Great video of Annette Gabbedey – thanks for that.
Some strange compulsion made me find out more about 'I-C-E-S-S' Fernandez Rojas; turns out she has an aptly named blog called Writing to Insanity in which she ruminates on the myriad ways in which she is superior to her closest friends.
I am Latina, I'm not like [my Latina friends] but yet, I am. Does being Latina exclude me from being black?
… I was older, more mature and secure in my authenticity … Another circle of women. We were all black, professional, mature, educated. It was a night of girl talk over drinks and dinner. We talked about the stars we found the most attractive. They all said men like Taye Diggs and Idris Elba. I said Eduardo Yanez.
The quiet lasted a minute before the conversation continued but on another topic.
With this group I didn't get a pass. I wasn't black enough to them; they said that without saying it. While my color and the texture of my hair made them comfortable, my Latina-ness reminded them I was different and different people are not allowed to be Black … Why should I have to chose [sic] to be one thing.[sic]
This passage is not exactly making me warm to her as someone likeable. I mean can you imagine the kind of strict taxonomy she would be using to appraise you with if you were ever to meet her in person? Behind the cheery smile and the glasses, would be an evaluation that would likely be as inaccurate as it was detailed.
Well, yes. But we’re talking about someone who’s internalised the tics of identity politics, a subject famed for attracting obnoxious narcissists and then making them even less aware of their own absurdities. Someone who, despite claiming to be “secure” in her “authenticity,” tells us she’s “exhausted” by the “endless quest for name validation” – say, on throwaway coffee cups or when using Microsoft Word. The subtleties of which our creative writing graduate with “an alphabet soup full of degrees” appears not to have mastered.
What, an artist not whining for government handouts? She must be handicapped or something. Clearly, some sort of mental deficiency - it's as if she expects to be given money only if her work is any good. How strange!
Wonderful attitude.
Posted by: John D | January 27, 2014 at 08:25
And there’s something about Ms Gabbedey’s attitude that’s quite at odds with the tone of so many Guardian articles, in which, say, someone tells us they’re emotionally crushed by having their name misspelt by a stranger. A kind of stoicism.
Incidentally, the piece Ms Gabbedey was working on in the video can be seen, finished, here.
Posted by: David | January 27, 2014 at 08:35
A heartwarming antidote to competitive victimhood.
Posted by: Richard Powell | January 27, 2014 at 10:24
Perfect start to the day.
Posted by: R. Sherman | January 27, 2014 at 13:04
Great video of Annette Gabbedey – thanks for that.
Some strange compulsion made me find out more about 'I-C-E-S-S' Fernandez Rojas; turns out she has an aptly named blog called
Writing to Insanity in which she ruminates on the myriad ways in which she is superior to her closest friends.
I am Latina, I'm not like [my Latina friends] but yet, I am. Does being Latina exclude me from being black?
… I was older, more mature and secure in my authenticity … Another circle of women. We were all black, professional, mature, educated. It was a night of girl talk over drinks and dinner. We talked about the stars we found the most attractive. They all said men like Taye Diggs and Idris Elba. I said Eduardo Yanez.
The quiet lasted a minute before the conversation continued but on another topic.
With this group I didn't get a pass. I wasn't black enough to them; they said that without saying it. While my color and the texture of my hair made them comfortable, my Latina-ness reminded them I was different and different people are not allowed to be Black … Why should I have to chose [sic] to be one thing.[sic]
This passage is not exactly making me warm to her as someone likeable. I mean can you imagine the kind of strict taxonomy she would be using to appraise you with if you were ever to meet her in person? Behind the cheery smile and the glasses, would be an evaluation that would likely be as inaccurate as it was detailed.
Posted by: Nik White | January 27, 2014 at 16:01
Nik,
Well, yes. But we’re talking about someone who’s internalised the tics of identity politics, a subject famed for attracting obnoxious narcissists and then making them even less aware of their own absurdities. Someone who, despite claiming to be “secure” in her “authenticity,” tells us she’s “exhausted” by the “endless quest for name validation” – say, on throwaway coffee cups or when using Microsoft Word. The subtleties of which our creative writing graduate with “an alphabet soup full of degrees” appears not to have mastered.
Posted by: David | January 27, 2014 at 16:24
My fingers get in the way all the time.
A solution presents itself!
Posted by: dicentra | January 27, 2014 at 19:11
Annette seems to be the one that's "secure" and "authentic". Long may she get out there and sort it.
Posted by: Jim Whyte | January 28, 2014 at 16:14
Meanwhile, my wife's brother-in-law has been out on disability for the last 25 years or so with a bad back. What else could he possibly do?
Posted by: WTP | January 28, 2014 at 18:19
What, an artist not whining for government handouts? She must be handicapped or something. Clearly, some sort of mental deficiency - it's as if she expects to be given money only if her work is any good. How strange!
Posted by: Jonathan | January 28, 2014 at 18:36