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"stupid", ableism, and fictional baddies
May. 11th, 2020 12:20 pmBeen thinking about how "stupid" is a term that's been pointed out to me as ableist. Technically, it's not on the disability language style-guide right now, but I've heard people talk about it. Also, to me, the use of "stupid" creeps up alongside how "idiot" "moron" were terms invented and used by an eugenicist. I've been trying to stop using "stupid" recently and just say "not well planned" or something.
I especially think about how I used "stupid" in a fanfic during a villian 's dramatic speech. And yeah he's a baddie, but I was totally using the word without being too cognizant. And I fully think villian types can be written as avoiding obvious potholes, while still being terrible in what they are saying or their actions (or what makes them villains).
The OC fictional baddie in that particular fanfic was written as a bit pitiful and too bombastic to take seriously, in some regards, but still very capable of causing harm and being a difficult person to deal with. There are also dangerous IRL people -- "wolf in sheep's clothes" types of folks in activist spaces, where they know all the jargon and how to sound good, but what they actually do has bad effects. It might be useful to write characters that could help people get used to this idea / mirror people's experience or frustrations with dealing with these types. Just some thoughts.
(I may be applying some of these thoughts to the baddie in my current WIP.)
I especially think about how I used "stupid" in a fanfic during a villian 's dramatic speech. And yeah he's a baddie, but I was totally using the word without being too cognizant. And I fully think villian types can be written as avoiding obvious potholes, while still being terrible in what they are saying or their actions (or what makes them villains).
The OC fictional baddie in that particular fanfic was written as a bit pitiful and too bombastic to take seriously, in some regards, but still very capable of causing harm and being a difficult person to deal with. There are also dangerous IRL people -- "wolf in sheep's clothes" types of folks in activist spaces, where they know all the jargon and how to sound good, but what they actually do has bad effects. It might be useful to write characters that could help people get used to this idea / mirror people's experience or frustrations with dealing with these types. Just some thoughts.
(I may be applying some of these thoughts to the baddie in my current WIP.)
