess too often. Some people eat chocolate. I don't. I watch historical fiction movies with big battle scenes and scantily clad sides of beef with swords. Did I find the hammer to the head 'Persians' are bad message to be over the top? Of course. But really, I am done justifying why I mindlessly enjoyed a damn movie. And yes, I think mansex would have made it much better. It’s not about gaining strength or whatever, its about taking a break, not needing to think, being entertained and honestly, just getting to forget some stuff and recharge for a little while. Hell, the seeing of that movie (and the dinner and drink that followed)? That was the first time between both our schedules that myself and Mr. Evolution have been able to go out at the same time and spend an entire afternoon/evening together as a couple, like a date, not a mission where something had to be done…(like find out how much a new roof will cost or buy replacement parts for a broken pipe) in close to six months. Sorry if I think occasionally I deserve things like that without having to ponder the greater political implications. If I applied “the spirit and will to fight” of the fictional movie Spartans to the way I feel sometimes and it gave me a bit of a kick and that offends people, well…I am not sure what to say to that. When people are feeling down due to a lot of reasons, well…by all means; I think they deserve a break and a little mindless entertainment.

I said once before somewhere that I cannot spend every moment of my life thinking about political implications. Some people apparently can, but I can’t. I don’t wake up in the morning, shower, brush my teeth, get underwear and then ponder the feminist implications? Hum, bra? It’s a sports bra, so okay, but it’s pink…no go. Panties? Bikini cut? NO, unfeminist! Thong? No WAY! Briefs? Yeah, but damn I find them uncomfortable. The same goes for race issues and class issues. I’ve not been middle class all my life nor am I white as the driven snow, so I do actually know something about racism and classism. I spent the majority of my youth taking shit from people for being poor, wearing hand me downs and wondering if the power would be on in whatever shit hole house we were renting and living in at the time. I got the pleasure of moving out of one state in the dead of night with no warning along with the rest of my family because my father had borrowed money from the wrong person and could not pay it back. I’ve been profiled in an airport and strip-searched. And I cannot count how many times I’ve had people ask “well, what ARE you?” when trying to figure out my ethnic make up. So yes, add that to the fact that I am also a woman, and I do know something about “isms”. But I can’t, don’t, won’t, think about them every time I do something… especially something like going to see a movie on a date with the one person in this world who honestly does not give a shit what other people think of me or what I do for a living and just accepts me for me. And I am not going to feel guilty for enjoying that movie. I’m just not.

As for capitalism, I don't particularly *like* captialism on many levels, but I've been poor. I hated it even more. If something better that actually works comes along, I will be more than happy to try it out. Trust me, I well know how capitalism makes humans commodities.

RM, you don’t owe me an apology. You don’t. Not at all. But sometimes, for me, not EVERYTHING is political. Sometimes it just is. My enjoyment of that movie, it just is. The Spartans were no angles and did some horrific shit, I know that. The movie had a ton of sketchy themes, I know that. But sometimes I just want to be entertained without having to ponder all that. I mean, I could point out there is a ton of rape, misogyny, sexism, violence and nationalism found in anime, but you know, if that is what entertains you…so be it

R. Mildred said...

rape, misogyny, sexism, violence and nationalism found in anime

Yes but the watching of that stuff by gaijins (who they hate) who's country dropped a nuke on their heads fucks with that to some extent (though god help me, the number of anime fans who point to anime stereotyping and then declare all asian people racist I've seen...) - it's the spike milligan loving that is problematic, so yes I get what you're saying, but strictly speaking I've never watched a nationalistic anime during the build up of japan invading another country, and spike milligan is staunchly anti-imperialism and anti-war despite the racism.

I cannot believe all of this is over a movie.

Well I ment the last post to be not so problematic, and to be a quick info dump for the people who didn't know of thermopylae, and then it twisted somewhat, and then I saw you kvetching about it...

This still isn't quite the whole bussel photo blowup, so ue to that low low bar having been set, the shark is feeling frustrated and unjumped even as I type.

The Spartans were no angles and did some horrific shit, I know that.

Spelling error or ethno-historical witticism? (too geeky?)

R. Mildred said...

can we bury our hatches? (In ann althouse's head prefferably?)

Renegade Evolution said...

RM:

No need for hatchet burying, I'm not mad at you at all. Seriously. Trust me, you are not the only one who has been horrified by my like of "300". Tis all good, really.

But yeah, mansex would have been cool...

R. Mildred said...

Can we bury hatchets in althouse's head anyway? We could use one of the trepanning holes she's got up there, and cover everything that sticks out up with some peroxided straw.

No one will ever know.

Donna said...

I'd be pissed at Ren if I thought she was clueless, but since I know she's not, I also know what she is getting at. It's awfully hard to find entertainment in America that doesn't have racism, or sexism/misogyny, or some other ism. So whatcha gonna do? Twiddle your thumbs? I know I have dvds with elements of the isms in them, but recognize it for what it is, and if I happen to be watching with the kids, I point it out to them so they will be aware of it too. I've no doubt that Ren recognizes the racist propaganda in 300 for what it is and therefore isn't swayed by it, and is also wise enough to know that it's basically a dramatization of history to make it more interesting and entertaining than historically accurate. The point I am getting at is that I don't think that Ren was saying that racism in movies is ok by her, but that it is just about impossible to find entertainment that isn't racist in the US and I'd have to agree just from looking at my own dvd collection.

belledame222 said...

Can we bury hatchets in althouse's head anyway?

We can try, but i suspect it'd just sort of -blop- through, you know, like tapioca pudding.

R. Mildred said...

So whatcha gonna do?

John Romero movies...FOREVER

Can we at least call a moritorium on "it's only a..." arguements? because it's not really a good arguement under any circumstance and ignores the rather central role comics, and movies and radio and TV has played in enabling and apologising for hate crimes and genocide in the past, in much the same way blogs and the net will be involved with something or other if they survive as significant cultural artifacts for long enough.

there's no such thing as "just" a comic book, or "just" a radio show, or "just" a blog, they're as significant as such things choose to be.

And some have chosen to be very significant indeed in the past.

Blackamazon said...

Yeah i jsut caught up on everything and I'll respond to it in my own time but can we please please not sya IT's jsut. combined with real life issues it's probably the most hurtful thing that can be said at this point about so MANY things its not even comical anymorre