dagblog - Comments for "‘Insult to China’: A Model’s Freckles Spark an Online Storm"

Assume Ms. Fey had her wicked

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 18:31:27 +0000

In reply to hah, wonder if it was male or

Assume Ms. Fey had her wicked talons in that one - kind of the perfect age as well for maximum scornful retribution.

hah, wonder if it was male or

artappraiser — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 16:17:35 +0000

In reply to Had watched it before, but

hah, wonder if it was male or female writer who thought that one up....

Had watched it before, but

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 10:12:47 +0000

In reply to I stumbled across this

Had watched it before, but got distracted by "Meet Your Second Wife" on the rec list - looks like I gotta get busy...

My GenX baby brother informed

artappraiser — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 07:35:54 +0000

In reply to ‘Insult to China’: A Model’s Freckles Spark an Online Storm

My GenX baby brother informed me this evening via email that there is a new category of cultural appropriation in Milwaukee which he thinks is cute. I googled, and sure enough it's real: black women dirndls

Edit to fix link

Cheese heads lead to cheese

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 07:31:31 +0000

In reply to My GenX baby brother informed

Cheese heads lead to cheese waists - shoulda known this was comin'

hyperbole alert - ummm, yes,

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 14:18:00 +0000

In reply to I watched it, I thought she

hyperbole alert - ummm, yes, quite different than having bound feet. maybe the messaging is slightly similar, but 1) there was no "power" in bound feet, and 2) the physical effects to feet, back, etc of bound feet were atrocious, especially of course in old age if they managed to make it.

Reminded me of Rasputina's description of a corset crushing the kidneys & rib cage, which naturally led to this lovely tribute to Rosemary Kennedy, the famous family's poster child pioneer of 50's lobotomies.

Will let Melora explain herself...

I watched it, I thought she

artappraiser — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 12:23:03 +0000

In reply to I stumbled across this

I watched it, I thought she was good precisely because it was very simple and straightforward, not your usual complex TED fare. Would be good to show teen girls.

I especially loved loved loved the changing of the shoes, but that's a personal peccadillo. Really irks me how spike heels have for more than a decade now signfied not just sexy female as they used to, but have moved on to some kind of sicko sign of power, that even someone like Nancy Pelosi wears. This trend is way out of control! Drives me nuts. I'm not the kind that was ever against them for like dressing up for a party or for sex play in the bedroom when one wants to role play ultra female. But they should not have moved on to be respected in the workplace as like a power symbol, and this is horrible. I am at a loss why it happened. Not just because they are painful for all day wear, destructive to the feet and spine, but many women simply cannot even wear them at all, puts them at a disadvantage. Puts the handicapped at a worse disadvantage, is a pile on for them. I don't get it, I especially don't get why liberal women are doing it. It's plain wrong to have what used to be labeled "fuck me pumps" as part of many workplace dynamics. To me, Melania wearing them all the time is like the worst thing she does as first lady, I'm serious, it's a hideous message, terrible semiology going on there. Again, nothing wrong with wearing them at a party or a dinner, but to visit schoolkids in Africa? Noooooo. Wearing them all the time, it's really no different than having bound feet!

One thing that is absurd is

artappraiser — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 09:21:09 +0000

In reply to ‘Insult to China’: A Model’s Freckles Spark an Online Storm

One thing that is absurd is for anyone to suggest to blame this on western influence. It is very ancient and class based. Freckles means being out in the sun, a peasant. China also developed very refined aesthetics early on, meant to control and change nature, i.e. compare the obsession with glazes on porcelains or controlling nature to exacting specification in gardens. Similar was applied to ideals of female beauty. Things like foot binding start in the 10th century....Etc. the general effect of being an ethereal being who did not labor manually was preferred. (Similar was the long fingernails on upper class males.)

There is a summary on skin tone on wikipedia's entry Chinese ideals of female beauty:

Skin tone[edit]

Skin tone is one aspect of Chinese beauty that is in contrast with the Western beauty ideal. In China, the majority of women genetically have tanner skin. Despite this there is an obsession among Chinese women to have lighter skin complexion. This is far different than most Western countries which show preference in women with tan and darker skin. This beauty ideal of fair-skin dates back as early as the Han Dynasty which controlled China from 206 B.C. – 220 A.D. During this time a woman’s skin tone was known to indicate social class. Many women of the lower class worked outside in the fields, exposing them to more sun, and ultimately making their skin darker. On the other hand, the light skin had become a representation of social prestige and the lack of physical labor. Due to this perception, there are a lot of pressures on women in China to stay indoors and not venture outside to work or play sports such as basketball and soccer.[10][11]

Due to this obsession of obtaining fair-skin the Asia-Pacific region has become the world’s largest market for skin-whitening products. These products include various creams and pills which claim to reduce a pigment called melanin in the skin.[12] Products such as these advertise fairer-skin as “beautiful” and superior to darker skin. The downside to this is not only that it makes women of darker complexion feel inferior, but that these skin whitening products can come with many risky side effects. The active ingredient in many of these products is mercury which has been known to cause serious psychiatric, neurological, and kidney problems.[citation needed]

If anything, influence would be the other way around, though the class prejudice against having skin colored by working in the sun has been in many cultures. I.E., when did parasols start being de rigeur among European upper class? One sees them already in very ancient Chinese paintings.

Freckles are easier to pick

PeraclesPlease — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 06:43:41 +0000

In reply to ‘Insult to China’: A Model’s Freckles Spark an Online Storm

Freckles are easier to pick up w facial recognition to see if Uighur and thus terrorist. Perhaps they can go to marking all questionable citizens for faster puckup & detention.

I do find myself wondering what actual percent and raw numbers in this he opined/she opined "scandal" - glad it wasn't a freckled-faced Asian eating pizza with chopsticks.

I stumbled across this

ocean-kat — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 06:34:47 +0000

In reply to ‘Insult to China’: A Model’s Freckles Spark an Online Storm

I stumbled across this tedtalk by model Cameron Russell some years ago. It was somewhat interesting considering it's a subject I don't really care about.