By David Futrelle
With the right slowly but surely winning its war on the right to abortion, in both legal and practical terms, you might expect Margaret Atwood — you know, the author of the Handmaid’s Tale, the dystopian novel about an oppressively patriarchal state that’s been turned into a really very depressing Hulu series — to be feeling more than a little angry about the state of women’s rights in the US today.
And you’d be right. Indeed, last week she retweeted a Guardian piece comparing Alabama to her novel’s Republic of Gilead.
But not everyone thought it was such an apt comparison, including one fellow who took to Twitter to tell her that she seemed to be missing the point of … the show based on her book, for which she is also a consulting producer.
Yeah, dude, I think I’m going to go with her interpretation on this one.
But he’s already heard that, well, roughly 250 times already; indeed, apparently happy at all the attention, he’s happily retweeting the various Twitterers who’ve stepped up to call him out as the idiot he is.
Which raises the question: is he “just trolling?” He might be trolling, but not “just.” A look through Mr. Modbrat’s tweets reveal him to be a seemingly sincere right-wing Australian and a big fan of failed-comedian turned alt-lite interviewer Dave Rubin.
So whatever his intent with the tweet, he’s definitely a huge idiot.
H/T — Comic Sands
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I need a freackin’ drink.
I saw that a few days ago. Did he ever explain why he thinks the Alabama to Republic of Gilead comparison isn’t apt though? Gotta admit I’m curious.
Goes with the usual incel take on THMT, which is that it is a guidebook on how things “are supposed to be.”
In a universe where women are told that they’re to blame if they’re raped, what happened to Marshae Jones is right in line.
5 internets says he has no idea that the TV series was book first or that Margot Atwood wrote it
I’m semi-curious about why he doesn’t think Alabama passes the Gilead test. So often it seems that the answer is “I just don’t” or “It’s not, that’s all.”
I still remember an Atwood interview that came out when the book was first making a noise, and how she said her American friends were telling her “That really COULD happen here.”
Look, if Alabama isn’t passing legislature which would literally rename the State to “Republic of Gilead” then it’s just not becoming an actual real-life counterpart of the Atwood novel or the Netflix series, okay? ?
(Forgot to add: I am aware that Netflix doesn’t actually produce the series. But there are people are prone to thinking that if it’s available online, it’s “Netflix”.)
@ Snowberry
Oh, of COURSE. Guess that means I’m safe until they order Mr. Parasol to make me wear an Econowife dress. 😛
Sorta related: I bet incels would like The Handmaid’s Tale becoming a reality. It seems to really fit into their vision of entitlement and male supremacy.
I don’t necessarily think it’s wrong to say you interpret a story different than its author. I tend to go with the “Death of the Author” theory and say my interpretation of the text is as valid as anyone else’s. Still, you should probably have a little humility about it if you’re going to challenge the author directly, and it also makes it sound like he doesn’t even know it was a book.
(Also I’m getting tired of comparing things to Handmaid’s Tale. There are better dystopias.)
@Naglfar
Only because they believe they would be the Commanders with the handmaids at their disposal. In reality, they would be the sexless cannon fodder comprising the army.
@Jurgan
What do you mean by “better”, exactly? More horrific? Less horrific? Why are you tired of comparing things to the Handmaid’s Tale, even if, indeed, there are better dystopias?
oh? and which of those dystopias are closest to affecting you, personally?
That’s… not what Death of The Author means. If your interpretation is unsupported by the text, it’s still wrong.
@Big Titty Demon
You’re right. Of course, even if they did get handmaids they would complain that their handmaids weren’t as attractive as they wanted and that Chad got a more attractive one.
But Margaret Atwood is still alive! If she dies, then we can start disregarding her extratextual commentary when interpreting her work.
I never could read or watch the handmaids tale. I saw a trailer for the show one time on a YouTube ad while I was getting ready for school and it gave me ptsd flashbacks. Had a full on panic attack. This was in high school when I still had to go see my abuser everyday. Wasn’t a fun time. For that reason alone I think it’s the perfect dystopia novel to describe what’s going on in the world today.
If the conditions aren’t exactly identical in every respect, then right wingers will disqualify any analogy that makes their policies look bad.
For example, immigrants being rounded up and herded into cages aren’t concentration camps, even though that’s the literal definition of a concentration camp. We aren’t allowed to call them that, because Hitler and swastikas aren’t involved and it’s not World War 2. Being literal-minded lets them just gaslight everybody into pretending that it’s not happening again, precisely so that it can happen again.
@Buttercup Q. Skullpants
I disagree. Everything that a lefty does or says is instantly compared to George Orwell. And it it’s only “Be polite to others”.
Sure, but when righty does it it’s satire, you see. As opposed to ‘overblown hysteria’ or something when a lefty makes such a comparison. Ugh…
And remember, the right wingers clutching their pearls over the use of the term “concentration camps” were comparing Obama to Hitler over the ACA. So, the rules about how analogies have to actually be literal only apply to others. Which is of course, how the right sees all rules.
Atwood is right because of the text not because of her being the author.
Texts belong to the readers.
… all of ’em, anymore….
https://assets.amuniversal.com/1475aec06ae10137a1d9005056a9545d
content warning for sarcasm…
https://www.theroot.com/son-begs-father-not-to-call-cops-on-black-man-for-stand-1836187493
cops show up, chastise the black man for using “foul” language in front of a child, then leave. The cops showed admirable restraint in not just shooting the thug…. See, I TOLD YOU “whiteriarchy” is dead….
Nah, that was part of the sarcasm; it was the caller who did that. Dude’s friend showed up before the cops did and they left together.
“daddy, PLEASE DONT CALL… I don’t want to spend the rest of my childhood as an internet meme…”