In the seventh part of Moving Pictures, Victor and Ginger have a bizarre and upsetting experience on set, and it brings them closer to the truth. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Discworld.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of racial stereotypes and Islamophobia, and misogyny.
Holy shit. Holy shit.
I feel pretty comfortable in stating that the first half of this section was designed to be really fucking unnerving. At this point, I think it’s obvious that Pratchett is aware of genre tropes and stereotypes because so many of his jokes and premises are based on subverting them or satirizing them. Indeed, most of Moving Pictures wouldn’t have the sort of depth of criticism it does unless Pratchett was able to turn this shit on its head. That doesn’t necessarily make this a joyous experience; the pervasive stereotypes about ambiguously Arab characters on display here aren’t fun. At the same time, they’re built into the fabric of a lot of “classic†Western films, sometimes deliberately so, often unknowingly.
So I’ve got complicated feelings on it. I’ll start by saying that satire about these sort of things – racial stereotypes or harmful, thoughtless tropes – is always a difficult thing to pull off. One of the major hurdles any writer, but particularly a white writer in this context, has to overcome is the delivery. Does the satire work to discredit and criticize these archetypes and structures? Can the reader tell what is being satirized? Is it clear that the text is criticizing something? I think that this largely accomplishes that. The framing of everything here positions the behaviors of those in Holy Wood as absurd and inappropriate. We’re meant to look upon these people as acting in ridiculous ways, no?
If we accept that, then Dibbler’s behavior can easily be viewed in a negative sense. We know that’s the case with his treatment of Silverfish, especially since Gaspode outright confirms what’s happening:
In the middle of all this were Dibbler and Silverfish, arguing. Dibbler had his harm around Silverfish’s shoulder.
“A dead giveaway, is that,†said a voice from the level of Victor’s knees. “It means some poor bugger is about to be taken to the cleaners.â€
So, I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that once Dibbler begins to share details of Shadowe of the Desert, we are supposed to critically upon him. From the use of scantily clad slave girls (represented by Ginger), to the camels, to the “dozens of guys with bedsheets on their heads,†it’s clear to me that Dibbler is utilizing the kind of tropes and stereotypes that allow him to communicate clear sides in his adventure epic. It’s supposed to be horribly offensive as far as I can tell because that’s what the culture of Holy Wood accepts and condones. Which is a little strange once you put it in the context of the Discworld because I still don’t know how race or racism might function within this universe. Are their stereotypical stories told about Klatchians or Ephebians or Djel that are popular in the Discworld, but unfairly represent those cultures? If not, then how did Dibbler even begin to get these ideas?
That could be easily explained by Them, the things giving everyone in Holy Wood their Ideas. And shit, y’all, that aspect of this book has gotten a million times creepier, too! It’s bad enough that They are essentially invading the minds of these people and making them act things out against their will. Everything thus far has been a lot more subtle than you might expect, but when Ginger and Victor practically become unconscious while acting??? THAT’S NOT SUBTLE AT ALL. It’s scary and thankfully, it’s represented in the text that way. Well, okay, the whole bit about stars in the eyes is kind of funny to me, but still. This is upsetting:
And Victor awoke. It was like rising slowly out of a pink cloud, or a magnificent dream which, try as you might, drains out of your mind as the daylight shuffles in, leaving a terrible sense of loss; nothing, you know instinctively, nothing you’re going to experience for the rest of the day is going to be one half as good as that dream.
He blinked. The images faded away. He was aware of an ache in his muscles, as if he’d recently been exerting himself.
It’s through this that Victor begins to take Gaspode seriously, at least seriously enough that he no longer questions the hints that Gaspode has been giving him about Holy Wood. While this is all through Victor’s perspective, Ginger also experiences the same disconnect from reality, which deeply upsets her. But what can they do? They both want to stop this phenomenon, and yet there’s no clear path for either of them. On top of the fact that they’re missing pieces of the puzzle, they’ve got someone like Dibbler constantly hounding them to be a part of the chaos of Holy Wood, which leaves little chance for them to separate themselves from this horrifying machine. How do they fight a force that more or less compels them not to fight?
THIS IS SO INTERESTING TO ME, Y’ALL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WPvOWjer4E
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