Comments for Kate Harding's Shapely Prose

Comment on Guest Post: The Fantasy of Being White by volcanista

volcanista — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:31:41 +0000

You know, I really respect what you’re doing here~~, because I’ve had people decide to hate me just because of my race~~. I don’t know what it’s like to be a POC in this society, but ~~I know what it’s like to be judged negatively because of my skin, hair, and eye color.~~ It [sounds like it] fucking sucks~~, so the FoBW resonates with me~~, and I hope I can be an ally. There. Not about you.

Comment on Now that’s what I call a surgeon general by Piffle

Piffle — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:22:21 +0000

Looks good, I’m also very happy that she’s a family doctor, they don’t get nearly enough respect. And with her perserverance I expect that she’ll be able to overcome the doubters, she faced down hurricanes after all.

Comment on Guest Post: The Fantasy of Being White by Arwen

Arwen — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:08:37 +0000

I clicked that link to the eye surgery and was horrified. What ever happened to “first do no harm?”

Got me thinking about plastic surgery. It’s not all harm – it’s a boon for those who’ve had injury that would seriously impact their quality of life, for example.

But then you’ve got folks removing their noses and eyelids, fat or skin.

These surgeries categorize our bodies as injury.

Comment on Guest Post: The Fantasy of Being White by Richelle

Richelle — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:59:40 +0000

Would this have been better:

You know, I really respect what you’re doing here, because I’ve had people decide to hate me just because of my race. I don’t know what it’s like to be a POC in this society, but I know what it’s like to be judged negatively because of my skin, hair, and eye color. It fucking sucks, so the FoBW resonates with me, and I hope I can be an ally.

If not, I’m sunk.

Comment on Guest Post: The Fantasy of Being White by fatsmartchick

fatsmartchick — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:45:33 +0000

I think that its really uncomfortable for a lot of white Americans to realize we are apart of systemic racism whether we “choose” to or not. So we try to push that discomfort away by relating to MAGs experience. I think its the same motivation that makes people claim that having a black president means there’s no more racism.

The fact of the matter is that if you are a white person living in the United States today you have benefited from colonialism, genocide, and racism. Sometimes we just need to sit with that and listen to others perspectives on what it feels like to be a target of that. (I’m not sure if target is the word I want to use but there it is).

Comment on Guest Post: The Fantasy of Being White by fillyjonk

fillyjonk — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:32:51 +0000

Actually, I’m being uncharitable: I do understand it and I’ve made the same mistake.

But guys, let’s not make this post into a conversation about how hard it is for white people — in Japan, or talking to POC about racism, or wishing they looked all exotic, or whatever — okay? Surely you can see that that’s jackassy?

Free hint: the way for white people to engage in conversation about the racism that POC experience is to TALK ABOUT THE RACISM THAT POC EXPERIENCE.

Comment on Guest Post: The Fantasy of Being White by fillyjonk

fillyjonk — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:27:51 +0000

I fail to understand how people are so confused and baffled by “but listen to the time I experienced racism as a white person” being an inappropriate response that they now feel the need to ask for step-by-step instructions on how not to sound racist. Is this too challenging? Or are we THAT devoted to making this post about M.A.G.’s experiences as an Asian woman interacting with white beauty ideals into a conversation about white people and how hard things are for them?

Comment on Guest Post: The Fantasy of Being White by Richelle

Richelle — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:22:12 +0000

Attentive listening is an excellent practice, both to learn and not to dominate the discussion, however unintentionally. But…is there a point (perhaps not yet reached) beyond which there should be something more?

Comment on Now that’s what I call a surgeon general by fatsmartchick

fatsmartchick — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:15:03 +0000

I also wanted to point out that Dr Benjamin’s brother died of an AIDS related cause. I think/hope her perspective will help draw more attention to the issue of HIV-AIDS in the African American community.
or, even better, maybe she’ll help normalize HIV testing and prevention for the ENTIRE nation. That would be a mitzvah in and of itself.

Comment on Quote of the Day by Eucritta

Eucritta — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:14:42 +0000

emmy, yes!

Health news often strikes me as akin to an ever-shifting maze, in which every few steps a new obstacle springs into place: yet another article urging me to PANIC! about this or that disease or condition or social phenomenon, none of them ever placed into context or even described adequately, and rarely providing any genuinely useful information. I used to read the NYT’s health section fairly regularly, and most of the time finished up feeling as though I’d been smacked from pillar to post to no purpose whatsoever.

And all this, all this feeds into our distorted perception of what constitutes wellness, not as simple good health but as an ever-retreating golden ring at the end of a race in which diseases chase after us like so many hell-hounds, zombies and bug-eyed monsters from outer space.