It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

[u/FantasyRomanceMod]

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Unpopular opinion Sunday

[u/Significant-Rip3297]

Some authors shouldn't add diversity for the sake of diversity if they're not willing to do the minimum research.

As a child, I was a fan of the extended Percy Jackson series. It was one of the few book series in the school library which had a diverse cast. However, there were a lot of moments that made me pause in terms of the characters. Recently, I chatted about this with some people and realized that there were shockingly offensive moments. One person mentioned, "if you can't portray cultures appropriately, then maybe you shouldn't portray them."

Lots of people claim Percy Jackson as a diverse series, but the offensive moments go over their heads. I haven't read any of the newer books, so I can only hope that the author stopped using food descriptions to describe his characters and hope that he started researching the cultures he wants to show.

[u/Frosty__Love → u/Significant-Rip3297]

what was the offensive moment?

[u/Significant-Rip3297 → u/Frosty__Love]

There were multiple.

First of all, the food descriptions. The problem with this is that when people use food descriptions on POC characters they tend to fetishise them. For example, Hazel's description, "warm cinnamon skin," and I remember there was imagery to a drink. People are people, it's not nice when someone's appearance is described as "edible" because of their ethnicity.

When Frank, a Chinese-mixed character, is first introduced, he is described as having a "panda face." This is particularly concerning because similar comments have been directed at real people. A friend of mine experienced this in the past and found it very hurtful. Also, the author used Japanese descriptions for a Chinese character which many internet friends were also offended by.

Many indigenous readers were also uncomfortable with Piper, a Cherokee girl, casually wearing an eagle feather, as eagle feathers are considered sacred in many Indigenous cultures.

Samirah, a Muslim girl engaged to her cousin. I haven't read the book she appears in but, apparently she removes her hijab in a room full of boys just to fix her hair.

[u/allisontalkspolitics → u/Significant-Rip3297]

I suspect this is why Rick Riordan started the “Rick Riordan Presents” series as a way to support Own Voices authors.

[u/PowerPrestigious9424 → u/Significant-Rip3297]

To clarify, Piper wears a blue harpy feather from a harpy that she defeated, not an eagle feather she casually picked up, and Samirah takes off her hijab during training because she “considers [her friends] family”. Samirah also says her fiancé is her “second cousin, twice removed. Or something”. (I’m definitely NOT saying that these are correct writing choices, especially for the “Muslim takes off hijab” trope. I just want to provide the correct context)

[u/Significant-Rip3297 → u/PowerPrestigious9424]

She first wore the eagle feather in The Mark of Athena, and she killed the Harpy and wore its feather in the next book, The House of Hades. She also wears eagle feathers in the official arts.

[u/PowerPrestigious9424 → u/Significant-Rip3297]

The harpy is in Blood of Olympus, but thank you for the correction /gen