Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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Claire Light is My Hero

At last a USian who understands the plight of those from the Southern Hemisphere. John Scalzi had the gall to refer to me and my people [scroll down] as “antipodean”, but Claire the wonderous (I don’t think it’s a co-incidence that her name means Clear Light, do you?) pointed out a few truths to the Southern Hemispherist Scalzi:

I’m sure you didn’t mean any harm by it, but you should know that “antipodean” is considered outdated and condescending among many people of a southern hemispherian persuasion. to name an entire half of the world “the antipodes” is to claim that that half is “opposite” or “other”, implying, of course, that the half from which you speak is the base, or standard, from which the “antipodes” deviates.

There’s also a very bad connotation with the “podes” part of it, implicit in images of feet stomping, walking on, and generally dissing the “other” in culturally inappropriate ways.

You go, girl. Onya!

This July Claire will be blogging every Friday over at Scalzi’s Whatever so that he can finish the sequel to the incredibly enjoyable and unputdownable Heinlein homage Old Man’s War. Don’t forget to go say hi to Claire.

Posted by Justine at 23:53, 29 June 2005 under State of the World | 11 Comments »

Comments

  1. John H Says:

    Do we suffer a bit of hemisphere jealousy, hmmm?

    But seriously, I would love to take a month off and go ‘down under’. Preferably while I’m still young enough to enjoy the nightlife.

    June 30th, 2005 at 12:03 pm

  2. niki Says:

    we have nightlife ?

    June 30th, 2005 at 12:26 pm

  3. David Moles Says:

    Isn’t Ohio equally antipodean when viewed from New South Wales?

    June 30th, 2005 at 3:36 pm

  4. janet Says:

    I like alice in wonderland’s version “…the antipathies, I think…”

    I use “antipodes” rarely, and always as a relative term, not an absolute one — what is the antipodes depends on where you are, right?

    I’m not sure I get the issue about “podes” — according to my dictionary, the roots mean “with feet opposite ours.”

    Query — is there a similar issue with “down under”?

    June 30th, 2005 at 4:07 pm

  5. 5. Justine Says:

    Oh yes. “D**n u***r” is much much worse. Wash your mouth with soap!

    June 30th, 2005 at 4:13 pm

  6. janet Says:

    Makes sense. Mind you, i’ve never heard the offending phrase used any way except satirically.

    June 30th, 2005 at 11:05 pm

  7. Tempest Says:

    Heh. Claire is the angry asian woman to my angry black woman. I learned everything I know about being an alpha female from her.

    June 30th, 2005 at 11:28 pm

  8. Justine Larbalestier Says:

    Tempest: too many angry women is barely enough . . .

    I’m looking into having Claire Light t-shirts made.

    June 30th, 2005 at 11:30 pm

  9. Tess Says:

    I’ve never had a problem being antipodean. :T

    (I just get grumping with the Northern Hemisphere Opressors who regularly make far too many assumptions….blerk.)

    July 1st, 2005 at 3:23 am

  10. Tempest Says:

    ooo! I’ll make the buttons. t-shirts and buttons – claire will have her own merchandising empire.

    July 1st, 2005 at 12:55 pm

  11. 11. Justine Says:

    Tess: “grumping”, eh? Sounds painful . . .

    Tempest: I knew blogging for Scalzi’s Whatever would be Claire’s launch pad to world domination.

    July 1st, 2005 at 1:11 pm

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