@Arkandel said in Diversity Representation in MU*ing:
It's like this: If I play a white dude with ties to gangs then I don't care what anyone thinks of it, as I'm a white dude. If I played a black dude then I'd care.
It's not that anyone would think it's wrong let alone say anything about it, mind you. It's most likely all in my head. But it's been enough.
I definitely get that. For me I've never quite been able to resolve if I can do it in a way that would truly add something to the narrative I'm playing in. Like, there are things I want to explore, but also I think "okay but would this add anything". There's so many narratives like that out there already, so I've taken to just exploring new and unique things, or things more close to my own experience when I'm specifically exploring possible racial stuff.
I'm honestly very inspired by movies like "Attack the Block" (the first time I ever saw John Boyega in anything and why I really wanted him to be a Jedi), because it entirely subverts the idea of who is and isn't allowed to be a hero in a film, and really subverts your expectations in general. But I can't really bring myself to actually do anything like that, it just feels so tricky and a very fine line on the risk to reward spectrum.
@Auspice I haven't, though I do think your concerns are warranted. I've met quite a few white writers who asked for my opinions on what they were writing, but what they were writing was such a tapestry of bad shit I could barely unravel it, or they got defensive about certain things. I could take a read of one of these Peter Grant books some time if I find the premise interesting though.