i can't believe this exists

  • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
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    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Waitwaitwait hold on a second.

    So, first of all- you're free to consume problematic media. Reading Mein Kampf or The Turner Diaries doesn't automatically turn you into a Nazi, otherwise we'd have a lot of right wing political graduate students. The only danger these books pose are to those who uncritically accept the author's ideas, and I'm sure there'll be no problems on that front given the general media literacy of people in the anglosphere. If you think there's cool stuff in the show by all means enjoy it.

    But Goblin Slayer was written for someone, by someone, to communicate something.

    Why are the goblins cunning enough to set traps and ambush people, but too stupid to engage in diplomacy or have their own culture? Hmmmmm, I dunno, my dude Umberto Eco has something to say about that. “[…] the followers must be convinced that they can overwhelm the enemies. Thus, by a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.” I dunno, seems pretty sus to me...

    Why does it open with graphic rape? Oh haha those whacky Japanese and their strange cultural perversions, that's it, it's totally not that fear of sexual assault has a long history of being used to justify racism. It's not as if historically minorities have been lynched on trumped up charges of sexual assault. It must be because the goblins are ontologically evil, the author's not trying to draw some equivalence or something.

    If the goblins pose that much of a danger to people, why do the powers that be leave them alone? Why isn't there an organized response by official to deal with them? Why do the powers that be actively suppress information about goblins? Can't possibly be anything to do with conspiracy theories about how the the media in the real world suppresses the real crime statistics that show minorities in a bad light, right? Can't possibly be so that the big, strong MC has to take things into his own hands, go all 'lone wolf' and enact all that cool improvised violence, right? Gotta be a real big damn hero. Oh here comes Eco again: “in Ur-Fascist ideology, heroism is the norm. This cult of heroism is strictly linked with the cult of death.”

    The answer to the above questions, of course, is because the author wrote it like that. So the next thing we need to ask is why. Who could this story possibly be for? I hope I gave sufficient inferences through the sarcasm.

    When people criticize art, they aren't attacking you as a person, they're attacking the ideas presented in the texts. I'm not trying to wokescold people into enjoying only Good Communist Approved Media. Me, personally, I call shit like Goblin Slayer out because I'm the fucking minority in question who racists will call a goblin and say deserves to be genocided, "just like in my le ebin animays". Because the spread of and acceptance of these ideas in the wider culture without pushback is just one more drop in the bucket towards fascism, so I'll point out all the ways in which a show like Goblin Slayer promotes far-right ideas and talking points in the vain, pointless hope that people who watched the show and didn't realize it actually think about what the show is trying to say, and maybe they realize how those messages can be dangerous because too many people are uncritical of the media they consume.

    Ask yourself: why do racists 4chan shitheads stan this show so hard?

    P.S. Ghostbusters? Really? The movie about how Reagan era deregulation is good actually, where the villain is the EPA and attempting to enforce environmental regulations is what causes the most problems?

    • ChapoChatGPT [any]
      ·
      1 year ago

      great post

      i'm regularly shocked at the supposed unwillingness of self-described leftists to read. your comment is a 2-3 minute read at average reading speed.

    • UlyssesT
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      edit-2
      2 days ago

      deleted by creator

    • budotsboiler [none/use name]
      ·
      1 year ago

      I admire Goblin Slayer on how militant he is even after success in vanquishing his enemies, he never underestimates his opponents.

      (w/ Japanese entertainment as context) I also appreciate many right-wing shows(mostly in form). My fave band even said some anticommunist talking points out of context, didn't even expect it. My appreciation mostly ends at form though. They're just fun to watch/fun to listen to.

      Critiquing them is even another form of enjoyment! And it's fun to do. Try watching and critiquing Shin Godzilla, for example. Not all entertainment has to affirm your politics for it to be fun(This is a problem especially in watching art by problematic artists. Learn to separate them already).

      Watching and dissecting their themes can be even used as a tool to sharpen your own political alignment.

      • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
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        edit-2
        1 year ago

        I love Shin Godzilla! One of Anno's best, most politically charged works. His take on US Imperialism was really interesting.

        Not all entertainment has to affirm your politics for it to be fun

        Of course. What I'm taking issue with the person I'm replying to is their insistence that there aren't any politics present in the text we were discussing.

        Edit: Also, it gets a bit harder to Death of the Author when you're the one on the receiving end of the author's political violence. Still possible, but still.

        • budotsboiler [none/use name]
          ·
          1 year ago

          I'm just trying to have a discussion with you because your points are interesting, didn't even notice the ongoing replies.

          For me, Shin Godzilla distills Japan's right wing political bent( on reaffirming japanese nationalism). The reccuring anti-American esp. in connection to anti-nuclear sentiment really seals the deal. It's a complex work.

          Regarding on the Death of the Author: A fascist statement is still a fascist statement whether attributed or not. If a song sounds misogynist, it's probably misogynist. I don't derive enjoyment from misogyny. I take along the art based on my own valuations and interpretations.

          Shit on the author as much as we can. They're the least of our consideration. In the turn of the capitalist condition, we can always repurpose and decontextualize their work. We should and we must separate the author and their work. We are at least entitled to that. Art are mere commodities and should be treated as such.

          • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
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            edit-2
            1 year ago

            Shin Godzilla

            Really? For me the film's insistence that small technocratic expert committees that eschewed traditional ways of doing things were the only way to tackle crises (Godzilla is basically Fukushima in the movie), along with the tacit acknowledgement that international cooperation was necessary (even in the face of American imperialism) made the film seem very liberal, although I do see your point about edit: an overall Japanese nationalistic tone (didn't finish my sentence haha)

            Art are mere commodities and should be treated as such.

            I agree with everything else you said, except this. Yes, right now under capitalism the majority of art is mere commodity, but hopefully (eventually) it'll return to what it should be- communication.

            • budotsboiler [none/use name]
              ·
              1 year ago

              It's not demeaning to talk about art as commodity. Just more practical for me to discuss films and art as such in a capitalist system in order to stop revolving the art around the artist as an auteur or singular idealogue.

              Commodities are talked about as:

              A product of labor and its usefulness. Since labor is already alienated under capitalism, we define art based on its usefulness. I place its spectacularity as its social use. In most cases, if the art doesn't please one's senses first, it's useless for me. Narratives and message come after and should correspond with the spectacular qualities.

              • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
                ·
                1 year ago

                Ah, fair enough. I see where you're coming from- strictly in a Marxist sense.

            • budotsboiler [none/use name]
              ·
              1 year ago

              Re: Shin Godzilla It's interesting to note that the UN/USA will have tried help eliminate Godzilla via nuclear launch lol

              Maybe the term right-wing is too old-fashioned.

              The theme I saw in that film is that the faithful population must be taken care of in the danger of compromise of another nation’s agenda(America). It reaffirms the trust of the people to the government, and is welcoming to anyone who is willing to help their cause. International cooperation should not be conflated with internationalism, and is not rejected by right wing liberalism(Just look the UN and NATO). Liberalism is right-wing. To be Anti-American should also not be conflated with anti-imperialism, as interivalries happen with competing states(Russia and USA, USA and Japan).

              The film was delivered void of any annoying political sentiments.

              Incidentally, revered Japanese creatives have a far right-wing throughline, like Mishima, Abe and Shuuzo. But it's more likely that we can speculate that Anno is a liberal, although his military fascination disturbs me at times.

              He directed my favorite Ghibli film, and favorite short about trains so there's that.

      • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
        ·
        1 year ago

        I spend my time to engage in good faith and this is all you got? tl;dr?

        Fuck it, here's the tl;dr: why do racists 4chan shitheads stan this show so hard?

        • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
          ·
          1 year ago

          Fuck it, here’s the tl;dr: why do racists 4chan shitheads stan this show so hard?

          Idk dawg I literally don't care what 4chan nerds like, it does not matter to me. Makes me think of the Republican/Democrat duopoly and how all Americans view everything in that context. Ahhh the fascists like it, must be fascist!

          • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
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            1 year ago

            Ahhh the fascists like it, must be fascist!

            In your opinion, why do you think Hexbear doesn't stan this show? Partisanship? Virtue signaling?

            • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
              ·
              1 year ago

              I think there are like 5 nerds here who think too hard about shit like the big wall of blah blah media literacy i just got from someone else. Someone wanting to write some shit about killing goblins and isn't really thinking too hard about it, just like the people consuming that content, that's just beyond the realm of probability and it must be this fascist dogwhistle propaganda vehicle, lol.

              I'm getting these walls of text about how goblins are real world minorities and goblin slayer is the KKK or whatever like my brother in christ it is a goblin it is a fantasy creature it's not like they're fucking coded like the goblins in Harry Potter, like that's actual use of goblins as racial allegory

              Don't feel like you gotta write more words at me it's pretty pointless isn't it

              • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
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                1 year ago

                Ok, so you think a minority of posters on Hexbear are over-analyzing the show and are seeing Nazi ghosts where there are none. Ok.

                it’s not like they’re fucking coded like the goblins in Harry Potter, like that’s actual use of goblins as racial allegory

                Why do you think the goblins in Goblin Slayer aren't coded like the goblins in Harry Potter?

                • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
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                  1 year ago

                  Why do you think the goblins in Goblin Slayer aren’t coded like the goblins in Harry Potter?

                  Perhaps because they are fantasy monster and in the case of goblin slayer not meant to be a racial stand in for a real life minority but instead are, you know, a fantasy monster

                  • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
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                    1 year ago

                    Why are the goblins in Goblin Slayer fantasy monsters, but not the ones in Harry Potter? After all, aren't they both goblins?

                    • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
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                      edit-2
                      1 year ago

                      Perhaps because they are fantasy monster and in the case of goblin slayer not meant to be a racial stand in for a real life minority but instead are, you know, a fantasy monster

                      You can point to harry Potter goblins and say that they are clearly an anti semitic caricature

                      What are goblin slayer goblins meant to represent? Is there some specific ethnicity there? Ah, curious.

                      "They're an Other!" okay so basically you don't want any humanoid monsters involved because any Other is automatically some sanction of real world racism

                      Zzzzzzzzzzzz

                      This is a waste of both our time

                      • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
                        ·
                        1 year ago

                        What I'm asking is why are you so sure that the goblins in goblin slayer aren't meant to be a stand in for a real life minority? Why do you identify the ones in Harry Potter immediately as an anti-semitic caricature? What is the difference?

                        I don't feel like I'm wasting my time.

                        • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
                          ·
                          1 year ago

                          Why do you identify the ones in Harry Potter immediately as an anti-semitic caricature?

                          Because being hooked nosed gold loving bankers who are literally designed to look like that hand wringing merchant guy that gets play on 4chan is like, The Anti Semitic Trope? What are "green little rapists who live in caves" supposed to be? Like what the fuck lol. Vague shit about green skinned primitives is not on the same level as what Harry Potter did, it's wild to even think a person exists that would think so

                          • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
                            ·
                            1 year ago

                            it’s wild to even think a person exists that would think so

                            And if I told you that there are people who think like that, and those people are white supremacists?

                            "For years, Tolkien scholars have waged a fight on two fronts: against an academic establishment that for the most part refused to take the author's work seriously, and against white supremacists who have tried to claim the professor as one of their own."
                            ― David Ibata, Chicago Tribune
                            
                            • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
                              ·
                              1 year ago

                              Are you calling yourself a white supremacist tho because you're a person who thinks "vague shit about green skinned primitives is on the level with what harry Potter did" as well

                              • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
                                ·
                                1 year ago

                                "No U" is some weak ass shit. Get the fuck outta here with that, right wingers pull that shit all the time to dismiss legitimate criticism, especially of race. You gonna tell me BLM are the real racists next?

                                I'm not calling the show racist, I'm simply saying the racists believe it is racist.

                                • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
                                  ·
                                  1 year ago

                                  no like literally with how that was framed and by that logic you would be including yourself up in there. I said it is wild to think that such a person exists, you said they do, they're white supremacists. You are the one existing in part of a venn diagram whose beliefs overlap with theirs, by that set of statements. That's not "no you," dawg.

                                  You gonna tell me BLM are the real racists next?

                                  🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 yes sweaty and antifa are the real fascists 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄

                                  I’m not calling the show racist, I’m simply saying the racists believe it is racist.

                                  so fucking confusing after this long ass argument about the inherent racism of the show, a thing which you believe, but maybe I got you confused for the other guy

                                  • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
                                    ·
                                    1 year ago

                                    I'm telling you that real life crackers post memes about Goblin Slayer because the racialized Other in the show is just vague enough that people like you won't see the dog whistles while they go on about how goblins are responsible for 60% of the crime while being only 14% of the population, and should be genocided JUST like in the show.

                                    What you're doing now is saying that Antifa are the real Nazis for pointing out what dogwhistles the Nazi's use. Just because you didn't know about them doesn't mean they don't exist, and when other leftists tell you they do you're putting your hands in your ears and screaming "LAHLAHLAH" like a fucking child just because you don't want to fucking think about what you're watching.

                                    If you actually think I'm jumping at shadows, engage with my fucking arguments and tell me how they're not far-right dogwhistles rather than pull "Oh you the real racist for pointing out racism" bullshit.

                                    • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
                                      ·
                                      edit-2
                                      1 year ago

                                      I’m telling you that real life crackers post memes about Goblin Slayer because the racialized Other in the show is just vague enough that people like you won’t see the dog whistles while they go on about how goblins are responsible for 60% of the crime while being only 14% of the population, and should be genocided JUST like in the show.

                                      i'm confused they show trolls depicted as "feminists" does that mean trolls are inherently racist or inherently misogynistic? I just want to get things straight while we're letting fascists dictate terms of language, which is a good thing to do

                                      If you actually think I’m jumping at shadows, engage with my fucking arguments and tell me how they’re not far-right dogwhistles rather than pull “Oh you the real racist for pointing out racism” bullshit.

                                      i did this when I called you and the other guy nerds who over think shit and told you that arguing with me would be wasting your time

                                      is saying that Antifa are the real Nazi

                                      when I said that it was what is called a Joke I thought calling you sweaty would make that clear

                                      • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
                                        ·
                                        1 year ago

                                        I just want to get things straight while we’re letting fascists dictate terms of language, which is a good thing to do

                                        You want to "reclaim" the rape and genocide Other show? Go right the fuck ahead. Why though?

                                        i did this when I called you and the other guy nerds who over think shit and told you that arguing with me would be wasting your time

                                        You didn't do shit. You just don't want to entertain the possibility that you're in the wrong because it'll hurt your precious self-image as a leftist, so you're dismissing all criticism as "overthinking" so that you don't have to put in any effort into defending your position, and you're hiding behind "it's a waste of time" in the hope I back off, rather than do the slightest bit of self-reflection and asking yourself if maybe you might have missed some things because you're only human.

                                        • GorbinOutOverHere [comrade/them]
                                          ·
                                          edit-2
                                          1 year ago

                                          You want to “reclaim” the rape and genocide Other show? Go right the fuck ahead. Why though?

                                          I want to not base my thoughts and opinions on "what the fascists like" unlike you, thanks

                                          You didn’t do shit. You just don’t want to entertain the possibility that you’re in the wrong because it’ll hurt your precious self-image as a leftist, so you’re dismissing all criticism as “overthinking” so that you don’t have to put in any effort into defending your position, and you’re hiding behind “it’s a waste of time” in the hope I back off, rather than do the slightest bit of self-reflection and asking yourself if maybe you might have missed some things because you’re only human.

                                          i think you're jumping at nazi shadows and wasting your time and mine, thanks