I never even
c
wow
How did they get away with that
AH
I LOVE THIS
What do you mean how did they get away with it?
History isn’t one straight line progressing towards a liberal society.
Look how much Americans attitudes have changed between 1980 and today. 1980 was the first time most very religious people voted, they abstained before that at the behest of their churches. Now they dictate policy at every election.
In my family photo album there are pictures from the 20s of a woman called ‘uncle bob’. She dressed in men’s clothing, and had a ‘companion’. This was a rough industrial town, they were working class, nobody cared. It was her business.
This is why politics is important - the moment you think everything is better today than it was in the past, you let other people take control of the direction society goes in - with you sitting back presuming we’re going forwards.
innocent-rebel's blog: Random Musings: Oppression in GLTAS and LOK
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like Green Lantern the Animated series actually handled it’s themes of oppression far better than Legend of Korra. And the reason why and how they did it, are actually pretty simple. It can be summed up in the one line when the Guardians are being attacked and…
Such quality commentary :’)
Knocking Them Down
“You can’t knock me down!”
It’s been over a month since ‘The Legend of Korra’ ended its first season and during this time I’ve reflected on many aspects of the show. The stuff I liked and the stuff I didn’t like, but during all this reflection I keep going back to this line. “You can’t knock me down.” Now, this line isn’t from ‘Korra’ it’s from its predecessor ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender.’ But it clearly illustrates to me what is alternately the most disappointing and infuriating failing of the first season of ‘Korra’. And that’s the writing of the female characters.
When Katara said this line in the original show it was a moment of defiance and empowerment. It was tailored to Katara in that specific moment but in my mind it became one of the biggest mission statements for female characters in the show. In ‘Avatar’, the female characters had agency, they had development, and they had power that was manifested in many different ways. Some were love interests but being a love interest wasn’t ALL they were. They made mistakes. They fell down but the narrative allowed them to rise and be better than they ever were before. Even Azula, who ended the show broken, wasn’t that way because the show was being cruel or careless to her character. It was the natural ending of her arc that the show had been crafting for two seasons.
The key reason why ‘Avatar’ succeeded where ‘Korra’ failed is that there was a clear respect for the narratives of ladies in ‘Avatar’ that is just not there in ‘Korra.’
Can I take a moment to talk about that structure there? It’s that shrine-looking thing at the end of LoK/episode 12 where Korra gives Lin her bending back.
That up there looks uncannily like a Buddhist stupa, a type of structure found throughout Asia that often houses relics of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas. There are are relic stupas, object stupas, commemorative stupas, symbolic stupas, and votive stupas, each having its own purpose.
The first thing that’s so very strange about it is that it’s surrounded by large, standing rocks. And the second thing that’s really strange about it is that Korra gives Lin back her bending at this specific spot.
It’s in the middle of the South Pole. Why are there stones around it? Why is it colored with earthen tones, rather than the whites and blues of the Water Tribe?
That leads me to believe that it isn’t just some random shrine.
I personally have begun to think it’s Toph’s grave, a relic to her memory and probably where she’s buried. That is, it is a stupa commemorative stupa (and perhaps even a relic stupa, if she is indeed buried there). And if that’s the case, that makes Lin getting her bending back at that particular spot especially poignant and touching because Lin is the carrier of her mother’s legacy and what better place to receive the greatest gift her mother gave her back?
There’s also a few other things that are ridiculously striking about this. According to Wikipedia, there are 8 different kinds of stupas, each symbolic of a different moment in the Buddha’s life. This stupa in particular is bell-shaped and has no extra ornamentation. That is supposedly symbolic of the Buddha’s ascension to Nirvana.
The stupa is also supposed to represent the four elements in total harmony as well as enlightenment:
- the square base represents earth
- the dome represents water
- the spire (or the steps) represent fire
- the lotus on the top of the spire of the stupa represents air
- and the steps can be said to represent the ascension to enlightenment.
And enlightenment in Korra’s case (within context, of course)? Connecting with the Avatar Spirit and realizing that she is the Avatar and that no one can take that away from her.
So whoa. You’ve got both Toph and Lin’s relationship represented here, as well as Korra’s realization of being the Avatar here.
That’s how Bryke intended to end the series. And damn, that’s pretty mind blowing.
Thoughts on Korra, Episodes 11 & 12
Honestly I enjoyed the finale a lot, but these are some good thoughts that are worth looking at.I know I said I was going to wait until later to write this up, but I don’t think my opinions on it are going to change at all and I just need to get this off of my chest.
I assume that this is going to be a take on these episodes that dissents with the majority opinion of the fandom.
But I want everyone whom I disagree with to know that I don’t judge you for not thinking as I do, nor do I think your opinions are invalid. My friends here are my friends here, and a difference of opinion will not change that for me.
And Sam, I’ll definitely still write you that one-shot. A promise is a promise, and I keep my promises. I hope we can still be friends following this— I still think you’re an awesome dude.
That said, here we go.
