Lit Ignorance is Bias: The Diversity Manifesto

I know but I could not help myself

 

Yeah, like the Duros thing *ducks*

 

So some pretty good diversity in the second issue of Star Wars. The squadron Leia assembles consists of her, Luke, and Wedge, plus six new characters:

Rus Kal Kin is a male Saurin.
Prithi is a human female from Chalacta (which is based on India I guess? I hate when planets = countries/race. At least they aren't classified as near-humans )
Falback Kord is a human male. He looks like he could be Greek or something.
Tess Alder is a white human female.
Ardana Cinn is a female Rutian Twi'lek (how come the rarest supspecies is the most common one represented?)
And Gram Cortess is a white human male.

In addition, there is a female redheaded Imperial ensign named Llona on the Devastator.

 

Explain Corellians

 

I'm not sure what you mean. Are Corellians supposed to represent a real life country? They don't as far as I can tell.

 

They often come off as vaguely analogous to Americans. Irish-Americans, if Stackpole is the author.

 

There seems to be a preference for monochrome Twi'leks more than anything, whether blue, green, or red, rather than the generally lighter and mixed toned-shades. I suspect, in comics at least, that happens to be easier to draw and provides better contrast.

Or it could be that blue simply polls as 'hotter.'

 

Well, most humans in SW seem to act the same regardless of which planet they come from, IMO. Although now that I think back, I can remember the Irish-Americans = Corellians vibe from Stackpole.

 

Meh still too white.

 

Yep I am also surprised there aren’t more diverse humans, especially as DMZ had just about every ethnicity show up.

 

Dude, that deserves major diversity points in my book. I cannot remember the last time we had a Saurin character. As a fan of alien diversity, I heartily approve!

--Adm. Nick

 

I am biased in favor of living vicariously through fictive characters whose physiology at least approximates the Human species'. Mostly because my imagination imagines images based on my own distinctly Human bodily experiences, which are of course the only data I have about the world around me. I have no material from which to fabricate the sensations of being, say, a Bouncer, and authors in this franchise don't give me much with which to work.

 

When in the ocean or a pool, I do get a sense of being a Mon Cal. Also when I sit in swivel chairs in front of large windows. I can't sit in a chair and not swing around like Ackbar. It just fits.

--Adm. Nick

 

Your jest actually illustrates my point: projection is experiential.

 

He even got the naming conventions right! Brian Wood did some serious research.

 

Agreed you already have 3 White Humans in Leia, Luke and Wedge. Might as well make those other 3 not white.

 

It's Nick - he's not joking.

 

Perhaps. However, I do posit that fear of bias is a shameful hindrance. I am biased in favor of characters being a species which is relative to me. There are those who are biased in favor of species which are not relative to me. With only two choices, bias in favor of the latter is, in fact, bias against the former. Frankly, bias is fungible, which means diversity is in the eye of the beholder.

 

Honestly, there comes a point where I don't care how the author handles it; I still want to see a lead character who isn't a white Human. I don't care as much about the gender as I do the species.

 

That would be greatly appreciated

 

I want a lead character who is Human of either gender whose pigmentation is unmentioned.

 

>Implying they won't just make them white like with Revan and Exile

 

They were visually depicted. I want a book character left faceless. What need is there to specify skin color when its importance as a distinguishing feature is nonexistent in a world of aliens who make all humans look identical by comparison?

 

Agree with Karohalva.

As much as it's effective an interesting to have creatures and sentients that are off the human baseline, the further you go the harder it is to feel a connection.

I think books are probably a little more effective at getting the point across if only because they have more room and often the ability to go into the thoughts of non-biped/human-like characters, but once you get too far out it just gets harder and harder to have as much empathy.