Team Avatar

So the internet is all a buzz with the ending of Avatar: Legend of Korra.  The creators confirmed that yes, she and the beautiful, engineering genius and robot building Asami are in a romantic relationship in the end.  As progressive as this ending may seem, I am disappointed that it just confirms the stereotype that no matter how strong or intelligent the woman, she is still incomplete without a romantic partner. 

I took a course on deconstructing and critically analyzing children's literature this fall (I crushed it, btw...A+ 100% yayaah!).  It was an excellent platform to raise issues with the inequalities and assumptions present in the materials we indoctrinate children into learned society with.  Anyway, it got me thinking a lot about gender inequality and female heroine stereotypes.  Korra is strong, physically and spiritually with a muscular body, undergoes some trauma and becomes all broody for a while, CUTS HER LONG HAIR OFF INTO A SHORT BOB...excuse you Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, you don't know me, YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE, then ends the series in a relationship with her female best friend after only the scarcest Easter eggs and sneaky blushes.  So what do we know, Korra is strong, had something bad happen at the hands of a man that was symbolic of rape, now has short hair, and enjoys crude humour.  Asami is beautiful, wears makeup, is flirtatious with some men, and a total brilliant vixen with a heart of gold.  They both had a thing for Mako and the failing of their relationships with him brought them together.

However, the many facets of the LGBT community certainly should be represented in entertainment and children's programming.  Korra and Asami are both boss ass bitches with vivacious personalities and this ending was just plain bland. I don't feel like it did justice to the uniting of two female powerhouses. I understand the issues of censorship and that love is a sneaky emotion, but it should not be so ambiguous that the creators have to tell fans to re-watch previous seasons for Easter eggs. I can appreciate what DiMartino and Konietzko were trying to accomplish and it is noble to give role models for the LGBT community in cartoon form, but I'm not sure if two 30-something year old white guys should be masterminding the fictional champions of bisexuality though. 

Anyway that's my rant.   

From the Vault

A REAL POST!  It's a Christmas miracle f'sho!

     A little over a month ago, my boyfriend and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary.  He's been in a different city for his university so we've been doing the long distance thang since January of last year.  Needless to say, I think fondly of him all the time and miss him dearly when he is away.

     Our first semester apart was a challenge, but it ultimately was the catalyst for a much needed reinvestment in the relationship.  We faced an obstacle together and both put in the work to make it into a relationship worth investing in (it really wasn't hard because we care deeply for each other on many levels, it just took a plan and open communication).  Anyway, when he first returned home in the late spring, our home town of Vancouver was balmy, humid, and global-warmingly pleasant.
     I was so excited to reunite with my swarthy, bearded cherub!  The day finally came and I made the journey to his house.  I thought it was odd that he didn't offer to pick me up though.  I was too filled with anticipation for real hugs that I wasn't miffed for long.  I burst through the back door and made my way to the basement living room.

 

     Instead of greeting me with open, tanned arms, he was crouched on the ground.  To my disappointment, his face was sombre, almost nauseated.

 I knew something was terribly wrong.  Was his pet bunny dead?

     The growing tension was intolerable, I had to find out what turmoil awaited us.  I could see the bunny in his usual hangout under the TV, so that knocked out one type of trauma.  I asked what was wrong and he put his finger to his lips and pointed to the work desk.  Drawers were strewn across the floor.  I crouched down and peered into the dark cavern, inside was a pair of glowing green alien eyes!

     This random cat squeezed through an open window or door at some point and made itself a home in the desk.  He has never owned a cat and we are both painfully allergic.  Frightened, dehydrated, and probably hungry, it just stood in the desk and yowled like some sort of hell beast.  I named it Kitty Goo Goo, as an homage to Milhouse ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=275vJI2qYBI  just in case).
     After strategically opening  windows, attempting to lure Kitty Goo Goo out with a ham and cheese platter, and forcing my boyfriend to don work boots, a ski jacket, work gloves, and a safety broom to herd the cat out the window, we finally set Kitty Goo Goo loose on the world again.  It was like that weird movie everyone references in King of the Hill about a couple rekindling their romance by letting a pig go in their house, except probably with a lot more legitimate screams of fear.  That was one angry cat.