Yeah, I get the 'identification' thing - a lot of women identify with Elizabeth being white, middle-class, educated, from a technologically-advanced society, and 'bookish and geeky' rather than 'sporty and physical'. All of which appeals to the white, middleclass, educated, technologically advanced, bookish-and-geeky women of fandom.
I guess my problem is: that's not how I pick characters I want to write for, that I'm interested in.
Teyla's interesting to me because she's a cipher. Because she dresses 'revealingly' but doesn't act sexy - her standards are not Earth ones and shouldn't be measured as such. Because she observes a lot and says little, but still keeps up with what's going on - intelligence that doesn't require audience. Because she's got potential to go places in the alliance between Earth and Pegasus - working diplomatically as well as being a physically competent ally.
I dunno, maybe I'm a shallow author. I just don't feel the need to really absorb her cultural norms to write her.
I wonder if non-Americans would have an easier time writing Teyla than Americans. Because, ultimately, the "earth way of thinking" depicted in the Stargates is really American thinking - written by and for and American audience. So maybe it's sufficient to be "alien" simply by not seeing through American cultural specs?
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I guess my problem is: that's not how I pick characters I want to write for, that I'm interested in.
Teyla's interesting to me because she's a cipher. Because she dresses 'revealingly' but doesn't act sexy - her standards are not Earth ones and shouldn't be measured as such. Because she observes a lot and says little, but still keeps up with what's going on - intelligence that doesn't require audience. Because she's got potential to go places in the alliance between Earth and Pegasus - working diplomatically as well as being a physically competent ally.
I dunno, maybe I'm a shallow author. I just don't feel the need to really absorb her cultural norms to write her.
I wonder if non-Americans would have an easier time writing Teyla than Americans. Because, ultimately, the "earth way of thinking" depicted in the Stargates is really American thinking - written by and for and American audience. So maybe it's sufficient to be "alien" simply by not seeing through American cultural specs?
Just a thought. :)