(no subject)

[jhameia]

Somewhere buried in comments Cat Valente asked "What's so important about steampunk we have to help it along?"

I have no desire to post where my comment won't be noticed, so here it is:

It's not that important, if you frame the question that way.

It just so happens to be that one subgenre which so flagrantly displays Western European hegemony, white supremacy, glorification of imperialism, capitalist consumerism, technophiliac fetish dedicated to destruction... all under the banner of post-modernist irony, post-racial/feminist sensitivities and apolitically harmless fun.

No other subgenre at the moment is such a grandiose example of the spectacle that is capitalist consumerism today. Few other subgenres are so rooted in possible fact that possibilities for unrooting hidden truths are so wide open. No other subgenre is so rooted in deeply personal and cultural histories -- whose history is being altered? Who is being mimicked and glorified as great adventurers? In what other subculture can you dress up and meet people who, not being part of the subculture, say "my grandmother owned something like this"? -- and no other subgenre has been so gaily taken up as such a pleasurable pasttime. No other subgenre has that same potential to interrogate and subvert current narratives -- who can be slave and who can be master? Who is part of the marginalized group that can find its voice? -- and no other subgenre begins from such a problematic space. No other subgenre is so ripe for the myriad of representations of truth to come out and no other subgenre opens itself so openly to the experiences of the marginalized to assert itself not just in the far distance future beyond the stars but right at the kernel of where we all started getting fucked over.

That, at least, is why I care about steampunk. You better believe I'm going to enjoy writing my Qing Dynasty period novel whupping the British by way of airship pirates for introducing and poisoning the population with opium. Just sayin'.

You want to hate on steampunk? Steampunk's not the problem. Imperialism is the problem. White supremacy is the problem. Consumerism is the problem. Implicit, microaggressive racism is the problem. Steampunk's just the aesthetic being run over by the usual bullshit, because, guess what? Of course it's going to be! HELLO CAPITALISM, HOW R U. US OF A SENDS ITS LOVE AS USUAL.

You know what? I'm sick of mainstream steampunk too! I'm sick of white folk running around in pith helmets pretending to be adventurers looking for treasure in the depths of uncharted territory (whose map are you referring to, white folk?) and I am sick of corsets worn on the outside (we get it, ladies are sexy in corsets, now get your Male Gaze offa us) and I am sick of this "anything goes, steampunks love everybody" naivete (even bigots? Do we have to tolerate bigots?) and I am sick of death rays and the Tesla cannon worship (GUYS! EINSTEIN WAS APPALLED AT THE ATOM BOMB FOR A REASON OKAY? and I'm sorry but Agatha's love for death rays falls right into this trap; love the comic, not so hot on the very USian warmongering technophilia reflected in it, reading it for Gil) and I am sick of Orientalist imagery (WHY OH WHY DID PAOLO BACIGALUPI WIN THE FUCKING HUGO?) and I'm sick of generalized statements on how history was like which refuses to engage in the problematic issues of the past (like amandaw once said, "fuckin' nuance, how does it work?") and I am sick of populist lets-vote-for-the-most-visible-pretty-people (the "oh shiny!" factor should only carry us so far).

That doesn't mean I hate steampunk though. It just means I hate rubbishy Boobieships and Titrockets style skiffy. And to be fair, nothing in the world could improve on that, not even my beloved steampunk.

OK I am done hating on the world now.

Have I mentioned I wrote a sequel to Between Islands? I did! I submitted it to Crossed Genres. It's not the sequel I'm planning for Expanded Horizons but if CG doesn't want it I'll send it over spacehawk's way.

Also, for my CSCT 700 course, I think I'm going to take the readings we did on Jameson and Adorno and apply their anxieties on capitalist consumerism to steampunk (because I can!), drawing on the example of what happened to the punk and goth aesthetics. I'm still wading through a lot of postcolonial and race theories to make sense of how I want to go about my MRP.

And in the middle of all this, Cherie Priest is a terrifically funny person. I look forward to meeting her at Nova Albion. And reading Clementin.

ETA: And to end, a quote on my Tumblr dashboard:

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” -- Mary Anne Radmacher

Comments

[mistressnaoko.livejournal.com]

May I steal that quote for my blog/facebook?

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

I stole it from Tumblr so I don't see why not.

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

Loved your rant! :)

I want to meet Cherie Priest too!

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Thanks for reading =)

[shweta-narayan.livejournal.com]

YES THIS EXACTLY.
And my problem is that the post being "not about that" relegates us back to "optional-extra multiculturalism" status.

(I have no other coherent words. Only half-formed thoughts about who gets to say "Too much of this y'all I'm tired of it" and who gets told that if they don't like it they shouldn't go look at it, and about who thinks having a voice means "someone like them is heard at all" and who thinks it means THEY PERSONALLY must be in every TOC.

And these thoughts are not about Cat, at all, so I haven't posted them. Also they are half-formed.)

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It would be nice if "multiculturalism" was an actual part of the system, not a cutesy add-on feature neatly signified by being able to sew an Asian costume and talking about "steampunking the Orient".

[rose-lemberg.livejournal.com]

I am not a steampunk reader, but this is a very good post. Thank you.

Edited to clarify, I am not a steampunk reader because 19th century Victoriana is so completely not in my tradition I cannot squee at the blingy things that many people love about the genre. And I also hate the colonialist/imperialist revival thing. But the deconstruction - it is awesome, and needed, and certainly should not be shrugged off as just another optional shiny.

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

19th Century Victoriana isn't entirely in my tradition either, but I did grow up with English literature. Shiny things, in general, catch my attention. I don't understand why steampunk should have to go hand-in-hand with colonialist revival, although I understand why it does.
Thanks for reading.

[karenhealey.livejournal.com]

Hello, would you like this internet?

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Is it fried in butter?!

[holzman.livejournal.com]

Yes. This. All of this.

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

Can I also give you an internet?

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Steamed with soy sauce?! <3

Why is Consumerism a problem?

[(Anonymous)]

What's the problem with Consumerism? And are we talking about it in a social or economic aspect?

Re: Why is Consumerism a problem?

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Both.

What's wrong with it? What's wrong with a culture that demands its people consume and spend money on useless things that cannot produce anything? What's wrong with a culture that decides that if you cannot consume specific high-status goods you are not worthwhile? What's wrong with an economy that is predicated on spending, while refusing to take care of the spenders, on the excuse that if they cannot take care of themselves it is THEIR fault, and not the economy's fault for making everything so expensive? What's wrong with a culture that cares about things, and not people? That decides you are visible only if you follow a certain script that not everyone can subscribe to?

Oh, gee, I wonder.

[joemorf.livejournal.com]

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

~j

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Subscribe away.

[spacehawk.livejournal.com]

It just so happens to be that one subgenre which so flagrantly displays Western European hegemony, white supremacy, glorification of imperialism, capitalist consumerism, technophiliac fetish dedicated to destruction... all under the banner of post-modernist irony, post-racial/feminist sensitivities and apolitically harmless fun.

+1

Excellent post. Can't wait to see the sequel you have planned for EH, if I don't get to see the other one sooner!

It would make my day if James Ng illustrated your work.

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

It's cutesy and adorable but needs a lot of research that I can't seem to get my hands on so far.

It would also make my day to have James illustrate my work!

[countessalenora.livejournal.com]

Great post! I did go and comment on her note. I too mentioned the fact that there are people discussing the grittier side and the multicultural aspects of steampunk (in a short summarized version though). She may not care or listen, but everyone has a right to their opinion.

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

I'm sure she comes from a place of true frustration. I just happen to think that she's got the wrong target. I think she does care, but the suck is just so overwhelming right now.

[kt-spiffy.livejournal.com]

I <3 this. Would you object if I gave this a shout-out and/or quoted it extensively on the Steampunk Magazine blog?

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

I would not object =)

[dmp.livejournal.com]

I <3 you. But you know that.

And in the meantime, I'm going to dash off and continue to be part of the solution, instead of whining about the problem.

[holzman.livejournal.com]

I'm going to dash off and continue to be part of the solution, instead of whining about the problem.

That's because you're made of win.

[colinmo.livejournal.com]

Very nicely put. I especially like your Qing dynasty novel idea (I need to find more Steampunk stories written by/ set in non-Eurocentricalities; looks like "Silver Goggles" is the place to continue tlooking) and the statement about death-rays and weapons. Let's give it up for the non-weapon-toting steampunkers.

[childish]hehe, boobieships and titrockets[/childish] Mmmm, parody.

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

I've been guilty of playing into the deathray trope myself, but the gleam wears off after a while.

Boobieships and Titrockets is the bomb, I tell ya.

[opheliastorn.livejournal.com]

Yes to all of this. And, I can't think why I hadn't yet friended you before this. All fixed now though!

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Lol, hiya!

confusion

[(Anonymous)]

i am sorta new to knowing about steampunk...i say sorta because i feel i fit in with it because i felt i was that way before i knew what it was...i live in a place quite devoid of creative people...so forgive me if i have missed something and i am not understanding things..it is possible i dont fit in at all...but i know dont fit in anywhere else...but generally it isnt tha style...its tha people and thier "i dont understand so it must be bad and if its bad i must hate it" type additudes...(what happpened to "wow wtf is that...i am curious...i investigate to see" type additudes?")

im confused about tha white people comments and tha comments about politics...could it just as easily be said...no matter tha political group...humans make a mess of things out of fear/lack of understanding and persicution no matter tha current polictial popularity of views?

Re: confusion

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

There's "making a mess of things" and there's "actively oppressing people".

It's too easy to say "we're human and will make mistakes". Then it absolves people of the consequences of those mistakes that will force them to do better. Those consequences involve hurting other people.

The issues I address in steampunk aren't new - they're very much a part of society, so it's not specifically a steampunk thing; it just has a unique manifestation in steampunk.

Maybe you're not steampunk.

[waterbugdesign.livejournal.com]

Excellent job defining role playing / pretend subculture steampunk and I agree on all counts. But then you let steampunk off the hook. Steampunk is the problem. It is imperialistic, white supremacist, consumerism, racist. Steampunks are driving the steamroller while at the same time complaining about all these things.

You oppose all this yet you still want to use the steampunk label? You still promote the thing you say you oppose? What's up with that? To paraphrase "What's so important about the steampunk label you need to recycle it"? I can't think of any protest movement or rebellion which kept the name of its antagonist. If you want to change steampunk from within then what part exactly would you keep? Is the lipstick on the pig such a nice shade it is worth the trouble?

Is the steampunk label so hip everyone must use it to mean everything? You could at least slap on a "2.0" or an "XL" or something.

BTW, singling out US of A as the capitalist evil empire was cheap. I know it's the cool thing to do but kind of a lot of counties on the old capitalist band wagon, I mean, if you wanted to think about it or something. A good case could be made for China being the current capitalist leader of the world. US of A may be the consumerism leader, at least for a few more years.

Re: Maybe you're not steampunk.

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

The thing is I don't have much of a problem with capitalism per se, either. It's how it's used. Same with steampunk. Since I define steampunk as primarily an aesthetic, it's possible to divorce it from its imperialistic roots. But you can take that argument a little further -- a culture CAN make up for its bad roots. The important thing is what the PEOPLE do.

And you're asking me what I want to change? Are you even paying attention to what I do?

And I'm not sorry for the shot at USA. China may be coming up as a capitalist leader, but it's not busy exporting its culture as a primary good as the US is. There's a reason we mock US-centrism. Even historically (with relations with Africa, for example) China doesn't have a habit of centering itself as much.