Bechdel Testing

It's happened yet again, my dear friends (and associates). I've reached another block in my creative writing, so I decided to turn to my younger self for inspiration. Back when I had no problem inspiring myself, seventeen year old Charles wrote a stage play inspired by Shawn Carter's Heart of the City. It was called Heart of the City, because originality. However, I noticed something disturbing. Of the three female characters, none of them lived for themselves. They all had a love interest. Worst yet, I purposely made a scene for the women to shine, and they talked about their relationships the entire time.

I can't blame myself too much, though I will. Gender politics were but a blip on the radar in 2006/2007, let alone to a high school student questioning his sexuality at an all boys institution. Though I was becoming more comfortable with homosexuality, I wasn't ready to represent it in my work. Apparently this meant stripping women of their independence as well. Even the one strong female character that starts off questioning male leadership eventually succumbs to her interest in a friend. Obviously this isn't to say women shouldn't have relationship in media, but it shouldn't be their sole purpose. Besides that, I think teenage Charles was on the right track. Oddly enough, it felt like a Boondocks/Tyler Perry joint venture. That would be fun to watch.

I'd like to think I've become more conscious of the issues of the world and work towards representing everyone in my work, but I've come to realize I still focus on men in my writing. Of course women are present and play a major role while passing the Bechdel Test, but besides a handful of college short stories, I haven't even thought about using a woman as the protagonist. Lesbian best friend, sure, but rarely the hero. I want to blame it on gay-man-vanity, but I think it may be deeper than that.

I question if I respect women like I think I do. I must, because I've allowed my growing feministic ways to dissuade me from rap songs I loved as a child. But then why don't I feature them more in my work? It's almost fair to say that beside my time in high school, women have comprised most of my friends - often being the friends I'm closest with.

My only solace is that I stray away from female protagonist because I don't fully understand their struggles or how they think. I've been learning about their sexual experiences and relationships and menstrual cycles. Though, I have to admit, I may have been listening to them more like a white journalist focused on an exposé in a predominantly black neighborhood than a friend. Damn subconscious and your ulterior motives.

As a man, I shall continue to apologize for being the worst while making strides to better represent and relate to my sisters in humanity. May the Bechdel Test succeed in improving the passing percentage in Hollywood, by Susan B Anthony's glasses! ...that's what we're supposed to shout, right?*


Word


*NEXT TIME ON CHARLES APOLOGIZES TO WOMEN: black and white feminism. Are we really all in this together? With Special Guest Leslie Jones!**

**Leslie Jones, the guy down the street. Not the hilarious SNL cast member. What, Leslie can be a man's name too?!

Morality Role Call

There's a lot of malarkey and tomfoolery afoot this week,
so I'm going attempt to address as much of it as possible
without out rambling, ranting, or turning this into a "thinkpiece."

In the past few weeks,
I've noticed majority holders (whites/straights/men)
look at for the "How" in problems.
How did the officer get away with shooting an unarmed man?
How did those nudes get leaked?
How did she get raped?

I'm not sure if it's true for all minorities,
but I prefer to look for the "Why."
Why did the officer shoot an unarmed black man?
Why did someone leak this celebrities nudes?
Why did she get raped?
I'm a firm believer that asking why attacks problems at their root.
If we understand why things are happening,
we can recognize these problems before they even occur
and address them properly like the civilized society we claim to be.

For instance, while it is important to reprimand the police force
for abuse of power and find ways to stop them from doing so again,
why do they feel they can abuse their power?
Why do they feel it's appropriate to target people of color?
Why do they think they can get away with murder
with no proof of justification?
Why must black children be told to not draw attention to themselves
and not give the police a reason to stop them
instead of being able to trust those placed there to "protect" them?
These are but a few of the root questions that need to be addressed
in not only the Michael Brown case, but every case
that has featured the unjust killing or arrest of a person of color.
Because this shit happens too frequently
in all parts of this country for this to be coincidence.

Recently, a few celebrities' nude photographs were leaked,
the most notable celebrity being Jennifer Lawrence.
For some reason, people began throwing shame at JLaw.
(Or, if you're a simplistic man, you just locked yourself away for an hour.)
But why? Why do people care that much?
Ms. Lawrence took those pictures in privacy,
for her pleasure and whomever they were taken for.
She didn't leak her own pictures.
She and many others were hacked. [Damn iCloud.]
Shame the hackers. Shame those that seek to exploit her.
Shame those that share the pictures without her permission.
Slut shaming needs to stop.
A person has a right to do with their body as they please.
If you're going to call them anything,
call them promiscuous or comfortable in their own skin.

Along the same lines,
rape is not funny.
It is also not the victim's fault.
Why are women told not to dress so "provocatively?"
Why are men not instructed to behave themselves,
take no for an answer, and not rape anyone?
The old way only suggests: "Don't be the one rape; let it happen to that other girl."
And why are male rape victims told to man-up and keep quiet?
That's a whole different issue about masculinity that I don't have steam for.

It's very obvious that I don't have all of the answers.
But I am willing to ask all of the questions
in the hopes of building a better society and making people think.
America likes to think ourselves better than other countries,
but a few of those "bad guys" just scolded us
for the inhuman treatment of the folks in Ferguson.

Listen, I know you want to think the United States only has a few problems,
but it has many. Some problems you might not even grasp fully.
But if you choose to ignore those problems
instead of learning about them, you're part of the problem.
I repeat, you're part of the problem.
Be a better person than our parents and grandparents.
Stand up for others' rights and protection in this country.
It's the moral thing to do.
Word.