Why? Because we don't have the power to be writing the actual story. Exactly. Exactly.
Your thoughts are my thoughts, and your questions are my questions.
I think it all boils down to the idea that men are the default. Women are taught all their lives to identify with male characters, we do it because all the stories we're surrounded with are about men. But men are taught not to relate to women. So the idea is that men can write for (and about) both men and women, but women can only write for women.
It's the same thing with race--white is the default, so even when there are stories about people of color, they're usually written by white people. A movie starring any black actor that isn't Denzel Washington or Will Smith is automatically a "black" movie. But movies starring white people are movies for everybody.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-05-01 12:57 am (UTC)Your thoughts are my thoughts, and your questions are my questions.
I think it all boils down to the idea that men are the default. Women are taught all their lives to identify with male characters, we do it because all the stories we're surrounded with are about men. But men are taught not to relate to women. So the idea is that men can write for (and about) both men and women, but women can only write for women.
It's the same thing with race--white is the default, so even when there are stories about people of color, they're usually written by white people. A movie starring any black actor that isn't Denzel Washington or Will Smith is automatically a "black" movie. But movies starring white people are movies for everybody.
God, the world is so screwed up.