dagblog - Comments for "Cultural Appropriation"

Tessa Thompson is playing

rmrd0000 — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:37:49 +0000

Tessa Thompson is playing Valkyrie in the new Thor movie. Valkyrie is white and blonde in the comic books.

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/11/tessa-thompson-thor-ragnarok-westworld-valkyrie-interview-bisexual

Well, thank you, Arthur! I do

stillidealistic — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 04:14:37 +0000

Well, thank you, Arthur! I do believe that's my first ever Dayly award (and it's for a borrowed - no, stolen, line!) But I'll take it, anyway.

If we ever hope to advance our cause, we're going to have to pick our battles more carefully. This stuff that divides us has got to stop.

I am late.

Richard Day — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 02:24:14 +0000

In reply to Cultural Appropriation

I am late.

But damn!

This is the bullshite that wounds the left at every turn.

For instance, this crap about 67 proper nouns to describe gay folks?

Every farmer, every contractor. every considerate Christian in this nation just

throws up. ha

Hell, if my little Pixies dress us as witches yesterday? Oh there is some problem

with the First Amendment protecting freedom of religion?

But...

We do not have to recognize nutsos.

The Right spends all this time telling us that KKK or White Nationalists or....whatever have nothing to do

with their party.

hahahahah

FUCKEM

that is what I say!

You are fine.

The nuts are nutso.

As a matter of fact, as I see it Stilli, you are the Dems only hope.

I do however, as late as I am, hereby render unto you the Dayly Line

of the Day Award for this here Dagblog Site, given to all of you from all of me

for this gem:

TSD

TRUMP STRESS DISORDER.

HAHAHAHHAHA

just

DON'T LET ME DOWN!

KEEP ON KEEPIN ON

Turns out that “Blueberry

rmrd0000 — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 18:10:25 +0000

In reply to Pat Boone stealing the late

Turns out that “Blueberry Hill” has a more complex history than I thought

https://www.jazziz.com/short-history-blueberry-hill-vincent-rose-larry-scott-al-lewis-1940/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JazzizMagazine+%28Jazziz+Magazine%29

This is exactly the important

artappraiser — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:15:42 +0000

In reply to Additionally, Moana listens

This is exactly the important point : She is mocking no one.

Strikes me that what is going on is that these Redbook-reading parents cluelessly don't understand the difference between minstrel show type degradation of a racial or ethnic group and new politically correct role play.stories to try to learn something about another culture. It's not about painting your skin a different color, it's why you're doing that. One way is with the intent of reinforcing bad stereotypes, the other way is in admiration.

Of course the stories written for children are not always going to get the history and culture stories perfectly right, even the grownup history books don't get it perfectly right. All that should matter is the intent. Role play with good intent is a good educational tool.

The Jews have an ancient tradition of dressing up in costumes on the holiday of Purim to teach the lessen that: you cannot judge by appearances! You cannot judge people by how they first look to you.

(Your comment here about hair makes me think how you could take the whole thing in another politically correct direction real easy and confuse the hell out of them. Some feminists and would advise not to allow your daughters to wish their hair was different and curl it and dye but be happy with the hair you have. Likewise the Afro loud-and-proud movement of old.)

Role play with intent to ridicule is mostly bad and hurtful. I.E. modern minstrel shows. But for grownups even that gets complex. We know it when we see it. We get it that Eddie Murphy as his Buckwheat character is ridiculing the ridicule, but find a bunch of white cops in a Staten Island parade dressed to ridicule Afro-American gangstas as a pretty nasty thing..

But most kids are not even going there on Halloween. They are just trying out roles, like they do in general when they play anything! Let them play unless they are making fun of someone with an intent to make that someone feel bad. In almost all cases they aren't even rising to the level of dressing up like Trump to ridicule him like some grownups do, they are simply choosing characters they'd like to play for a while, that they think they admire.

It sure does.

stillidealistic — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:01:25 +0000

In reply to We discovered exotic India,

It sure does.

We discovered exotic India,

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 09:33:05 +0000

In reply to As sure as you can be these

We discovered exotic India, Iraq and Vietnam through wars & colonization. Doing it through dressup seems a bit safer and kinder, no? People never quite seem to see what the real alternatives are.

Yes, the Stones were gracious

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 09:23:00 +0000

In reply to I think the Stones

Yes, the Stones were gracious to all blues players from the start. So when black bluesmen/women showed up in London, they drew a crowd that they didn't expect. That's how Keith ended up hosting Chuck Berry later on, even though Berry was a total ass to him.

Anyway, I'd be happier if people were more playful with the racial mixes. Denzel Washington in Shakespeare is just fine - you cock your head to the side for a moment and then get on with it. Similar with all these other roles - it's become awfully stereotyped, where if there's one 48 hours, then there are twelve 48 hours lookalikes, while everyone holds their breath re: anything more "outrageious".

Frankly it pisses me off this thing that a white person can't play a Chinese now, when the core of acting is playing something you're not and moving yourself there - British Vivien Leigh playing southern gal Scarlett O'Hara for example - while I understand very well that Chinese can be pissed for getting 0 roles while an Anthony Quinn will play everything from Chinaman to Arab to Mexican to Greek.

[ps - it was nice reading an interview with Merry Clayton, who was a high school friend with Billy Preston, and how they talked their parents into going on the road with Ray Charles when only 17, how Ray despite his reputation as a huge womanizer was totally a dad/uncle to her, how she got out of bed at mdnight to sing background to Gimme Shelter while pregnant and didn't even know who the Stones were at the time and how polite they were....]

Thanks, Barefooted! It was

stillidealistic — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 04:28:44 +0000

In reply to I'd dream myself a princess,

Thanks, Barefooted! It was the whole situation of being accused of being culturally insensitive, of "mocking" other cultures, of "making it all about me," and having unrecognized privilege that made me start doubting myself. I go to great pains to know myself and improve the things I discover about myself that I don't like, so it hurt to think I might be falling short. I know I will never know what it feels like to be a POC, but I do my very best to treat all people with dignity and respect, without any consideration to their looks.

Halloween costumes. For children. Who knew THAT could be an issue with LIBERALS?

As sure as you can be these

stillidealistic — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 03:54:28 +0000

In reply to Yes, for crying out loud,

As sure as you can be these days. It was a "by invitation only group" of supposedly "like-minded women" who supported Hillary. We shared articles, supported each other through the craziness of the election, then consoled each other in the aftermath. This was just WEIRD. One of the admins posted an article from Redbook magazine about NOT letting your daughters wear Moana costumes for Halloween, for discussion and we were off to the races. I found it offensive that I was encouraged to just listen rather than contribute to the discussion, and to stop thinking about myself and what I was losing, and instead pay attention to the POC who are the ones who get to decide what is offensive, not me. The rhetoric was getting so heated the admin shut down the comments over night to let tempers cool. I knew better than to put up a defense, but I couldn't help myself. I HATE being accused of things that are contrary to how I feel. Finally I had enough and just left the group. It seems so short-sighted to alienate people who are ON YOUR SIDE! Before leaving (and I didn't make one of those good bye posts, just quietly disappeared) I mentioned to the admin that she might want to stop marginalizing the opinions of people who are TRYING to understand. Anyway. Then I started doubting myself.