With all these updates about the trc tv show I’ve been seeing some old arguments pop up about labeling or reading certain characters as poc- especially in relation to casting or reading Ronan as black. This entire idea of not casting Ronan as a black man because it would reinforce the “angry black person” narrative feels like… such a cop-out and more of an excuse to not have poc in the cast?? Like, why is it that when we even mention Ronan being a moc his entire character gets reduced to his anger and violence (by the author herself too??) but when race isn’t a factor we can suddenly acknowledge all of his other qualities (I.e his devotion to his brother Matthew and gansey, his growth with Declan, his religion and how he sees himself and his dreaming, and this particular line that always fucks me up (Ronan Lynch loved to dream about light). Wouldn’t it be so compelling to watch a multi-faceted gay man of color slowly reveal all these layers to the people around him? Do you know how many fucking books I’ve read about the angsty, angry white boy that shows his feelings by being violent and we eat that shit up but suddenly we make Ronan a moc and we’re being stereotypical? And we do this with Adam too. Anybody even thinks about making him a poc and suddenly he’s nothing more than a poor abused boy? It just feels like a dangerous cycle of allowing white characters to have all these layers while poc get reduced to the worst parts of themselves and I’m honestly so tired of it. Anyway sorry for rambling but as a woman of color I’m still waiting for characters of color to receive the same attention and depth as their white counterparts that we worship so damn much.
bullshit central 