#if u assume none of the themes politics characters culture are supposed to be the same then it's fine

[comradekatara]

I think one of my least favorite thing about lok is how they made nonbenders an oppressed class??? Like. Canonically, outside of the fire nation, that is the opposite of the truth. Anywhere the fire nation touched, earthbenders and waterbenders were violently opressed and/or killed. The royal family of the northern water tribe are nonbenders, right? Most of the wealthy class in ba sing se are presumably nonbenders. We never really see benders being paid more for their labor or anything like that, right? And the nonbenders in the fire nation may not have the same military prestige(and therefore prestige), but... there are clearly extremely important nonbender nobles and merchants. It even follows that benders would be more likely to be conscripted for war, if the fire nation doesn't have mandatory military service. Like.... it is such a fucking stretch for opression dynamics in a society to change that quickly. Benders are literally the opressed ones in atla. And the Fire Nation are the opressors, not benders?? It seems so disrespectful to the literal genocides that take place in atla. You've probably posted abt it already but it truly drives me up the wall.

yes. lok really didn't understand the political dynamics established in atla wrt nationality, culture, spirituality, and bending (all of those facets of course being intrinsically linked). like if republic city/the united republic of nations was former earth kingdom land that was colonized by the fire nation and then never returned to the earth kingdom and instead became a "melting pot" for all four nations (iirc its biggest influences are shanghai, hong kong, singapore, and new york) then the fire nation elites who lived in the colonies would still be the ones with the most political influence 70 years later.

earthbenders would not be the primary members of the police force (like, putting aside making toph a cop, the police force would clearly be run by firebenders). those with wealth would be the ones with fire nation heritage (which, i think, is why everyone assumes that asami has fire nation ancestry despite having green eyes).

we see that people with bending abilities are exploited for their labor, like how mako is a lightningbender and that's used for factory labor, or how crime rings are largely comprised of benders, whereas wealthy capitalists such as hiroshi sato or even varrick are nonbenders. the fire nation killed and imprisoned benders from across the other nations, and their bending supremacy only extended to their own firebending, as they considered other forms of bending crude and impure.

i don't think that amon exploiting nonbenders by scapegoating benders to gain power is inherently nonsensical, but the way it was executed as if nonbenders are genuinely an oppressed class and their frustrations are valid made no sense. it's one thing for a nonbender to feel envious of benders, i sure know i'd be jealous if half the population had superpowers and i didn't, but they're not materially oppressed within the world lok creates.

like it would be one thing if they literally showed benders doing eugenics (which is why i think that the imbalance comics were on a noble attempt on the part of faith erin hicks to bridge that gap) but within lok we see nonbenders with power and benders being exploited under capitalism. mako and bolin are exploited equally, despite the fact that mako is a firebender and bolin is an earthbender (another fact that makes no sense).

ultimately, lok didn't understand any of the implications or precedents atla established, so trying to unpack its politics in any way is just.... a mess.

[thehanwen]

Quarantine Netflix Recs

Since were all at home watching Netflix I thought I would give my fav show/movie for every letter so everyone has something new to watch. Please send me your own recommendations or make your own alphabet list and tag me! Here goes:

A: Anne with an E- This modern take on Ann of Green Gables is quirky, fun, and dramatic. It has good music, writing and is all around a good watch. It deviates from the books a bit, but keeps the spirit.

B: Broadchurch- If you like crime dramas, this is for you. With one crime spanning the complete first season it delves deep into motive and emotions. David Tennet stars in this tense British mystery. 

C: Cargo- A dystopian zombie apocalypse film set in Australia with a focus on human connection, and sacrifice. This is honestly so different than any other zombie movie I have seen in the best way. 

D: Daybreak- Sticking with the apocalypse theme, daybreak is a humorous view on what happens when a nuke kills all the adults and leaves all the teenagers. Its like if high school was the whole world, but the world had also ended. Strong characters and ‘Ferris Bueller’ esc fourth wall breaks give this show something special. 

E: The Worlds Most Extrodiary Homes- For a change of pace this mindlessly beautiful home reality show shows off architecture that could be classified as art and makes me wonder how anyone can actually live here. If you just want something with no stakes what so ever, this is the eye candy for you.

F: Frontier- A gritty, and dark period piece starring Jason Momoa as the badass outlaw working against the British in the Canadian wilderness. Half political, half survival drama this show focus on the fur trade during the 1700s as well as themes like revenge, family history and love.

I have to do two for F: Feel Good- This emotional comedy is about Mae, a gay, ex-addict comic and her previously straight girlfriend. It is real and emotional and hilarious. It’s filled with amazing characters and amazing writing and explores hard to talk about subjects, including addiction, love, coming out, and family and romanitc relationships. 

G: Godless- A refreshing addition to the western genre. An injuryed outlaw, a headstrong widow, the whole of the wild west. Gritty and dramatic, this mini series is a must watch

H: How it Ends- Another apocalypse film, can you guys see a pattern? This one is less about the event however and more about family. A young man and his future father-in-law travel across the desolate wasteland of the USA to save his fiance. 

I: I am Not Okay with This- A sci-fi coming of age story, based on a comic book, about a young girl who develops mysterious superpowers and is not okay with it. Also shes gay and in love with her best friend, its great.

J: John Mulaney- I assume everyone has already seen all of his specials, but if you haven’t go check them out! They are hilarious and relatable on a deep level. 

K: Klaus- This is my new favorite Christmas movie. Its got wit, charm, great character development and beautiful animation. It’s the first original Christmas movie that I've liked. It gives a new spin to all your favorite Christmas traditions while holding on to the essence of the Christmas spirit.

L: Let it Snow- Based of the book co-written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle this film is a feel good romance with quicky characters that have thier lives changed forever by a snowstorm in their small hometown. Friendships and romances are formed and tested as these teens figure out how to deal with what life throws at them. 

M: Maniac: In an unlikely pair Emma Stone and Jonah Hill work amazingly well together in a drug trial that is supposed to cure all mental illness, of course not everything goes as planned. Our heroes go through multiple stages of the trial and discover their brains are miraculously linked. This series merges multiple genres into something surprisingly cohesive. 

N: National Treasure- “I’m gonna steal the declaration of Independence”

O: The OA- A psychological sci-fi thiller about a blind girl who gets kidnapped and held prisoner by a mad scientist looking for other dimensions. The friends she makes along the way mean everything, but when she gets found not only are they missing, but she can see again.

P: Princess and the Frog- A cute Disney twist of the classic fairy tale. A young woman working hard to buy her own restaurant meets a prince that has been turned into a frog by a shady magic man. But when she kisses him he doesn’t turn human, she turns frog. Together they have to figure out how to get back to being human and along the way they learn what they really need.

Q: apparently I have never watched a single thing on Netflix that starts with Q. So Queer Eye I guess. I’ve never watched it, but I've heard good things.

R: The Rain- After a deadly virus is discovered in the rain, sister and brother, Simone and Rasmus are separted from thier family and hide in a bunker for 6 years. Once they are forced to emerge they discover the world is much different than how they left it and their family wasnt all they thought it was.

S: Sense 8- This sci-fi drama focuses on 8 people from all over the world connected by some kind of psychic link. As they discover the extent of thier new abilities they also find out they aren’t the only ones and some others aren’t so friendly. This series was made with so much love and divotion and it shows throughout. The character development and backstories are rich, the writing is witty and thoughtful and the representation and focus on love above all else is so refreshing. 

T: Tallulah- This drama is dark and witty, while simultaneously being bright and uplifting. When a young drifter kidnaps a baby from a neglectful mother and pretends the baby is hers, her boyfriends mother takes them in. The story is about family and doing the right thing, even when you can’t find the right choice in the grey area.

U: The Umbrella Academy- This series based on a comic book written by Gerard Way is about superheroes with out being about superheroes. They don’t save the day. They can barely save themselves, oh and also the world. Numbered 1-7 these siblings all have their own issues and getting them to work together was the dying wish of their asshole of a father.

V: None? Anyone have any ideas?

W: The Witcher- This series, based on a video game based on a book, is about a mysterious monster hunter and the bard he meets a long the way. Somehow full of action and also full of humor this series delves deep into the history and culture of this fantasy world. 

X, Y, Z: I got nothing guys, but thanks for reading all the way down here. I hope you watch some of these shows and that you send some of your own recs to me! 

Also None of these photos or shows or anything are mine and all belong to their rightful owners