tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post2814830149723019984..comments2024-03-29T08:55:34.078+00:00Comments on ImageNations: Characterisation of Men: How to Make Your Story PopularImageNationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-82755188784569139852011-03-16T17:54:43.395+00:002011-03-16T17:54:43.395+00:00@Niranjana... Yes, equality is the key. That's...@Niranjana... Yes, equality is the key. That's all we want and I don't think that it can only be attained when the other is suppressed. I agree that some feminist are 'men-hating' as to they being on the lower scale, I hardly can tell. However, I have realised recently that almost every problem a woman faces is caused by men. This is something I hardly can believe. But I can only keep quiet.<br /><br />Yes, we need no stereotypes... and like I said I might be one of the culprits...lolImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-11229887098683378612011-03-16T17:46:02.663+00:002011-03-16T17:46:02.663+00:00I've not noticed any such pattern in my readin...I've not noticed any such pattern in my reading, but then, I don't read many current best-sellers. But I agree with your bigger point--that any book trading in such stereotypes does a disservice to the reading public Such a lack of nuance makes for a poor, shallow read. <br />I also want to add that I think the term feminists is often misinterpreted as men-hating women. A few feminists believe men are the enemy; many don't. The distortion of feminism (by both men and women) shouldn't blind us to what it stands for: equality!Niranjana (Brown Paper)http://niranjana.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-48523909650667386372011-03-16T07:42:17.109+00:002011-03-16T07:42:17.109+00:00@Delalorm, I get sad when the discussion on the eq...@Delalorm, I get sad when the discussion on the equality of males and females is reduced to physical strength. To be honest if it comes to that I would be a sexist. However, to blanket the whole argument and say women have suffered over the years is misleading. Let's each look into our families and see if EVERY woman in our families have suffered at the hands of a man and if NO man has also suffered at the hands of a woman. It is misleading and because we portray one side the other side is never told. Also because men find it self-deprecating to talk about their own sufferings at the hands of women. I had a lecturer way back at my undergrad days who was mentally unstable because he spent all his money on a woman, took her abroad and the woman eloped with another man. Things like these are there too but they are never talked about.ImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-38588322275153872672011-03-16T06:04:38.316+00:002011-03-16T06:04:38.316+00:00Maybe men have played themselves into these 'd...Maybe men have played themselves into these 'dishonourable' roles, no? Women have suffered the brunt of the weakness role-playing for many years. I think it's probably protestant that authors are beginning to see the other side of the coin. Men can be as weak as women have been portrayed to be, if even in relation to different things. And there are some superwomen too:)Delalormhttp://www.afrilingual.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-4381638839728759532011-03-15T17:28:23.343+00:002011-03-15T17:28:23.343+00:00@MW, as NYS said, Abena Busia made similar argumen...@MW, as NYS said, Abena Busia made similar arguments in favour of women. Perhaps it is our response to that or in our bid to give women more 'independent' roles that has led to the vilification of men. However, I don't think that it's all good when we become the devil we are fiercely hating. I didn't name any book for obvious reasons. My vision here is promoting African Literature and it would be unfair if I use the same medium to castigate books. I love books.ImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-60102953840732819262011-03-15T16:56:07.991+00:002011-03-15T16:56:07.991+00:00Interesting thoughts, I would have liked you to na...Interesting thoughts, I would have liked you to name a few of such books so I could see if I recognise your points. Being a feminist (though I see no point in having men always bad in MY books), what i observe in most books is women being overtly demeaned, or given very weak, dependent roles.Mynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07595087387069634003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-87349908046285382072011-03-15T15:35:17.026+00:002011-03-15T15:35:17.026+00:00@Geosi, Convention and conformity are the cornerst...@Geosi, Convention and conformity are the cornerstone of decadence - Amu Djoleto (author of The Strange Man)ImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-30500732449856716042011-03-15T15:31:50.141+00:002011-03-15T15:31:50.141+00:00@NYS, anyone who uses Ayi Kwei Armah's novels ...@NYS, anyone who uses Ayi Kwei Armah's novels to support such an argument is perhaps been deceitful. I may not have read ALL his novels but at least in the four that I have read none of them had women been misrepresented. In Two Thousand Seasons the women were deemed to have fought and killed the invaders. They were those who took up arms and fought the Arabians. In Healers women were amongst the noble profession of Healers. In Fragments, there was no father figure in Baako's home; in the Beautyful Ones are not Yet Born all were spread equally. Besides, AKA is not a fame-seeking author. Many have not even heard his name though he's penned some famous novels.<br /><br />And like I said, an industry has been created out of this. Hope it does not last.ImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-72622271560573701562011-03-15T15:26:52.040+00:002011-03-15T15:26:52.040+00:00Thanks Zibilee. I have thought of this for a long ...Thanks Zibilee. I have thought of this for a long while and it bothers me. I don't necessarily like the 'all-fit-together' kind of ending but to build one's story on such a template without any strong basis is too demeaning.ImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-86217659477962392562011-03-15T15:24:03.287+00:002011-03-15T15:24:03.287+00:00@NAO, I agree that somehow, an industry has been c...@NAO, I agree that somehow, an industry has been created out of this.ImageNationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06021414643103601330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-5429407455015904242011-03-15T15:20:16.827+00:002011-03-15T15:20:16.827+00:00I always say I enjoy your thoughts on these essays...I always say I enjoy your thoughts on these essays you put forward. You have a substantial point here and I can even name so many books that tend to favour women, if I may say so. The impending issue, I think, is that writers all over the world keep complaining that the career does not pay, they complain that books do not sell, they complain that publishers accept particular style of writings. And so the only way out, for them to make a living out of the many years of tying their buttocks to the desk to write is to write stuffs that favour women. Nana, so the issue is to gain economic freedom and that make writers to find shortcuts to get to the best selling list, or to make Oprah cry...hahaa!(I like that part of the article).Geosi Readshttp://geosireads.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-71199382049787166582011-03-15T15:19:49.509+00:002011-03-15T15:19:49.509+00:00what is noteworthy is that women have complained o...what is noteworthy is that women have complained of how they are represented in novels too. Abena Busia touched on the topic using Ayi Kwei Armah's novels crying that Armah doesn't give meaningful roles to women. But she could be faulted when you read The Healers or portions of Two Thousand Seasons where women were significant. Armah is better than that and of course he isn't looking for fame. No proper scholar looks for that.<br /><br />But your point is still outstanding, with the current market created for anyone wishing to lay the slightest support to feminists no matter the motivation, men would be drunks, murderers, unfatherly, and wife-beaters.Nana Yaw Sarponghttp://sarpongobed.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-85303200453409626462011-03-15T15:15:11.389+00:002011-03-15T15:15:11.389+00:00I hadn't thought of this before, but you make ...I hadn't thought of this before, but you make some excellent points, and I can totally see where you are coming from. Perhaps, it is like you say, and the authors are targeting males for the entertainment of females, who are more widely read, it seems than their counterparts. I do often like to see good and noble males characters and some of my favorite books have strong and good male leads, but often the popular books tend to do away with nice guys. Very potent and interesting post here today. It gave me a lot to think about.Zibileehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05857638467064749190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29803016.post-1627763062909842972011-03-15T15:11:15.321+00:002011-03-15T15:11:15.321+00:00The world is turning upside down. we are making wo...The world is turning upside down. we are making women look as though they are oppressed in all aspect of life. This is untrue. Women by their very nature are a symbol of influence. Women affects every decision men take. It is surprising that those frustrated women make a funng case with the backing of the media to distort facts to make men evil. i don't read anything inclined to this allegation.Nana Agyemang Ofosuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01806265147084205458noreply@blogger.com