The Meme Is An Inside Joke With Some Friends But It Still Fucking Applies. Research. Think Critically About The Application. Holy Fuck. - Blog Posts

People please think before doing something

[ID: Bernie Sanders meme with white text on the image of Bernie Sanders saying “I am once again asking you to use critical thinking skills when writing or drawing ATLA/LOK fan pieces” END ID]

Dear white fans of Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra (but especially Korra because that’s the half of fandom I am most involved in right now): I am literally BEGGING y’all to do a MODICUM of research before you start drawing or writing. Nobody in ATLA/LOK is white or Christian: please apply an OUNCE of critical thought to the cultural choices you are making in your fanart and fanfic.

Some Resources:

List of observances set by the Chinese Calendar

Chinese/Lunar New Year

Inuit people | Iñupiat people | Yupik people | Chukchi people

Tibetan Culture | Culture of Nepal | Shaolin Monastery | Sri Lankan Buddhism

Chinese architecture | Japanese architecture | Traditional Arctic Architecture | Buddhist Architecture | Hindu Architecture | Maya Architecture | Aztec Architecture | Architecture of ancient Sri Lanka

Alcoholic drinks in China | “Most Popular Asian Alcoholic Drinks"

Marriage in Japan | Traditional Japanese Weddings | Chinese Wedding Customs

Color symbolism in Chinese culture

This list is NOT comprehensive.

This is just everything I have the spoons to collate right now. I don’t include food or fashion, because that it is better explained/detailed in the links below:

When in doubt, read this first and research the cultural influences herein: Influences on the Avatar franchise

Additionally:

Cuisine in the World of Avatar

Fashion in the World of Avatar

Fan artist resources:

TUTORIAL: Drawing Characters of Colour

Guide to Drawing Dark Skinned and POC Characters (white author, mostly link compilations)

Katara, Aang, Kya ii, Bumi ii, Tenzin, Senna, Tonraq, and Korra’s official skin tone palettes, from Bryke

Skin tone charts

on painting skin tones, and why lighting = pale is a fallacy

Dark skin colors under different lights

How to Stop Whitewashing (or Lightwashing) in Fanart

And lastly:

The Inescapable Whiteness of AVATAR: THE LEGEND OF KORRA, and its Uncomfortable Implications

The Appropriation of Avatar

When Transformative Fandom Passes The Buck On Representation In Fandom

Don’t be shitty and perpetuate racism in fandom. Do your goddamn research.

Again: Nobody in ATLA/LOK is white or Christian.

Your existence in a white supremacist, christian society, consuming this piece of media made mostly by white people existing in a white supremacist christian society, influences how you will interact and create media in this fandom.

This includes, but is not limited to, colorism in ships: If your darker character in your ship is always the caretaker, please examine why that is.

Lastly, listen to your fellow fans of color. If they say something is racist or shitty, LISTEN TO THEM.

Folks with additional resources are more than welcome to reblog and add them and/or DM me and I’ll add them to the main post. Thanks.

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