Writing the Other

[selenak]

Writing my thoughts about the truly depressing event that recently took place in Washington DC will change nothing about it, upset the conservatives on my list and just depress the liberals further, so I won't bother.

Hopefully more interestingly, and on a bi-partisan level: recent discussion with karabair about Angels in America has reminded me how rare it is if a writer manages to (deliberately) make a character with a different ethical or political belief system to his/her own sympathetic and layered. I'm not talking about the Draco effect, otherwise known as "fandom picks a character the author wrote as a one-dimensional horrid prat and rewrites him into a new creation". I mean characters whom their writers definitely wanted to make endearing and/or understandable, despite the fact said characters represent a world view the writer either does not share or is even opposed to. It's possible, though.

Let's see: over at Babylon 5, we've got two, arguably three of them. I remember back when the first season was originally broadcast, some fans here in Germany took the episode Quality of Mercy and specifically Garibaldi's views expressed therein as being JMS' views on the death penalty (especially since Garibaldi was a sympathetic and important main character) and were appalled. Come Passing through Gethsemane in season 3, this particular fear was laid at rest for good. Not because Garibaldi's pov had changed, but because the episode, among other things, revisited the question from a very different angle. So, anyway, Garibaldi: loved by his writer, not representing his writer's political viewpoints. And let's look at the two characters which JMS he "heard" most clearly, whom it was the easiest for him to write for. Sheridan or Sinclair, those two gents with whom he shares initials and who are the leading men, fighting for democracy? Nah. Delenn or G'Kar, wise (well, for G'Kar post-epiphany, of course) and spiritual people who inspire their followers? No, not them, either. The two characters he named as his two most talkative muses, with whom he most easily connects, were Londo Mollari and Alfred Bester.

Londo: tragic imperialist. Responsible for a war that cost millions of lives. Bester: ruthless Psi Cop, belongs to an organisation which the show's hero calls "fascists r us". In conclusion: definitely not the guys whose world view their creator shares. And I dare say he finds their politics appalling.

But okay, this is sci-fi. No matter how well one likes Londo or Bester, there is no way viewers are going to want to have an empire of their very own or conduct aggressive wars or, arguing that there will be a war in the future anyway and everyone is after them, are going to take liberties away and do pre-emptive… never mind. You know what I mean. Okay, how about contemporary drama? I only saw the first season of West Wing (not because I didn't like it, but because I have limited time and not a limitless budget and many other shows), and I don't recall Republicans written with the same level of layers and interest etc. like the Democrats. When Louis in Angels in America says "you're nice, I can't believe you voted for Reagan" to Joe, we're meant to laugh at him, but I'm afraid I can't think of a contemporary arch-conservative character, written by a liberal author, whom one is expected to love, which would imply we're all Louises.

I can't think of a liberal character written by an arch-conservative author whom the author wants one to love, either, for that matter; please correct me if I'm wrong. And keep in mind that the character has to be contemporary. Any incarnation of Spartacus written by a conservative or of, say, Queen Victoria, written by a liberal does not count. Books, tv-shows, movies - is there anyone?

Trying to think of some of my own, I'm thrown back to the fantasy or sci-fi genre again and again. The Mayor of Sunnydale in BTVS' third season, for example, is on one level a satire of a Reaganite politician and the villain of the season, but he's also endowed with endearing ideosyncracies and one major sympathetic trait, his genuine affection for Faith. But again, fantasy.

Now in genre fanfic, too, we're able to write any number of characters with world views completely different of our own. (I very much doubt, for example, that the majority of Slytherin fans in HP fandom would identify themselves as being on the right end of the political spectrum.) It's fantasy, or Sci-Fi, and so we can. Why is this identification with the other so absolutely impossible if the other actually lives in the same world, or in a reasonable close fictional representation thereof?

Comments

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I really want to write something about how Republicans are portrayed in The West Wing: often you can see the writers struggling to imagine themselves into that place (the "I can't believe you voted for Reagan" syndrome), and sometimes they genuinely manage it: There are a couple of excellent Republican semi-regulars, particularly the brilliant Ainsley Hayes, who comes to work at the White House in the spirit of bi-partisanship, and regularly wipes the floor with Sam Seaborn in their debates. Another Republican character, Clifford Calley,

*spoilers follow*

when presented with an opportunity to bring down Leo McGarry, is driven by personal integrity over party politics, going so far as to threaten a party colleague to prevent it happening.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason why I really must buy the second season of WW. Sigh.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It's very watchable and very enjoyable. Quick watching as well: once you start on one episode, you rapidly progress to the next four or five.

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I can't think of a contemporary arch-conservative character, written by a liberal author, whom one is expected to love

I would suggest Mal Reynolds, who is very right-wing, although of a libertarian rather than conservative stripe which most liberals find more easy to respect.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes, but that is sci-fi again, and thus falls under the Garibaldi/Londo/Bester clause.

(BTW, Mal and his right-wingness was the reason why merrymaia when first starting to watch Firefly thought it was a show written by a very conservative lot. We all hastened to assure her of Joss' Californian liberal credentials, and she continued to watch, and came to like it.)

Roseanne in his early days aside, did Joss ever write something contemporary without fantasy background we could check for nice conservatives?

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

you know, I would never have pegged Mal as a right-winger. . . not that I think he's a squishy socialist-progressive love-bunny, I just wasn't thinking of the Firefly-verse in those terms. *interesting*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Mal always pegged me, especially given the Western context and Joss having read The Killer Angels on the air plane when getting the idea for Firefly, as the sci-fi equivalent of a Southerner who didn't go to war for the right to own slaves but for the right to independence, but who nonetheless thinks Northern abolitionists are wishy-washy folk with no idea what they're talking about.

Now Simon of course is a socialist-progressive love bunny.*g* And true to form a rich kid. *veg*

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

too bad he has no social skills. . .

The West Wing and Republicans

[watervole.livejournal.com]

In the second season, the WEst Wing gains a regular Republican character who holds up her end with intelligence and tenacity. I also have strong memories of an episode with a gay Republican who defends his membership of the party saying that he is not defined just by his sexuality and that he agrees with the rest of his party's politics enough to be a member. You feel he's being exploited (given the context of the episode) but you also understand the reasons for his political views.

Re: The West Wing and Republicans

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Note to self: somehow, get the second season of WW.

[ide-cyan.livejournal.com]

I don't know all that much about Amy Sherman-Palladino's politics, but there are vast differences between Lorelai's and Emily (and Richard) Gilmore's politics, on Gilmore Girls. There's a Farenheit 9/11 poster in Rory's dorm room, if I'm remembering correctly, but her grandparents are rich and snobbish and conservative, but still likeable.

[smashsc.livejournal.com]

David Simon (Homicide, The Corner, The Wire) has a talent for showing the story from all points of view. The third season of The Wire went more into politics than any other season before it but even before that season it was obvious that Simon's character ran the gamut of society in religion, race & politics. (An interview with him here (http://www.hbo.com/thewire/interviews/david_simon.shtml) provides good insights.)

Simon is, from everything I've been able to glean very much a liberal but in season 3 he has the show's lead character (and in so many ways the show's hero) Jimmy McNulty state that he didn't vote in the Presidental election because neither politician exists in his real world and more than that McNulty states that Bush was doing a good enough job and McNutly didn't see any reason to change.

That concersation shocked me because I had grafted my own politics onto McNulty but it was completely the right call for Simon to make. McNulty is an apolitical Republican.

The genius of both Simon's non-fiction writing and his fictional tv work is that he makes everyone in his shockingly real world sypathetic. The Republican cop who drinks too much and sleeps around, the dock workers struggling to get by, the drug dealers, the street hustlers, people who make a living stealing from drug dealers and everyone in between.

No one person's politics or situation matches the author's POV (or most viewers' POV) but they are all presented fully and sypathetically (warts and all).

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Now that does sound exactly like what I was wondering about existed! Thanks for the info. I'm not familiar with any of these shows, obviously, but they sound very worth checking out.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

so funny, I almost mentioned The Wire before seeing smashsc's posts. I was about to recommend both of these shows (Homicide was my first fandom -- see the icon for a character who reminds me very much of Wesley, or vice versa), plus the mini-series "The Corner" (6 hours and the best thing I've ever seen on TV) -- unfortunately, at least according to IMDB, these are only available on DVD in US & Canada -- I think that means you couldn't use them, though I'm not exactly sure how these things work.

replying to the comment above about liberals written by conservatives. . . maybe the failure to come up with any just means that we aren't tuned into things written by conservatives, or from a conservative POV. i'm sure I'm familiar with some, but nothing leaps to mind.

[smashsc.livejournal.com]

David Simon started as a reporter for the Balitmore Sun and then wrote the non-fiction book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. The TV show Homicide: Life on the Street was based on his book and he came aboard the show as a writer and later producer.

His second book The Corner is better than Homicide and the HBO mini-series based on the book is simply outstanding.

Simon's current series The Wire is HBO's lowest rated drama (and it may not see another season) and its complexity and quality is unmatched by everything else on TV.

Both his books are still in print and most of Homicide (seasons 1-5 are the only ones worth watching), The Corner, and seasons 1 & 2 of The Wire are out on Region 1 DVD.

we're all Louises?

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

maybe THAT can be the text on this icon. . .

i think you have a really good point that writers often have to go to history/ metaphor/ myth to examine a character who comes from a different viewpoint.

one sort of example in a contemporary show. . . I just started watching the new 24, which is a politically problematic show in a lot of ways; and I have no idea of the creator's political views or agenda, though I generally assume they're at least more liberal than the characters they're writing. But it doesn't have an agenda the way the West Wing clearly does. I imagine 24 is a show with viewers all over the political spectrum (as is TWW, for that matter, but all of the GOP'ers I know who watch it do so while strenuously bitching over the agenda). Anyway, the current season, without giving anything significant away, involves bad things happening to the secretary of defense. . .he's played by William Devane, and even looks a little like Rumsfeld. now, the show's creators have to know that a good portion of the audience is going to be pre-disposed to hate a Rumsfeld-esque character (and plenty to love him as well, of course, but definitely taking a risk with such a divisive figure). So I was basically expecting this character to be sinister, weasely, etc. -- but so far he's come off as immensely likable, tough-minded, brave, etc. . .all in a real way, not like an action hero. Now, this is sort of a limited example because of the situations the character has been in so far; and I expect that we're going to discover that this guy has DONE BAD THINGS. But I think it's going to be more dramatically compelling when we find this out, because he's been set up as a believable, admirable, and often heroic person. . .so in short, I'm very interested to see where the series takes him (much more interested than in the Kiefer Sutherland action-figure hero).

why not? *g*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Sympathetic Not-quite-Rumsfeld sounds indeed like a challenge to the audience. Keep me posted as to where they're going with this.

Anyway, now that I got some examples of layered and/or sympathetic conservatives written by liberals, I can't help but notice I still didn't get any examples of well written and/or sympathetic liberals written by conservatives...

Re: why not? *g*

[hobsonphile.livejournal.com]

Anyway, now that I got some examples of layered and/or sympathetic conservatives written by liberals, I can't help but notice I still didn't get any examples of well written and/or sympathetic liberals written by conservatives...

I would be careful before making any assumptions. The truth of the matter is, there are very few conservative fiction writers just in general, let alone conservative fiction writers faced with the task of writing sympathetic contemporary liberals. As my real life Republican friend and playwright, Jason, and I openly admit, in the creative fields, liberals are cleaning our clocks. And outside of the sci fi/fantasy genre, I feel like I'm being grossly stereotyped and attacked for my beliefs by the enormous liberal majority more often than not. Which is probably why I stick to sci fi/fantasy shows almost exclusively.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Well, the examples given to me (sympathetic brilliant, Republican in WW's second season, this Rumsfeld-esque secretary, and the cops in the cop shows mentioned earlier - none of which I've yet seen, but they all sound checking out) certainly disproved my earlier suspicion that outside of fantasy and sci-fi, people find it impossible to write truly layered and sympathetic people from an opposite worldview.

Nonetheless, it would be great to learn that, for example, a conservative writer created a, hm, Adlai Stevenson-esque politician in his/her drama/tv show/film. I don't mean in the sense of this character being the hero of the piece. The narrative can show him to be wrong about some of the issues the hero is right about. And I'm sure if we look hard enough, we'll find examples.

Sterotypes: sadly, they're definitely the majority of presentations, I agree. (If I never ever see a brutal Southern sheriff in a thriller again, it won't be soon enough.) Which is why creative people from both ends of the spectrum ought to do change this!

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

They've struggled with it off and on during the entire run of The West Wing. Cliff and Ainsley were pretty decent characters, and the occasional decent Republican continues to pop up even now. However, Season Two is far and away the best season the show ever did, and one of the best television dramas to ever have aired on American tv, so it's very worth watching.

Mild Spoilers for the Last Two Seasons:

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Matthew Perry has or might still be recurring as a moderate Republican working in the White House. Last season, they nominated a strict-intepretationist to the Supreme Court who was also a thoroughly likeable character. Speaker of the House Walken was also an admirable character, although his successor, Haffley, had been a total dickhead.

Notably, Alan Alda is playing the presumptive Republican nominee this year, and we're told that the reason he is going to be so difficult to beat is that he's a very likeable moderate. And curiously enough, the Democratic ticket is, at the moment, extremely unlikeable. Leading to the question of what happens to the other characters if Alan Alda should win, or if the show would even consider a Republican in the Oval.

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It's fair to say, though, that for every 'decent' Republican, there's been another 20 who suck.