Otter's Rock

So, we all know that stories shape perception, right? Of both individuals and societies. There is a reason Jesus taught in parables, and a reason charities pick someone's life story to use in their advertizing for why their work should be supported, and a reason that the debate over what should be taught to schoolchildren in history class can be so heated. The way we look at ourselves and the world is determined by the way we interpret the "story" of our lives, which in turn is guided and shaped by the stories we are told about the world around us. This is why I get real tense when people dismiss what happens in shows as being "just television" or "just a movie" and try to dismiss its importance. It is not just about being PC, not by a long shot.*

This is a major problem for people of color, particularly those living in the Western world, because on those few occasions when the stories that shape their culture are used in mainstream media, they are just that--used. Shaped in ways that fit the perceptions and needs of the white people who, by and large, control the entertainment industry. Shaped in ways that are unhealthy for the people whose stories they are.

( Enter the Remyth Project: )

I particularly recommend:
"Little Girl With An Inner Dragon" by tielan
"pirates of the caribbean" by bossymarmalade
"Mirrors" by the-willow
"a moses moise" by skywardprodigal
"I am not what you call me." by gabby_silang
"in the sky, there is no distinction of east and west" by ciderpress

*BTW, the protest against the casting of The Last Airbender's Asian and Inuit characters with White actors is still going strong, check out aang_aint_white for details about how you can help.

Comment on this post. I will choose seven userpics from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are using them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.

This is interesting to me because, while I have no real talent for creating visual arts, I am very picky about what I like (this comes from being the child of two excellent professional photographers).

antennapedia ( picked these seven: )

By the way: if anyone knows where I can find good Batman Begins or Brother Cadfael icons, I would appreciate it.