(TW: Racism) In which I increasingly hate YA and am disgusted this shit is still happening in 2013.

[shamanicshaymin]

Save the Pearls Controversy

Dear friggin' god, it's amazing how ignorant wannabe authors can be. If you're going to tackle a topic like racism, do so with the care and sensitivity it needs. Good intent is not enough if you cannot be mature about the subject matter, and the lack of knowledge and courtesy makes your work just as problematic and offensive as those that are openly and intentionally racist.

And using blackface to advertise your book? Really?

Comments

[rosehiptea]

I can't watch the video right now, but wasn't it also advertised with fake reviews? As if the rest weren't bad enough.

[shamanicshaymin]

The video I'm linking to is actually a reviewer criticizing the book and why it's so offensive. I haven't seen the trailer for the book itself, but I know I won't be able to watch five seconds of it without wanting to break something. And the fake "praise" certainly doesn't help.

[rosehiptea]

Yeah, I realized you weren't linking the actual trailer. I don't think I could watch it either.

[jack_of_none]

I wouldn't say this reflects on the YA genre as a whole -- the book seems to have been self-published. The publisher listed on Amazon (Sand Dollar Press) claims to be an indie YA imprint but pretty much exists just to print/sell that one book; I'm guessing the author set it up for that purpose.

I mean it's still shitty but I have a friend who works at a vanity press, and if I had a dollar for every repulsive project that crossed her desk, I'd be rich as hell.

[shamanicshaymin]

Yeah, I heard it was vanity press. Which hopefully will doom it from being on bestseller lists. :P

Suddenly I'm reminded of the "I Am Number Four" fiasco, and both book and movie bombed enormously. Muwahahahaha.

[jack_of_none]

Yeah, honestly I don't think it's worth getting worked up about self-published books. Almost any random weirdo can self publish if they have enough impetus to do so, and I sort of feel like making YouTube response videos and widely linking this author's work is sort of giving her a boatload of publicity that she wouldn't get otherwise : /

[spectrier]

Ugh. I 'love' how this series misses the fucking point entirely of what it wants to accomplish and warps around into being horrifically racist.

Okay, that'll teach me to comment while I'm watching the linked video. The video briefly mentions Noughts & Crosses, you should give that a read if you want to see 'reverse discrimination' in YA done decently. The genre's not all bad, I promise! ;;

[shamanicshaymin]

Ugh. I 'love' how this series misses the fucking point entirely of what it wants to accomplish and warps around into being horrifically racist.

Exactly.

I hear Noughts & Crosses mentioned a lot as "Save the Pearls done right", so I'll be keeping an eye out. :)

[tropicsbear]

Just. No.