This week we discuss James Cameron’s infamous Avatar films, specifically focusing on the second film and its fetishisation of colonialism. Buckle up folks, it’s a wild ride.
We talk about colonialism and environmental destruction as a spectacle, the myth of the Noble Savage and the White Messiah, nuclear families and heteronormative depictions of intimacy and domination, and of course, the usual topics of sexism, racism, misogyny and cultural appropriation.
Recommendations:
It’s Not About The Burqa — a collection of essays edited by Mariam Khan.
My favourite chapters:
Soaliha: @soalihaofficial & Linktree
Mitch: @mitchs.miscellanea & Linktree
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/soaliha
Email: heresthethingthopodcast@gmail.com
PayPal: PayPal.me/soaliha
Facebook Group: Here’s The Thing, Tho With Soaliha Podcast Group
Sources:
'Avatar 2' VFX Team on the Evolution of the Tulkun and Simulating Water for Performance Capture
'Avatar 2' Cast: What 'The Way of Water' Cast Really Looks Like - Variety
Indigenous people slam Avatar (again) for tropes and inaccuracies
Opinion | The Messiah Complex - The New York Times
Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, 1981
