The Missing Plot: Amon’s Platform
Why do thousands of people join him, civilians take up arms for his cause, what is the fodder that incites this civil war?
All we get in 12 episodes is that the non-benders feel oppressed, but we never get a concrete example, but for after the fact when Tarrlok starts rounding up Equalist supporters.
The thing is that the oppression was shown but never pointed out. For example, pro-bending is a bender-only sport, working in the factory seems to require firebending, to be a cop you must be an earthbender, and there is no one to represent the non-benders in the council. The non-benders are underprivileged because they get less access to jobs and political positions, yet the show refused to point out any of these things because Korra was too stubborn to see things outside of her privileged position. It’s even worse that Korra gets handed everything and doesn’t once question why and how she is seen as special compared to everybody else, especially non-benders.
So the Equalists saw all this just… nobody was there to point that out to Korra or the audience. In the end, everything fell flat.
1. Pro-bending is not oppression. I am 5’2, I am not oppressed by professional basketball players.
2. There are non-benders on the police-force e.g. the cop in the park that chases Korra and Gommu
3. There are non-benders on the council: Sokka
4. Factory workers: Are you saying that Sato, one of the major employers in the city, does not hire non-benders? Same goes for cabbage corp.
5. Even though these are examples, we have no proof that Amon uses any of this to gain followers, which is my point.
Number 1 is the only thing I disagree with you on (slightly). Pro-bending isn’t oppression, but it still has to suck watching these people get famous and make a job out of what others can only watch. It has to suck growing up as a non-bender, watching pro-bending, and knowing you could literally NEVER even participate in that sport, or play that game at all. At least with basketball, you could practice, work hard, and have a chance (however slight) at making money through it. Failing that, you could still play for fun with friends. Just for reference, I am only an inch or two taller than you, so I feel your pain.
But on every other point, I completely agree with you. In fact, I was wondering the same thing throughout the season; it really is a big missed opportunity. Maybe it’s just one of those things where people sometimes just like the thought of being able to blame somebody else for something or feel like other people owe them something. That still doesn’t explain how it turned militaristic though.
