bookgazing (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bookgazing) wrote2010-07-23 02:36 am
bookgazing) wrote2010-07-23 02:36 am
Praise and Blame
So I have spent some time this week doubting my intellect – fun times! On the plus side it made me really determined not to make myself sound like an ass by scoffing at other people’s intellect ever again, on the ‘I don’t know how negative this might be’ side anyone reading gets confused rambling about compartmentalisation and entertainment.
I read a really great post by cleolinda, the premier Twi critique expert, where she talks very quickly about compartmentalisation in relation to Twilight and True Blood before going on to talk about other things:
‘And I feel like I'm a little different from a lot of people in that I can compartmentalize a lot of things. A lot of people--in this case, Twilight fans--will start out liking, say, Edward, for whatever reason, and because they like him, proceed to defend and rationalize everything he does from then on. I'm the kind of person who will take each thing--and this goes for real life as well--and judge it individually. "Saving her from a speeding van, okay, yeah, that's great, that superhero shit, everyone loves that; okay, this cold-shoulder I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT stuff, he's being a dick but I see why, in terms of narrative arc, it's happening; saving her from a roving gang of attackers, that's kind of hilariously contrived, but more superhero shit, Vampire Volvo of Great Justice, rock AH GOD SNEAKING INTO HER ROOM TO WATCH HER SLEEP WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU OH MY FUCK NO." I take it as it comes, and I critique it as it comes.’
That is kind of how I feel about the Twilight series too. Also about a lot of other stuff that I enjoy bits of, but see problems in ( ‘The Windup Girl’ is probably the best current example). So there’s no way I can blanket out all those problems, because I like bits of the books, or films they come from. Nor can I deny that I like certain bits of things, because I dislike others – that would be me repressing myself. So, I compartmentalise and for the past few years I’ve pretty much believed that generally this is a more useful way for me to approach the world than the way my teenage self approached it (basically ragging everything others liked if they didn’t fit with my own ideals or aesthetic standards – you should have heard me on romance novels back then).
Now I’m not so sure. Everyone has their trigger books where they can’t split out the good from the bad, the bad just dominates their view of the book. There are books where I know I wouldn’t be able to split my conflict with the books presentation of society, from the good aspects of the book (say brilliant writing for example). Even if I could be fair I would damn the good aspects with faint praise, as in ‘Yes good writing, but terrible, awful misogyny is the more important thing here’ (I am thinking of my plans to take on Philip Roth’s books soonish). I would make a weighted judgement, based on all the elements of the book combined and come down on the side of the negative.
So when I am able to separate out the good from the bad in other books aren’t I inadvertently making a statement about what negative aspects I will tolerate (even while screaming and shouting about how awful they are) for the kind of positive pay off I want? I obviously can’t compartmentalise bits and pieces in all problematic books, so when I can manage it isn’t it very similar to other readers ignoring or justifying the problematic issues to continue enjoying what they enjoy? Is it just making myself still feel like a feminist to say I notice the sexism in Twilight, so it’s ok for me to enjoy the series as long as I’m aware of the negatives? If I notice sexism and I find it objectionable shouldn’t I reject the whole enterprise (except as something to hungrily rip apart)? And isn’t it wrong for me to say I can compartmentalise issues that don’t directly seek to offend me, but are directly confrontational to many other people?
Oh life why no manual?
I read a really great post by cleolinda, the premier Twi critique expert, where she talks very quickly about compartmentalisation in relation to Twilight and True Blood before going on to talk about other things:
‘And I feel like I'm a little different from a lot of people in that I can compartmentalize a lot of things. A lot of people--in this case, Twilight fans--will start out liking, say, Edward, for whatever reason, and because they like him, proceed to defend and rationalize everything he does from then on. I'm the kind of person who will take each thing--and this goes for real life as well--and judge it individually. "Saving her from a speeding van, okay, yeah, that's great, that superhero shit, everyone loves that; okay, this cold-shoulder I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT stuff, he's being a dick but I see why, in terms of narrative arc, it's happening; saving her from a roving gang of attackers, that's kind of hilariously contrived, but more superhero shit, Vampire Volvo of Great Justice, rock AH GOD SNEAKING INTO HER ROOM TO WATCH HER SLEEP WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU OH MY FUCK NO." I take it as it comes, and I critique it as it comes.’
That is kind of how I feel about the Twilight series too. Also about a lot of other stuff that I enjoy bits of, but see problems in ( ‘The Windup Girl’ is probably the best current example). So there’s no way I can blanket out all those problems, because I like bits of the books, or films they come from. Nor can I deny that I like certain bits of things, because I dislike others – that would be me repressing myself. So, I compartmentalise and for the past few years I’ve pretty much believed that generally this is a more useful way for me to approach the world than the way my teenage self approached it (basically ragging everything others liked if they didn’t fit with my own ideals or aesthetic standards – you should have heard me on romance novels back then).
Now I’m not so sure. Everyone has their trigger books where they can’t split out the good from the bad, the bad just dominates their view of the book. There are books where I know I wouldn’t be able to split my conflict with the books presentation of society, from the good aspects of the book (say brilliant writing for example). Even if I could be fair I would damn the good aspects with faint praise, as in ‘Yes good writing, but terrible, awful misogyny is the more important thing here’ (I am thinking of my plans to take on Philip Roth’s books soonish). I would make a weighted judgement, based on all the elements of the book combined and come down on the side of the negative.
So when I am able to separate out the good from the bad in other books aren’t I inadvertently making a statement about what negative aspects I will tolerate (even while screaming and shouting about how awful they are) for the kind of positive pay off I want? I obviously can’t compartmentalise bits and pieces in all problematic books, so when I can manage it isn’t it very similar to other readers ignoring or justifying the problematic issues to continue enjoying what they enjoy? Is it just making myself still feel like a feminist to say I notice the sexism in Twilight, so it’s ok for me to enjoy the series as long as I’m aware of the negatives? If I notice sexism and I find it objectionable shouldn’t I reject the whole enterprise (except as something to hungrily rip apart)? And isn’t it wrong for me to say I can compartmentalise issues that don’t directly seek to offend me, but are directly confrontational to many other people?
Oh life why no manual?