natpalumbo

I think your comparison between the practice of reproductive slavery in Gilead and Indian surrogacy hostels is a very important one to make. Although the surrogate mothers in the latter case arguably have more choice over their bodies, this choice is made in the face of huge power imbalances. The fact that women must rent out their wombs to support themselves/their families for the goal of providing children to wealthier individuals (who are often foreigners) is a twisted, capitalistic vision of The Handmaid’s tale.

I am so so happy that children’s books and movies are finally reflecting the diversity of our society. However, I think it’s important to always keep in mind WHO is doing the representing. In the past, it has been really problematic when an actor/actress played a character that belonged to a different racial group. So while it’s important to write in a culturally diverse cast, the actors/actresses must reflect that reality. Also, authors that write characters that differ from their own cultural identity must consider the power-dynamic of this practice. For example, it would be unsettling to learn that a Caucasian author was writing and representing a hispanic youth in her children’s novel. Overall, although having diverse characters is something we should aim for, there are more nuances that must be considered.

I do not think that dubbing anime is an important part of making anime more accessible to western audiences. I have never heard of anyone giving up watching anime because they could not read subtitles. In the end, most english-speakers could adapt to reading subtitles in place of hearing english. I think the question is how to encourage our culture to resist the urge to assimilate everything to match our own initial habits/preferences.

Although I think that nostalgia will drive people to movie theatres once restrictions lessen, theatres need to brainstorm new ways to market movie-going as an event. Besides arcade games and the concession stand, theatres should introduce entertainment events (like music and short films) to attract viewers. Move theatres should continuously try to re-invent themselves to remain relevant!