I hope this can be counted for IBARW: Teyla is played by a person of colour and so is subject to the perceptions and presumptions of raciality made by fans and PTB.
--
For the last two years of my time in SGA fandom, people have been telling me that they'd like to write Teyla, but they don't know how or where to start.
I suspect it's a little late for this: most of the people have since left SGA fandom. Still, better late than never, and maybe this will help or encourage others to try writing for Teyla as a character.
Rereading this essay through before posting, I guess this has turned into something of a character profile - my perceptions of Teyla and how it affects my writing of her as a character in vignettes, pairings, and team stories.
So be it.
Disclaimer: this list isn't the be-all and end-all of writing Teyla, just my suggestions for the character.
( Five Suggestions On How To Write Teyla )
And, with the end of encouraging people to start somewhere, I present this challenge.
( writing challenge )
--
For the last two years of my time in SGA fandom, people have been telling me that they'd like to write Teyla, but they don't know how or where to start.
I suspect it's a little late for this: most of the people have since left SGA fandom. Still, better late than never, and maybe this will help or encourage others to try writing for Teyla as a character.
Rereading this essay through before posting, I guess this has turned into something of a character profile - my perceptions of Teyla and how it affects my writing of her as a character in vignettes, pairings, and team stories.
So be it.
Disclaimer: this list isn't the be-all and end-all of writing Teyla, just my suggestions for the character.
( Five Suggestions On How To Write Teyla )
And, with the end of encouraging people to start somewhere, I present this challenge.
( writing challenge )
Tags:
Those interested in the politics of oppression - racial, sexual, gender, and other - might like this essay.
This young man was the winner of the Sydney Morning Herald's NSW Plain English Speaking Award. Ironic that I should pick up the paper this morning and find a seventeen year-old with his thoughts on oppression and the attitude that "everyone's just a little bit oppressed!"
( he's 17 years old, and would appear to have more wisdom at 17 than some will at 70 )
Daniel, I salute you.
This young man was the winner of the Sydney Morning Herald's NSW Plain English Speaking Award. Ironic that I should pick up the paper this morning and find a seventeen year-old with his thoughts on oppression and the attitude that "everyone's just a little bit oppressed!"
( he's 17 years old, and would appear to have more wisdom at 17 than some will at 70 )
Daniel, I salute you.
Does the "one drop" rule still apply in American society?
Rachel Luttrell is half-black and is considered a person of colour.
Jason Momoa is (I believe) one-quarter Pacific Islander and seems to be considered a person of colour.
I just read in an article/meta that Angelina Jolie may have Iroquois blood, which - according to the author - would make her a woman of colour.
I'm 100% Chinese blood and probably would be considered a person of colour in the US. I wouldn't describe myself as 'a person of colour' because the term 'person of colour' doesn't really exist in Australia the way it does in America. I'm an Australian with Chinese background - what Australian Chinese laughingly call "the banana syndrome: yellow on the outside, white on the inside."
Somehow, I doubt that the African-Americans would ever describe themselves as "coconuts" in the same manner. Or if they did, it certainly wouldn't be a laughing matter but a cause for shame.
I guess part of me is curious as to why the Chinese don't seem to have half the trouble integrating into Western society - and are often denigrated for "stealing" the jobs, educational places, and opportunities off white people - that those of African (or, in Australia's case, Aboriginal) descent have. Is it related to the slavery/blackfella angle and dispossession/dislocation? To skin colour? To the culture and customs of the background society? Social cohesiveness?
I'd love to hear people from non-white backgrounds give their experiences of "integration in Western society" as it relates to their racial background.
ETA: I don't mean to cause offence with my language or the statements that I made in the post. I've used as neutral terminology as I know how, given that I'm an Australian trying to speak to a (predominantly) American audience. If I've given offence, I sincerely apologise.
Rachel Luttrell is half-black and is considered a person of colour.
Jason Momoa is (I believe) one-quarter Pacific Islander and seems to be considered a person of colour.
I just read in an article/meta that Angelina Jolie may have Iroquois blood, which - according to the author - would make her a woman of colour.
I'm 100% Chinese blood and probably would be considered a person of colour in the US. I wouldn't describe myself as 'a person of colour' because the term 'person of colour' doesn't really exist in Australia the way it does in America. I'm an Australian with Chinese background - what Australian Chinese laughingly call "the banana syndrome: yellow on the outside, white on the inside."
Somehow, I doubt that the African-Americans would ever describe themselves as "coconuts" in the same manner. Or if they did, it certainly wouldn't be a laughing matter but a cause for shame.
I guess part of me is curious as to why the Chinese don't seem to have half the trouble integrating into Western society - and are often denigrated for "stealing" the jobs, educational places, and opportunities off white people - that those of African (or, in Australia's case, Aboriginal) descent have. Is it related to the slavery/blackfella angle and dispossession/dislocation? To skin colour? To the culture and customs of the background society? Social cohesiveness?
I'd love to hear people from non-white backgrounds give their experiences of "integration in Western society" as it relates to their racial background.
ETA: I don't mean to cause offence with my language or the statements that I made in the post. I've used as neutral terminology as I know how, given that I'm an Australian trying to speak to a (predominantly) American audience. If I've given offence, I sincerely apologise.
eta: It would probably help if I could spell "multifaceted"! *FACEPALM OF DOOM*
In a discussion of the hackneyed line "there aren't any well-written female characters in canon" as an excuse for why people ignore, deride, and bitch about female characters in fandom, I had an interesting conversation with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dknightshade about the inability of fans to get the idea of multifaceted women into their heads. (The whole post is found here.)
( we, the fans, make female characters one-dimensional )
In a discussion of the hackneyed line "there aren't any well-written female characters in canon" as an excuse for why people ignore, deride, and bitch about female characters in fandom, I had an interesting conversation with
dknightshade about the inability of fans to get the idea of multifaceted women into their heads. (The whole post is found here.)( we, the fans, make female characters one-dimensional )
About half are generic fandom opinions, a handful are specific to Stargate. But all were developed from observations in and around Stargate fandom. Some apply to me personally, some apply to you personally; just don't feel the need to take it as a directed insult. (Although 'taking things as a directed insult' seems to be the way of Stargate fandom lately.)
( 10 Unpopular Fandom Opinions )
I did say they were unpopular opinions...
( 10 Unpopular Fandom Opinions )
I did say they were unpopular opinions...
Thinking it over, Atlantis had a great opportunity to develop in a different direction from SG1 in the start.
They've pretty much wasted all their opportunities and are more or less stuck as a cheap copy of SG1 - without even the immediate threat to Earth that was presented in SG1. As I noted todirty_diana, we're a rather selfish bunch.
( a different kind of show )
They've pretty much wasted all their opportunities and are more or less stuck as a cheap copy of SG1 - without even the immediate threat to Earth that was presented in SG1. As I noted to
dirty_diana, we're a rather selfish bunch.( a different kind of show )
For a while there, I never thought I'd get it done - but done it is!
*sighs in relief*
For the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
ship_manifesto community: Lovers And Fighters - John/Teyla of Stargate Atlantis
*sighs in relief*
For the
ship_manifesto community: Lovers And Fighters - John/Teyla of Stargate AtlantisTags:
Elizabeth/Ronon: Hearts In Atlantis
This manifesto was written for theship_manifesto community and is a variation on my original manifesto - just expanded a little.
Yes, I know the title is corny.
I would have liked someone else to get in there and write the manifesto, but I couldn't see it happening and the hiatus was a good time to have it done.
This manifesto was written for the
ship_manifesto community and is a variation on my original manifesto - just expanded a little.Yes, I know the title is corny.
I would have liked someone else to get in there and write the manifesto, but I couldn't see it happening and the hiatus was a good time to have it done.
Tags:
It's recently come to my notice that the manner in which 'native races' are portrayed on Stargate is, if not racist, then certainly strongly jingoistic.
This is going to focus on the broader perception of races and how they get portrayed in the show - mostly Atlantis, although SG-1 will be in there, too.
( Read more... )
This is going to focus on the broader perception of races and how they get portrayed in the show - mostly Atlantis, although SG-1 will be in there, too.
( Read more... )
You know, I'm beginning to think that Sheppard/Teyla should get rare-pairing status, canonically-inclined or not.
( rare-pairs )
( rare-pairs )
This seems to be something that I've seen a number of people - oldtimers and new alike - have trouble wrapping their heads around.
( Canon vs. Fanon [contains vague spoilers for episodes up to SGA: The Long Goodbye] )
( Canon vs. Fanon [contains vague spoilers for episodes up to SGA: The Long Goodbye] )
I've wanted to get this out for a week, but I thought I'd wait until things cooled down a little - and until the thoughts in my head had a chance to settle down. I think they're all sorted out now.
( spoilers for 2.16 - The Long Goodbye )
( spoilers for 2.16 - The Long Goodbye )
Dayamn. I think this ship manifesto may be longer than some canon ship manifestii! Anyway, my ship manifesto for Liz/Ronon.
( A Brief History of my introduction to the Liz/Ronon pairing )
( But What About Canon? )
( Yin and Yang )
( Fanon, Fanfic, and All That Jazz )
( A Brief History of my introduction to the Liz/Ronon pairing )
( But What About Canon? )
( Yin and Yang )
( Fanon, Fanfic, and All That Jazz )
Tags:
Just recalling a conversation with some people regarding Sheppard's actions in 'SGA: Conversion' and their sentiments: "I hope he apologised to Weir after nearly strangling her."
( story/relationship focus and TPTB of Stargate )
Again, just a thought. And I have been known to occasionally be wrong.
*wonders if there'll ever be an episode that works like HP: HBP in Atlantis fandom*
*orders popcorn in preparation*
( story/relationship focus and TPTB of Stargate )
Again, just a thought. And I have been known to occasionally be wrong.
*wonders if there'll ever be an episode that works like HP: HBP in Atlantis fandom*
*orders popcorn in preparation*
Most people in Atlantis fandom don't like Teyla.
I know that most of my SG-1 friends aren't fans of the character, which I find surprising since most of them were Sam Carter fen back in the day. No, Teyla isn't Sam, and Rachel isn't Amanda, but their characters in S1 have the same potentiality: I just doubt that Teyla will get the run in Atlantis that Sam did in SG-1.
There are objections to her background, her lack of scenes, her dress style, the fact that she was originally slated to be the primary love interest for Sheppard... It goes on.
I'm kinda saddened that she doesn't get half the airtime or half the story that she could if they'd use her properly. It's a bit like the waste of Teal'c in the first six seasons. (Then again, CJ got paid to appear in every episode, whether or not he had lines, so it worked for him.) And the kind of contempt that's reserved for Teyla by the John/Elizabeth fen is rather like the vitriol reserved for Sam by the hardcore Jack/Daniel folks back in SG-1 fandom.
"And it's all just a little bit of history repeated!"
Never let it be said that fen learn, change, and/or grow in their journey through fandom. It's a little saddening, especially since the people doing the bitching this time around seem to be primarily those who were doing the defending of Sam last time.
On the other hand, my last Teyla-fic (Five Men Who Never Wanted...) got good responses, so there is a market out there for the character. We just need a few more people who like her and are willing to write fic for her.
I know that most of my SG-1 friends aren't fans of the character, which I find surprising since most of them were Sam Carter fen back in the day. No, Teyla isn't Sam, and Rachel isn't Amanda, but their characters in S1 have the same potentiality: I just doubt that Teyla will get the run in Atlantis that Sam did in SG-1.
There are objections to her background, her lack of scenes, her dress style, the fact that she was originally slated to be the primary love interest for Sheppard... It goes on.
I'm kinda saddened that she doesn't get half the airtime or half the story that she could if they'd use her properly. It's a bit like the waste of Teal'c in the first six seasons. (Then again, CJ got paid to appear in every episode, whether or not he had lines, so it worked for him.) And the kind of contempt that's reserved for Teyla by the John/Elizabeth fen is rather like the vitriol reserved for Sam by the hardcore Jack/Daniel folks back in SG-1 fandom.
"And it's all just a little bit of history repeated!"
Never let it be said that fen learn, change, and/or grow in their journey through fandom. It's a little saddening, especially since the people doing the bitching this time around seem to be primarily those who were doing the defending of Sam last time.
On the other hand, my last Teyla-fic (Five Men Who Never Wanted...) got good responses, so there is a market out there for the character. We just need a few more people who like her and are willing to write fic for her.
Tags: