Can I say that the whole Tenzin Pema situation actually fails in preserving air nomad culture. Since children were raised communally in air nomad societies, it meant no burntout isolated mothers. Men and women both raised children, children were raised by an entire community. We see Pema complaining about being tired giving birth and raising kids and they all laugh it off? OG air nomad way was actually more sustainable and egalitarian. And Pema was a burntout mother. It's just one of the pet peeves I have. They don't preserve the good parts of the culture and yet, Tenzin is all about air nomad culture. I believe they could've taken a more holistic approach towards parenting instead of the whole "aang bad dad" thing because the real life cultures that inspire both Aang and Katara's cultures are collectivistic and child rearing is communal in such settings. They could really have gone into that! Katara is able to be a mother of three kids and still have a life of her own outside of it maybe because she did have help from her entire community in raising the children. The air Nomads are gone, but Aang was basically an honorary water tribe member as early as Bato of the Water Tribe. Yet another flaw the show has, imo, because it's written by white liberals. There are better family structures than the western nuclear family. Basically, ATLA was more egalitarian in it's messaging thab TLOK I believe. For example, it wasn't clear if bending was genetic or not in ATLA. It could very well have been something that just crops up at random and isn't influenced by genetics. But TLOK... Kinda veers into eugenics territory?
Also, in ATLA, people having to confirm to society and giving up personal freedom/choice was treated as tragedy (Yue). Compared to that, in TLOK they seem to have taken a "that's just how it is"/"that's just what it's like to participate in society" approach... Which, again. Tenzin and Pema. One thing I loved was how despite being the last air bender Aang is never made to rethink his love for Katara. He's never made to think "would it be better if I marry a nonbender instead?" I like that! Women, under no condition, should be obligated to bear children. Having children should be a choice. I know Pema chose it. She persued Tenzin and whatnot. But I consider Katara to be a character that's "motherhood is a choice and you can be a mother and have your own identity outside of it" done right whereas TLOK is... Again... Kinda eugenics... And um. Preserve a whole race so have lots of children. I'm super uncomfortable with TLOK for that reason.
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