Lies, Damn Lies

I just don't get it

I've recently been reading The Steampunk Trilogy by Paul De Filippo. It was initially quite amusing, with a tale for a search for the real Queen Victoria as a newtlike substitute took the throne. There were some slightly unpleasant misogynist and homophobic tones, but it is a period piece after all. However the second story features as it's protaginist a racist- Louis Agassiz. Now I understand that this is probably supposed to be satire, but what am I honestly meant to do with "And the worst component of the mix, the vilest, most polluted stream feeding into the muddy river that was America, the most offensive taint i any putative white man's blood, a contamination which reeked to heaven and violated all moral order, was-

The negro."

Frankly, I find that kind of revolting, and this continues, with our lead mistaking a black woman for an ape later in the tale...

OK, yes some of our scientific ancestors were racists.... what exactly is the point in satirising it exactly. By making Louis our lead I suppose we are meant to sympathise with him as he recoils in horror from black people, but you can count me out. The oddest element of this is that in the reviews that I googled for, there was little mention of this. Maybe everyone else gets it... I don't.

posted by Mr K @ 10:58 am