#upper class

You got HOTD where the main problems that the characters have to deal with are deciding who gets to wield ultimate power in the entire country, figuring out who fucked who to determine inheritance rights, and gossiping about the other rich people in your orbit. Also, the characters are clearly within their own bubble.

They're young... They're in love... They eat LARD

sodapopsculptor asked:

I’m writing a story with two sets of protagonists: A trio with a Black girl, a Latino, and a Vietnamese-American boy who all come from middle-upper class to ridiculously rich families, and a pair of white working-middle class sisters. They’re all heroes of this story. I’ve seen way too many rich white people and poor poc people in fiction, and I’m kinda getting sick of it, but I’m worried that by having the poc kids be rich and the white girls not so much, I’ll be reinforcing the idea that poc somehow rule the world. The only time the rich kids use their status as leverage is when the Asian threatens to sic his cop dad on a bully (race unstated but I imagined him as white) picking on a freshman, and during the Black girl’s birthday party, when she pays the biggest jock there fifty bucks (And later says offhandedly that it was just what she had in her pocket) to chase off a creep hitting on her.

OP, have you ever seen the “diversity win!” meme before?

I understand that your motivation for these narrative choices is to give POC a chance, if you will, to be the rich characters. But it is evident from this ask that you have not asked yourself what this entails. I want to ask you to critically examine the race and class intersections you’re creating here, as well as these kids’ roles in oppressive systems.

You explain that these rich POC are heroes and only have righteous reasons for leveraging their power.

But is your Black girl character aware of the potential disciplinary and/or legal consequences her jock accomplice might face while she has the resources to keep her hands clean? Are you?

Is your Asian character aware of how much of an abuse of power it is to “sic” a cop on someone, and the sheer amount of harm a criminal record or incarceration does to a juvenile with behavior issues? Are you?

So you want to put POC in positions of power for #representation.

Does it resonate with the group you’re representing?

Do you research and portray the unique ways race, ethnicity, class, and majority vs. minority status come together?

Or are you putting these characters in oppressive hegemonic roles for the sake of a power fantasy, on behalf of a group you're not even in?

To your question, you're not reinforcing the idea that "POC rule the world" because such a generalized belief does not exist. Instead, you're reinforcing:

The idea that society has “winners” and “losers.”

The idea that the problem with disproportionately powerful people is the lack of “equal opportunity” as opposed to the power imbalance to begin with.

The idea that those in oppressive positions of power need only have the right intentions to justify their use of it.

To be clear: that is not to say that you can't have jerk aristocrat billionaire millionaire crazy rich POC. Evil or mean rich characters are fun! I have some myself! You can even have rich characters who are gentle-hearted and well-intentioned, but you have to know the ways in which they’re privileged and decide how aware of that your characters are. That’s no problem.

But if you think that wealthy and powerful POC would have the same values and priorities as their poorer counterparts, you’re deluding yourself. There’s a reason why the quote “power corrupts” exists. There’s a reason why no matter where you look on the globe, there are historical dictators and tyrants.

If you want bratty rich POC who lack regard for the consequences of their actions, because you want bratty rich characters, great! If you want them because it would be uplifting or empowering representation? You’re doing it for the wrong reason.

~ Rina

I fully agree with Rina, and truly want to emphasize the last paragraph.

If you want bratty rich POC who lack regard for the consequences of their actions, because you want bratty rich characters, great! If you want them because it would be uplifting or empowering representation? You’re doing it for the wrong reason.

I don't think you need to aim to subvert or purposely make all the BIPOC rich and powerful and the white people poor and suffering. Add diversity and include upper class rich and class privileged BIPOC, sure thing! And you can avoid your fears of intentional subversion message by including rich and powerful white characters as well, even if they're not the focus of your story. Just their existence helps. You could also include middle-class characters of Color as well.

More reading: Black in upper-class society

Wait ok so here's my not very good prompt/idea and moodboard its trash please take free reign... And my messy first draft while very high...gulp..

Tony stark: upper class rich family, child abuse and neglect fuck Howard, big political figure milliatry command maybe nazi support, expected and forced into tony. Unhealthy standards of masculinity, Maria stark teaches him cooking when Howard is busy with work, shows him how to sew and first aid (abuse), Jarvis would be there for him as a father figure and support. Genious engineer and mechanic, mostly behind Howard's back. Evil Obadiah grooming still but at the expense of him wanting to engineer (stane is Howard's right man or something)

Peter Parker: lower middle class, orphaned young and skip happens (important), Ben passes still may is still elderly like original may, country kinda guy is hired by snobs for hunting training and rabbit control, lives in a small not very good cabin with nah but at no charge for him to do farmwork, and be at rich people's disposal. He constantly has to fix the rundown farm tractor and ute + tinkers with parts to improve their living, diy energy generator and so on, sneaks out to ride or "borrow" thrown away and unused scraps etc from the rich.

The reason why skip is included is for some kinda scene along the lines of tony coming across the pretty looking scruffy hunter guide or something to do with barn work or farm work Peter easily fixing his vehicle (carrying the hunting gear or kills or hay or whatever) he's impressed but Starks don't show it or show weakness or treat the lesser equal, makes some chit chat then is further impressed with the ease Peter mends and the lack of focus needed + his on the spot repair without the needed tools so he calls him "Einstein/little Einstein" amongst a tiny special sentence...Peter turns pounces and punches him square in the nose, angry on-top of him pulls up by Tony's collar gets in his face despite Tony's bleeding nose and then yells in his face something like "don't you FUCKIN CALL ME THAT YOU HEAR ME? BE FUCKIN THANKFUL I DIDNT BREAK YOUR NOSE" tony goes to say something witty and snarky maybe even call him it again but notices his fists are trembling and he seems to be on the verge of a panic attack, and he punched him wrong due to fight response and broke a knuckle, takes him to the barn where there's a first aid kit (his secret safe space) and bandages him up, they sit in tense silence then Peter apologises, tony plays it off cool and ignore his own feeling of someone being in HIS safe space. Tony tinkers in here and Peter makes small talk on one the inventions or improvements.

Tony don't wanna follow Howard's steps or take his position in the military, breaking the cycle of his entire family name, coming to terms with being gay dramatic him Peter secret friendship to try outsmart the other find out they can go toe to toe with ease then just be good friends learn bout each other cue a particularly bad beating from Howard which results in him going down stairs fracturing 2 ribs (not the first time) it's stormy he leaves (Starks can't be weak) goes to barn but doesn't realise Peter has been sneaking in taking parts and Peter gets spooked, tony gets spooked and then don't speak but Peter helps tend to tony and keeps tinkering, tony sets up his hay bed (his safe space to be "weak") Peter gives him his jacket goes back to his cabin but comes back to Tony's shock with blankets n pillows and his tinker book.

Cue gay crisis after a kiss in Pete's ute or something

Basically sound of music kinda thing where he and Pete run away cause tony wants no part in the military or nazi support then also the princess bride thing is just the whole "as you wish" Pete behaviour then brokeback cause it's country Pete hello anyway may passes at some point and Maria knows about him and Peter and is confused about two boys but is ok as long as Tony's happy, sex ofcourse but it is Tony's first with a guy so that's sweet they both switch who's top or not.

Eventually kinda happy ending ( they leave everything behind so that's both sad but good, Peter has no family, both are gay, government after them but rhodey oh sweet rhodey is on their side )