Well, the thing is, what I was mostly reacting to here is Martel, and the idea that he just needs to choose the right animal for the right reasons to represent Jewish people - I probably shouldn't have gone on with him dragging Maus into it, and you are right that I should read it before assuming what it's doing (but should I read Martel before assuming what he is doing? or just rely on his interviews?).
But for me, the real issue I have with the way Maus is cast is I hate that people think cats are evil, and I hate that they've been typecast as evil. And I'm not sure how to like... point to that stereotype and overcome it? So... I guess it raises my ire in that sense, but I'm not sure what the real issue therein is, other than the way our culture has coded common domestic animals. But you're right that it is a kneejerk reaction on my part. I think that my sensitivity to the cat thing has expanded over the years to include other anthropomorphizing - whereas I'm sure that Sexton (and most people) are coming at it from the angle of not wanting human ethnic groups to be represented by animals according to traits. And I honestly think that's a different issue.
You mean what we should do is look at our own stereotypes before condemning other people's stereotypes? Because see, I don't have a stereotype in this regard. Other than I don't think cats are evil. I don't really... stereotype animals in general. And I guess it saddens/angers me when people do. I've gotten to the point where I just avoid things that do it, which is probably bad.
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Date: 2010-06-25 01:26 pm (UTC)But for me, the real issue I have with the way Maus is cast is I hate that people think cats are evil, and I hate that they've been typecast as evil. And I'm not sure how to like... point to that stereotype and overcome it? So... I guess it raises my ire in that sense, but I'm not sure what the real issue therein is, other than the way our culture has coded common domestic animals. But you're right that it is a kneejerk reaction on my part. I think that my sensitivity to the cat thing has expanded over the years to include other anthropomorphizing - whereas I'm sure that Sexton (and most people) are coming at it from the angle of not wanting human ethnic groups to be represented by animals according to traits. And I honestly think that's a different issue.
You mean what we should do is look at our own stereotypes before condemning other people's stereotypes? Because see, I don't have a stereotype in this regard. Other than I don't think cats are evil. I don't really... stereotype animals in general. And I guess it saddens/angers me when people do. I've gotten to the point where I just avoid things that do it, which is probably bad.