Author Topic: PC235: Recognizing Gabe: Un Cuento de Hadas  (Read 16942 times)

Talia

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 2682
  • Muahahahaha
on: November 23, 2012, 02:58:21 PM
PodCastle 235: Recognizing Gabe: Un Cuento de Hadas

by Alberto Yáñez.

Read by Brian Lieberman.

Originally appeared in Strange Horizons, January 2012. The text is available.

“You do that better than your sisters, Gabe,” Mom says to me as I
spread the corn masa on the soaked husk and spoon the right amount of
shredded spiced beef onto it. The aroma of meat braised in a sauce of
chiles, garlic, bay, pepper, and cloves makes every breath feel like
Christmas. My stomach growls softly in a tiny fit of impatient hunger.
It’s the first time I’ve been actually allowed to help with the
tamales since . . . well, since a long time. My sisters are good
cooks, too, so Mom’s praise isn’t cheap. “They always overstuff them.”

I wrap up the tamal and try not to smile too much, but Mom ignores my
pride anyway. She doesn’t want me getting too cocky. This is women’s
work she’s letting me do, and she thinks it wouldn’t be good for me to
be too proud about it. I think she forgets sometimes, but I _am_ a boy
after all.

Because of that, I probably shouldn’t be standing there in her
daisy-yellow kitchen learning how to make tamales properly, but Dad
isn’t home right now and my brothers aren’t going to notice so long as
the food’s good.

It will be. Mom’s cooking is still the best.


Rated PG.

Listen to this week’s PodCastle!
« Last Edit: December 13, 2012, 03:49:58 PM by Talia »



Donella

  • Extern
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Reply #1 on: November 24, 2012, 01:29:04 PM
This story is brilliant! This is how a short story should be done. The mood is consistent, the narrative is succinct without losing texture or depth and it sheds an original light on the human condition. And the topic! Wow!  The complex notions of identity and sex, this story doesn't just explore the question, but actually takes a stand - says something definite about the meaning of identity and the significance of sex in the formation of personal identity.  I really admire that the author gave an opinion and that is what the reader is left to consider, rather than leaving all the questions up to the reader to decide.  It helps that I strongly agree with the author's position, that sex identification plays a role in forming our sense of identity but that the individual psyche is more than just what we keep in our underwear. 



Donella

  • Extern
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Reply #2 on: November 24, 2012, 01:34:31 PM
Oh yeah. I'm sorry I forgot to say in my initial rave that the reading was flawless. Loved this story.



Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #3 on: November 26, 2012, 02:57:24 PM
It took me a little while to warm up to this story but in the end I really enjoyed it.  I think the reason that it took so long is that for quite a while I was confused about what sex Gabe had been born as, which made the reactions from his family more confusing than they might've been meant to be.

Once I got that Gabe was born female but identified as male, then the rest of it came out pretty smoothly. 

When the fairy godmother showed up with the suit that would make Gabe a real boy, I groaned a little bit, thinking  that wearing the suit was going to be the happy ending, that the lesson was going to be that changing what you are to match other's expectations is the best way.  Extra points for subverting expectations.  When Gabe's father reacted to the gift with anger, I thought he was just playing the role of "father who wants to deny his child's wishes because of his own discomfort" but I was pleasantly surprised at the nature of his anger, that his anger was that Gabe was ALREADY a real boy and didn't need magic to make it so.  In some ways the magic was a bit superfluous to the events, but the way that it was used (or rather, not used) gave the story more meaning.

 I felt that the suit was given not just as a gift, but as a test for Gabe and for Gabe's father, and they both passed.



chemistryguy

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 263
  • Serving the Detroit Metro area since 1970
    • 5000 People can't be wrong...or can they?
Reply #4 on: November 27, 2012, 01:08:49 PM
Extra points for subverting expectations.  When Gabe's father reacted to the gift with anger, I thought he was just playing the role of "father who wants to deny his child's wishes because of his own discomfort" but I was pleasantly surprised at the nature of his anger, that his anger was that Gabe was ALREADY a real boy and didn't need magic to make it so.

It pleasantly surprised me as well.  The dad in me cheers for the father in this story.  Also for Gabe, who uses the suit occasionally, but prefers to be himself.  That I could have been so solid with myself at 15.  I only hope my kids to be comfortable in their own skin as they reach their teen years.

Both the writing and narration was great.  Thank you PodCastle!


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #5 on: November 27, 2012, 03:02:03 PM
I only hope my kids to be comfortable in their own skin as they reach their teen years.

That is a powerful blessing indeed!  Being comfortable in one's own skin can be difficult, but well worth it.



Max e^{i pi}

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 1038
  • Have towel, will travel.
Reply #6 on: November 27, 2012, 04:46:53 PM
I... what was that?
Maybe it's my fault for not understanding Spanish but this story left me like this:  ???
I'm not sure I even understood the story. There was a girl who wanted to be a boy, but also wanted to cook like a girl. So (s)he doesn't fit any gender stereotypes. Yay. Oh, and (s)he had a faerie god mother.
So what?
There was no conflict in this story, or at least all the conflict was in the past, told in a flashback. And there was no clear indication of where the flashback started, or ended. All this interspersed with unintelligible (to me) Spanish just made this a terrible waste of time on my part.
I couldn't get into the story enough to care about anything in it.
Excellent reading though.

Cogito ergo surf - I think therefore I network

Registered Linux user #481826 Get Counted!



lisavilisa

  • Peltast
  • ***
  • Posts: 114
Reply #7 on: November 27, 2012, 05:40:41 PM
I... what was that?
Maybe it's my fault for not understanding Spanish but this story left me like this:  ???
I'm not sure I even understood the story. There was a girl who wanted to be a boy, but also wanted to cook like a girl. So (s)he doesn't fit any gender stereotypes. Yay. Oh, and (s)he had a faerie god mother.

There wasn't a girl, there was a transboy who hadn't told his parents he was a boy and his faerie godmother helped him do so. It was a coming out story.



Devoted135

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 1252
Reply #8 on: November 27, 2012, 06:20:05 PM
There was a girl who felt she was a boy and thus everyone decided to live as though it was so. There was no surgical or magical intervention, and as far as I could tell the MC still had "girl parts" at the end of the story (thus the promise of small breasts like the aunt, not big ones like the mom). If that is the definition of a transboy, then sure, there was a transboy.

I'm sort of middle of the road with this one. I like that it subverted expectations, and I really liked that the author took a stand instead of letting the reader decide for themself. I do wish that the fantasy had been more front-and-center if you will. Honestly, make the fairy god mother a wise great-grandmother and you have the same exact story. The Spanish was difficult for me, but much easier than the recent short, I don't mind having to jump through linguistic hoops sometimes. :)



HueItzcoatl

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 21
Reply #9 on: November 27, 2012, 09:13:47 PM
Let me just by saying this: I FUCKING loved this story! And not just because it sounded like an afternoon at my mother's house growing up. When I first started listening I couldn't help but smile, I was not yet aware that the MC was a transboy, but a boy that preferred doing "woman's work." Having been raised in a culture and family which still adheres to very strict gender roles, I've heard the "I hate to see a man doing dishes when there's a woman around to do them." line a lot over the years. Much to the grief of my Mexican parents, I love to work in the kitchen, both cooking and cleaning.

Once the fact that Gabe was a transboy was revealed and the dynamic that played with the family and his Fairy Godmother I fell deeper in love with the tale. I can understand if the story is somewhat confusing to those that aren't Spanish speakers. Especially the use of the words "AMA" and "APA" which are the Mexican equivalent of "MA" and "PA" in the American Southern sense of the word.  I think that the story was well done and very well read.

It's not that I can't see the line, it's merely that I burned it away when I was 5...


danooli

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1745
    • Who Doesn't Love Stories?
Reply #10 on: November 28, 2012, 01:35:00 AM
At the end of this story, I actually said aloud, to my car, "that was beautiful."

I felt there was a lot of fantastical elements, but they were subtle.  The fact that nina Tere chooses her godchildren, she knows things about them and grants magical boons.  The story about refusing her gift and the consequences...not to mention the fact that she's been watching over the fathers family for generations. As a fairy godmother.

Gabe could have been such a stereotype, but he wasn't. He wasn't afraid to identify with the things that might make him feminine, even when he knew he was way more masculine. But, it was what he wanted to do, gender roles be damned.  A lot of courage for a young teen, and it wasn't cheesy or mellow dramatic. It was just beautiful.

Loved the story, the reading was spectacular. This is absolutely in the running for my favorite of the year.



Cutter McKay

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 952
  • "I was the turkey the whoooole time!"
    • Detention Block AA23
Reply #11 on: November 28, 2012, 02:20:42 AM
Yes, to just about everything that's been said here.

I enjoyed this story overall. I have a transgendered friend, so I could relate to some of the attitudes in this story, and I, too, enjoyed that the author took a stand. I cheered aloud when the father's seemingly closed-minded reaction turned out to be the opposite. Loved that.

However, I can also agree with some of Max's points. Whereas the Spanish didn't lose me, per se, and I get how it added culture to the story, it often times left me annoyed because I didn't understand it and wished for subtitles scrolling on my iPod screen. I also found the flashback a tad confusing because there was no clear definition of the beginning or end. In the middle of it, when the Godmother shows up the first time, I couldn't tell if it was in the past, or if it was the Godmother showing up for dinner in the present.

I was also left a little wanting at the end. When the music started up I thought, that's it? Yes, I get that the climax was the father's reaction and Gabe choosing to only occasionally use the suit, but I guess I was submerged enough that I didn't want it to end just yet. So I'm not sure if that is a complaint or a compliment.

Overall, though, a very well written, and read, tale.

-Josh Morrey-
http://joshmorreywriting.blogspot.com/
"Remember: You have not yet written your best work." -Tracy Hickman


Raymond

  • Extern
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Reply #12 on: November 28, 2012, 02:26:35 AM
This was a great story; magical in every sense.
Thank you for presenting it.
I look forward to hearing more work by Alberto Yáñez.



geekaba

  • Extern
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Reply #13 on: November 28, 2012, 07:53:17 PM
Loved it - was a slow start but that may have just me being tired on my walk this morning :)

Any time I want to shout at one of the characters, I figure its a mark of a good story.  I wanted to make sure the fairy godmother 'got it' that Papa was embracing his son now.

It did seem like a quick turnaround tho - Because it was just following a flashback, it seemed like Papa quickly switched from disappointment to embracing his son.  Maybe it could have used some more 'present time' where we saw his Father warm to his son more instead of just jumping forward?

But still loved it!  Reading also made it!



eytanz

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 6109
Reply #14 on: November 28, 2012, 08:00:05 PM
This was a fairy tale in the traditional sense - a story of wish fulfilment granted by a literal fairy godmother. I thought it was beautiful, and felt uplifted by the ending. I just wish that it would actually be so easy for real transgendered people.



danooli

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1745
    • Who Doesn't Love Stories?
Reply #15 on: November 28, 2012, 08:33:23 PM
I just wish that it would actually be so easy for real transgendered people.

Hear, hear!!!  Hopefully, the struggles and discrimination, both internal and external, transgendered people face will someday be lessened. These people are NOT monsters, degenerates, or evil.  (Well, at least no more so than any other person.) Stories like this one can only help, with portrayals of characters like Gabe.



Father Beast

  • Lochage
  • *****
  • Posts: 517
Reply #16 on: November 29, 2012, 12:07:11 PM
I listened to this story twice, because it was so natural to listen to. The parts in Spanish were just part of the atmosphere and didn't throw me at all. But that leads me to the other reason I listened again - Trying to figure out just what happened.

I was unsure, even after listening again, whether Gabriel/Gabrielle was a boy or a girl, and which way the confusion went. The Fairy Godmother was the source of much of this. The Fairy Godmother comes first and looks for her Godson, as if his gender was not in question. Then she comes back later with a device that will make him a "Real Boy". What is he, Pinocchio? Her surety of his gender at first, and then making it not sure later, didn't seem to make any sense.

The discussion on this thread didn't help. There was a flashback? Who knew? If I don't get it from the story, or see it in the story after someone mentions it, then the story didn't do its job of portraying it.

Transgendering? The only way the idea that you are whatever gender you think you are works, is if you are either sterile, or irrevocably celibate. Otherwise your gender is determined by whether you can conceive a child on one hand, or sire a child on the other, through sex. To state otherwise is to ignore reality.

Perhaps this story depended too much on how people are expected to fill gender roles in their life, an expectation I generally ignore.



Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #17 on: November 29, 2012, 02:26:49 PM
I was unsure, even after listening again, whether Gabriel/Gabrielle was a boy or a girl, and which way the confusion went. The Fairy Godmother was the source of much of this. The Fairy Godmother comes first and looks for her Godson, as if his gender was not in question. Then she comes back later with a device that will make him a "Real Boy". What is he, Pinocchio? Her surety of his gender at first, and then making it not sure later, didn't seem to make any sense.

I interpreted that as a two-stage plan by the godmother:
1.  Make the family question their stereotypes, because Gabe was too timid to do it himself.
2.  After they'd had time to really question the stereotypes, do the "real boy" schtick to rile them up and make them stand up for Gabe.

Transgendering? The only way the idea that you are whatever gender you think you are works, is if you are either sterile, or irrevocably celibate. Otherwise your gender is determined by whether you can conceive a child on one hand, or sire a child on the other, through sex. To state otherwise is to ignore reality.

I think you're referring to sex, rather than gender.  Gabe is transgender, not transsexual.  (Well, I guess he's transsexual when he wears the suit).  

Perhaps this story depended too much on how people are expected to fill gender roles in their life, an expectation I generally ignore.

You may generally ignore gender roles, but society in general does not, and apparently the society in the story more than American society, because of the focus on cooking being women's work and etc--I still see some of that today, but it's not nearly as prevalent and taken for granted as it was when my parents were growing up.   Generally I think the story is hoping for a world wherein your attitude is more prevalent.  If there were no assumed gender-roles, then there would be no conflict or story here.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2012, 02:28:21 PM by Unblinking »



EFBQ

  • Extern
  • *
  • Posts: 14
Reply #18 on: November 29, 2012, 03:14:52 PM
I really loved this story.   

What I particularly loved was that nina Tere didn't do something terrible to Gabe's father when he blew up at her.  It was both is bravery in defense of his son's identity and honor (because it was clear that everyone was afraid of the godmother, for very good reason) and the way she appeared to accept his outburst as deserved that was truly the climax of the story.

As far as those who complained that there was no conflict, and that everything came too easily, I can't but help but wonder if they were listening to the same story as I was.

As was mentioned before the Fantasy element wasn't integral to the plot (except in that it explained *why* the Father's outburst was an act of courage).  That's pretty typical of magical realism, which is just another subgenre.  It's important to the story only in that it makes it clear what choice Gabe would make if he could flip a switch and become someone more conventional, which, in the end, defines his character.  So pretty integral to the story after all (even though it's minor in terms of the plot).



chemistryguy

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 263
  • Serving the Detroit Metro area since 1970
    • 5000 People can't be wrong...or can they?
Reply #19 on: November 30, 2012, 12:03:30 PM
As far as those who complained that there was no conflict, and that everything came too easily, I can't but help but wonder if they were listening to the same story as I was.

Exactly.  The tension that existed between Gabe and his family is quite clear.  Just because they all came to a kind of acceptance doesn't mean there wasn't an internal struggle.  And the uncomfortable arrangement they all had with the fairy godmother was just delicious.

I did wonder how much more difficult it would have been for the father to come to terms if the genders were reversed.  Had Gabe been a girl trapped in a boy's body, it seems like it would have been a much larger chasm to cross.


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #20 on: November 30, 2012, 02:36:39 PM
I did wonder how much more difficult it would have been for the father to come to terms if the genders were reversed.  Had Gabe been a girl trapped in a boy's body, it seems like it would have been a much larger chasm to cross.

I think you're probably right.  At least in the places where I've lived a woman taking on male gender traits/roles might be looked at strangely but is more or less accepted, but a man taking on female gender traits/roles is much less so.



Corcoran

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 30
    • My shop-page (Only in German)
Reply #21 on: December 02, 2012, 06:51:38 PM
Please stop podcasting in Spanish. This story was so hard to understand, even after listening twice. A very dull and empty story.



chemistryguy

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 263
  • Serving the Detroit Metro area since 1970
    • 5000 People can't be wrong...or can they?
Reply #22 on: December 03, 2012, 12:03:02 PM
Please stop podcasting in Spanish. This story was so hard to understand, even after listening twice. A very dull and empty story.


Ummmmmm...it was in English.  I suggest using context to interpret any Spanish terms.

We could certainly eliminate all podcasts save those that were 100% in English.  We could also stop hiring narrators and be read to in a monotone, computerized voice, but I think the whole point of this is to experience a little diversity.


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #23 on: December 03, 2012, 02:42:11 PM
Please stop podcasting in Spanish. This story was so hard to understand, even after listening twice. A very dull and empty story.


Ummmmmm...it was in English.  I suggest using context to interpret any Spanish terms.

We could certainly eliminate all podcasts save those that were 100% in English.  We could also stop hiring narrators and be read to in a monotone, computerized voice, but I think the whole point of this is to experience a little diversity.

What chemistryguy said.  I didn't know all the spanish words, but they were used sparsely enough that context clues should get you through. 



Bdoomed

  • Pseudopod Tiger
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 5891
  • Mmm. Tiger.
Reply #24 on: December 03, 2012, 03:47:15 PM
So weird. It obviously comes from the 7 years I spent in middle school and high school learning Spanish, but I really thought all of the Spanish in there was explained well. Either through context or the English equivalent right after. I'm not the best judge though seeing as I just understood all of the Spanish already.

Either way, take out all of the Spanish and you still have the same story, just perhaps not so culturally embedded.

I enjoyed reading this one for you all!

I'd like to hear my options, so I could weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds?  Six pounds? Seven pounds?


eytanz

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 6109
Reply #25 on: December 03, 2012, 04:19:54 PM
I don't speak any Spanish and have never studied it, but at no point did I feel that it was a barrier to my understanding of this story. Sure, there were a couple of exchanges I didn't understand, but they were hardly crucial.



Listener

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 3187
  • I place things in locations which later elude me.
    • Various and Sundry Items of Interest
Reply #26 on: December 05, 2012, 01:46:14 PM
I came into this story a little "eh" because I'd just heard the first five minutes of EP371 and skipped it because it didn't thrill me... and here was PC235, next in my queue, with another story about gender (in all fairness, EP371 may not have been about that, but it started out talking about a character with mutable gender/sex characteristics; I didn't listen to the whole thing). But because it was short -- the entire episode was only 25 minutes -- I figured I'd give it a shot.

I'm glad that I did.

The moment when the father says "he's my son and he doesn't need a special suit" or whatever it was was a true throw-the-horns and shout "YES!" moment. It wasn't foreshadowed that much, and that made it more powerful; I think everyone expected Nina Tere to have to be the one who validates Gabriel's gender, and it was great that the father does what all parents with nontraditionally-gendered/sexual kids should do in the first place: love them anyway. My adopted "little sister" came out to her parents and her dad was totally against it (her family is quite religious, and she, while spiritual, is not actually a religious person). She and her mom get along okay, but the relationship with both parents is strained, more so because she moved out to be with her girlfriend, then moved home when the two of them broke up. I realize that, for some parents, their nurture becomes their nature and they are unable to deal with these things, and I really love seeing/hearing stories (real or fictional) of parents who love their children no matter what.

If I had any quibbles with the reading, it was that we needed a bit of a pause after the father makes his declaration -- that whole part needed to be a bit slower, or at least have more pauses within it. It seemed to pass VERY quickly. Also, I got a little muddled with Nina Tere's first appearance; I wasn't sure how long we were staying in the past, or exactly when we got there.

Overall a great episode.

"Farts are a hug you can smell." -Wil Wheaton

Blog || Quote Blog ||  Written and Audio Work || Twitter: @listener42


Moon_Goddess

  • Palmer
  • **
  • Posts: 50
Reply #27 on: December 05, 2012, 03:54:05 PM
I registered this account to make this post, my first time commenting on any of these stories.

I almost turned this story off twice.

The spanish threw me, and honestly I'm not to fond of the fantasy stories that take place in a more modern setting, I honestly feared it would turn out to be something that was better suited to psuedopod or escape pod.

But I stayed because of the gender issues, See I am a transgender woman, so while the issues of a transgender man are different than my own issues they are still my brothers in arms so to speak.

This story touched me so much, the Fairy Godmother recognizing Gabe for his true self without any question, was just so touching to me but then when his father stood up for him.   That was what broke me, No one has ever done that for me, and I just wanted to say how much this episode meant to me.

Was dream6601 but that's sounds awkward when Nathan reads my posts.


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #28 on: December 05, 2012, 05:08:10 PM
I registered this account to make this post, my first time commenting on any of these stories.

I almost turned this story off twice.

The spanish threw me, and honestly I'm not to fond of the fantasy stories that take place in a more modern setting, I honestly feared it would turn out to be something that was better suited to psuedopod or escape pod.

But I stayed because of the gender issues, See I am a transgender woman, so while the issues of a transgender man are different than my own issues they are still my brothers in arms so to speak.

This story touched me so much, the Fairy Godmother recognizing Gabe for his true self without any question, was just so touching to me but then when his father stood up for him.   That was what broke me, No one has ever done that for me, and I just wanted to say how much this episode meant to me.

Like!



ElectricPaladin

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 1005
  • Holy Robot
    • Burning Zeppelin Experience
Reply #29 on: December 05, 2012, 05:31:07 PM
I wanted to say - as a cis male who would totally be an awesome dad to a trans kid - that I loved the twist. The dad's fury at the fairy godmother... it made my heart happy. The rest of the story was also beautiful - I liked how it focused on the family's struggle, not a simplistic black-and-white of rejection and revenge - but that moment was just... there aren't words. I loved it.

Captain of the Burning Zeppelin Experience.

Help my kids get the educational supplies they need at my Donor's Choose page.


Max e^{i pi}

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 1038
  • Have towel, will travel.
Reply #30 on: December 05, 2012, 07:14:54 PM
Reading all the comments here made me give this story another try.
Going in to the story the second time, I knew what it was about and what is supposed to happen. And to make it even more palatable I read the text, instead of listening to it. With Google Translate I was able to understand every word.  ;D

So what do I think?
Well, it's an entirely different story to the one I had listened to.
First of all, the flashbacks were recognizable, since Strange Horizons has those little dashes between the paragraph breaks. Also, when reading it, it is clear that the story in the present is told in present-tense, and the flashbacks in the past-tense. When I was listening to it that was one more thing that had slipped me up.
Second, I was able to follow the story without getting thrown out of it every few lines due to the Spanish. (This is not a general complaint about non-English text in stories. I think that it adds a lot of flavor and authenticity to a story, but this time it totally threw me for a loop).
So, the story was a nice story about a transboy's coming out and his parents' (and siblings') acceptance of that.
I have a few trans friends, so I understand how hard that part is for them, and I can see where this story would touch people in that warm fuzzy spot.
This being a PC story I would have expected the suit to give him the equivalent to SRS, but I don't think it did.
One particular thing that I liked was how the setting was in a society with very strongly enforced stereotypical gender roles, and Gabe breaks them by not only being trans, but by still enjoying "women's activities" after he came out to his parents. That extra touch wasn't necessary for the story, but it added a lot IMO.

So, my main grievance is with the reading. The story was pretty good. It will probably stick in my mind for longer than the average PC story, but I think that's because I changed my opinion about it. And I'm not sorry that I did.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2012, 07:18:05 PM by Max e^{i pi} »

Cogito ergo surf - I think therefore I network

Registered Linux user #481826 Get Counted!



Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #31 on: December 07, 2012, 02:34:15 PM
I wanted to say - as a cis male who would totally be an awesome dad to a trans kid - that I loved the twist. The dad's fury at the fairy godmother... it made my heart happy. The rest of the story was also beautiful - I liked how it focused on the family's struggle, not a simplistic black-and-white of rejection and revenge - but that moment was just... there aren't words. I loved it.

Had to go look up "cis male"--good to know what that means.  For those who don't:
Quote
In gender studies, cisgender and cissexual gender identities are two related types of gender identity where an individual's self-perception and presentation of their gender matches the behaviors and roles considered appropriate for one's sex.

what does one call it if one tends to mix and match whatever you feel like from gender roles?  Maybe there is no particular word for that.  Some meetings at our company lately have had trivia questions, half of which are "male-oriented" (which means sports, judging by the questions) and half are "female-oriented" (which means Sex and the City and makeup trivia, judging by the questions).  I have no chance at answering any question in either category. 



Umbrageofsnow

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 754
  • Commenting by the seat of my pants.
Reply #32 on: December 07, 2012, 08:35:44 PM
Great narration BDoomed!

I really liked this one. I don't speak a word of Spanish, to the point that I just realized that "Tio" must be "Uncle" or something, from "Tio Gilberto and the 27 Ghosts" I had just assumed it was his name. So yeah, context clues ftw. I don't think any of it was confusing as it was all so well explained by the story.

The Spanish in this story added a ton of flavor, and using a Mexican-American culture for the story really improved it, by giving us a society with particularly strict gender roles, as was mentioned above.

I thought it was really sweet to have a story where the transgender protagonist was happy with who they were, rather than wanting to become a "real boy." Would love to see more of this sort of thing at Podcastle.  I'm really not sure why it is so confusing, but at least we know some people are having their gender-identity horizons broadened, and that's always a good thing.

I like the interpretation of this as a two-step plan by the fairy godmother, to get the family to recognize Gabe for who he is, but I think she was just not as open-minded as she wanted to think she was. She realizes her mistake in the end, hence the lack of supernatural punishment. The more I think about this story, the more I like it, and that's always a good sign. I do want more stories about these fairy godmothers though.

Some meetings at our company lately have had trivia questions, half of which are "male-oriented" (which means sports, judging by the questions) and half are "female-oriented" (which means Sex and the City and makeup trivia, judging by the questions).  I have no chance at answering any question in either category. 

If it makes you feel any better, my girlfriend and I would both fail at all those subjects.  I think those stereotypes indicate a stereotypical frat-boy understanding of gender roles (see, I can put people in boxes too!) You and I are not the bros that game is designed for, and I think we should all be proud of that.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2012, 08:38:32 PM by Umbrageofsnow »



Fenrix

  • Curmudgeonly Co-Editor of PseudoPod
  • Editor
  • *****
  • Posts: 3996
  • I always lock the door when I creep by daylight.
Reply #33 on: December 10, 2012, 03:10:33 PM
I thought about hitting "next" when it occurred to me that this was a Gender Issues Message Story. I'm glad I stuck with it. This was an effective presentation, as the story tells what SHOULD be rather than show what is. It was strong while avoiding the danger of a ham-fisted message delivery. In the details it's as complex as a good mole sauce, but at its heart as straightforward and delicious as a tamale.

All cat stories start with this statement: “My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...”


chemistryguy

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 263
  • Serving the Detroit Metro area since 1970
    • 5000 People can't be wrong...or can they?
Reply #34 on: December 10, 2012, 03:32:51 PM
In the details it's as complex as a good mole sauce, but at its heart as straightforward and delicious as a tamale.

Mmmmmm...mole sauce.  I wish someone would teach me how to make it right.


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #35 on: December 10, 2012, 07:07:08 PM
If it makes you feel any better, my girlfriend and I would both fail at all those subjects.  I think those stereotypes indicate a stereotypical frat-boy understanding of gender roles (see, I can put people in boxes too!) You and I are not the bros that game is designed for, and I think we should all be proud of that.

Oh, it doesn't make me feel bad.  Well, except that those trivia questions are rewarded with gift cards that I will definitely never get.  I'm glad that I don't feel constrained to like the things guys are supposed to like.  My wife would also fail those questions.  At some point I might drop a suggestion to the guy to mix up the subject matter a little bit more, but he's high enough up in the company I'd be a little uncomfortable doing that over something that really doesn't matter all that much.



Listener

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 3187
  • I place things in locations which later elude me.
    • Various and Sundry Items of Interest
Reply #36 on: December 12, 2012, 01:32:19 PM
In the details it's as complex as a good mole sauce, but at its heart as straightforward and delicious as a tamale.

Mmmmmm...mole sauce.  I wish someone would teach me how to make it right.

1. Insert mole into blender.
2. Press "puree".
3. Wait several minutes.
4. Profit.

I've never actually enjoyed mole sauce myself. I've tried several people's recipes and it just doesn't do it for me.

"Farts are a hug you can smell." -Wil Wheaton

Blog || Quote Blog ||  Written and Audio Work || Twitter: @listener42


lowky

  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 2717
  • from http://lovecraftismissing.com/?page_id=3142
Reply #37 on: December 12, 2012, 02:48:40 PM


1. Insert mole into blender.
2. Press "puree".
3. Wait several minutes.
4. Profit.

I've never actually enjoyed mole sauce myself. I've tried several people's recipes and it just doesn't do it for me.
If you are willing to do that to the little bastards tearing up my lawn you would definitely profit.  I have twisted both ankles in last two weeks thanks to these little f@$%ers


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #38 on: December 13, 2012, 02:59:21 PM


1. Insert mole into blender.
2. Press "puree".
3. Wait several minutes.
4. Profit.

I've never actually enjoyed mole sauce myself. I've tried several people's recipes and it just doesn't do it for me.
If you are willing to do that to the little bastards tearing up my lawn you would definitely profit.  I have twisted both ankles in last two weeks thanks to these little f@$%ers

We had a problem with those ripping up our yard two or three years ago.  Oddly enough, they went away on their own.  I hear that putting Bubblicious gum in the mole tracks can be effective at getting rid of them.



InfiniteMonkey

  • Lochage
  • *****
  • Posts: 483
  • Clearly, I need more typewriters....
Reply #39 on: December 14, 2012, 06:08:07 PM
Wow. I liked it.

(Original, I know, but I've been a very bad Monkey (involves harddrive crashes and a major American news topic), and was going to listen to everything I've not heard and only comment on the latest... but I had to jump in for this one)

I was raised in a part of the U.S. that used to be Mexico, so the Spanish angle was not a barrier (though the food made me hungry - plus it reminds me of my recent history for other reasons).  I did feel myself drifting because the story is a bit agenda-driven. It was becoming one of those stories.

But what saves it is dad's reaction to the Fairy Godmother, fatherly pride and acceptance -of a sort - in a way she can't really punish him for. Our narrator is "real", and doesn't need magic for it.

I was also put in mind of an anecdote with mom's problem with a man washing dishes, which is germane to the story: A journalist once went to a dinner party at the house of a famous Spanish bullfighter. Now, bullfighters are of course one of the epitomes of masculinity in this culture. And after the party the journalist was surprised to find the bullfighter in the kitchen wearing an apron washing the dishes, and he asked how he could do something so un-masculine, and bullfighter, pulling himself to his full height, full of pride, said "EVERYTHING I do is masculine!"



Scattercat

  • Caution:
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 4904
  • Amateur wordsmith
    • Mirrorshards
Reply #40 on: December 16, 2012, 12:59:06 AM
An extremely good story, all around.  There's really not much more to say.



LaShawn

  • Lochage
  • *****
  • Posts: 550
  • Writer Mommies Rule!
    • The Cafe in the Woods
Reply #41 on: January 30, 2013, 04:32:29 PM
Commenting! Wowowowowowow.

I loved this one so much it hurts. The language, the subtleness of the fantasy element, and the lovely surprises in it. I had to stop and rewind when I learned that Gabby was cis boy. On the one hand, it had the feeling that things would wrap up too neatly, but the way Alberto wrote this, it turned into a story that had me grinning at the very end. So lovely!

--
Visit LaShawn at The Cafe in the Woods:
http://tbonecafe.wordpress.com
Another writer's antiblog: In Touch With Yours Truly


eytanz

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 6109
Reply #42 on: January 30, 2013, 05:20:14 PM
He's not a cis boy, he's a trans boy.



Ocicat

  • Castle Watchcat
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 3722
  • Anything for a Weird Life
Reply #43 on: March 14, 2013, 07:45:51 PM
This story made the final four in the Podcastle Best of 2012 Poll!  Voting is open until March 28th.



childoftyranny

  • Matross
  • ****
  • Posts: 175
Reply #44 on: April 16, 2013, 11:42:05 PM
An extremely good story, all around.  There's really not much more to say.

I'm just gonna quote Scattercat and call this my most cop-out posting every on a story. But dagnabbit I will comment on all of them I listen to!



Fenrix

  • Curmudgeonly Co-Editor of PseudoPod
  • Editor
  • *****
  • Posts: 3996
  • I always lock the door when I creep by daylight.
Reply #45 on: April 23, 2013, 06:58:32 PM
I'm just gonna quote Scattercat and call this my most cop-out posting every on a story. But dagnabbit I will comment on all of them I listen to!

You have more fortitude than I. There's some stories that I pass because anything I could say has been said. There are some I pass because it falls under the category of "if you can't say something nice..."

All cat stories start with this statement: “My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...”


Unblinking

  • Sir Postsalot
  • Hipparch
  • ******
  • Posts: 8729
    • Diabolical Plots
Reply #46 on: May 24, 2013, 12:36:18 PM
I'm just gonna quote Scattercat and call this my most cop-out posting every on a story. But dagnabbit I will comment on all of them I listen to!

You have more fortitude than I. There's some stories that I pass because anything I could say has been said. There are some I pass because it falls under the category of "if you can't say something nice..."

You have more restraint than me, sir.  :P



awfulhorrid

  • Extern
  • *
  • Posts: 12
  • Woof!
    • Linuxdog.net
Reply #47 on: March 13, 2014, 05:00:47 AM
OK, I know this is more than a year old, but I don't really care - I feel that strongly about making a "Thank You!" post. (I've been playing catchup for a long time, but this is the one that finally got me to register an account for comments.)

I don't have much to add to the story itself, although when the father shouted "¿Cómo se atreve a decir semejante estupidez de mi hijo?" at Nina Tere ... well, it brought tears to my eyes. I wish more parents could come to accept their children like that, although perhaps shouting in anger at a powerful magical entity isn't the best way to express that acceptance!

Something that made me laugh even more? I'm back in school right now, chasing my CS degree after >20 years in the IT world. Yeah, I'm doing it backwards, I know. I was listening to this story on the way into school Tuesday morning ... where my first two classes for the day were "LGBTQ Representation on Stage and Screen" and my second level of Spanish. (No, I couldn't follow all of the Spanish, but I was pretty happy that I was able to understand most of it.) Once I realized what the story was about, I had to pause so I could laugh about it.

Thanks again! Now I really want some tamales!

I strongly support the right to be different!
Equality != Liberty
Do you need me to give the Linux / Creative Commons / FOSS lecture?