Can we costume the culture of wealthy people? Poke fun at the rich? Are bluebloods considered a race?
Some people seem to be able to learn. The President of the University of Louisville, for instance, can make a mistake, reflect on it, and understand his actions as hurtful an unproductive. Other people feel no responsibility to creating a stronger, more inclusive country.
FWIW, ALL females, young & old, in Japan wear kimonos to honor special occasions
It’s cultural idiocy on the part of the shrill PC Police in the U.S. to conclude that:
kimono = geisha prostitute
8-|
Come to think of it, I remember seeing Chinese barmaids at the Kempinski Hotel in Chengdu and at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich wearing dirndls. There were no PC Police in China or Germany having a tantrum over the cultural appropriation. That seems to be a uniquely American neurosis.
If you are securely the dominant culture (Han in China, Germans in Germany), then you needn’t worry about people wearing your costume, but what would it mean for Germans to dress as death camp prisoners?
It was a Chinese gal wearing a German dirndl in China. Germans are not the dominant group in China.
Yeah I saw that at the Kempinski in Harbin, except they had both Chinese and eastern European barmaids appropriating German culture.
When I lived in Sichuan, Christmas was celebrated in big ways by atheists (and a few others). I always wondered at thin, young Chinese men, dressed as Santa without any padding. They were for the most part commerical, encouraging buying in the local department store. I didn’t take offense as I am not religious, but I wonder if some Westerner, deep into Christ and St. Nick, might take offense. Of course it wasn’t an isssue because, aside from the occasional Tibetan and in univeristy housing, I could go days without seeing anyone who wasn’t Han. Who was there to offend?
But the USA is not so homogeneous; it is a nation of immigrants. Our union is an amazing accomplishment. It depends on the careful acknowledgement of and respect for difference. Wearing blackface is neither.
FN Geisha were poor girls sold by their parents into slavery, often sex slavery. It’s nice to romanticize the artistic elements of their lives, but they were property.
Can kids be a ghost? Cutting two holes in a sheet might offend someone without sheets.
Pirate with a hook? Mocks amputees.
Nerd? Offends engineers
Princess? Offends serfs, or perhaps actual princesses
Jedi? Upsets Boba Fett.
US Marine? Upsets the Taliban.
I even had a kid show up at my door dressed as a fireplace one year, I guess that mocks people without heat.
The real problem with Halloween is that it used to be kids putting on something they thought was cool and getting some candy. It’s not anymore.
Is the chocolate gluten-free and made w fair-trade cocoa?
Not at my house. Although I have been tempted to just put a bowl on the front porch and go out to dinner. Of course the bowl would be empty with a little sign that say “please only take one”.
Actually not offering the gluten free candy is an affront to those with celiac disease such as my daughter. No i dont mean that literally although she is celiac. Instead she would trade the candy with a friend or give it away and not think twice.
As americans we are multicultural. I guess im a mutt so to speak. So no matter how you dice it to dress up for halloween its appropriating someone elses culture because when you get down to it what is american culture? We are a combinition of every culture making us unique. Are we first-most americans or we some culture from our ancestors? What exactly is white culture because i am white but i see myself as american before i see my color of skin. Am i english, french, irish, america indian and others which one do i choose. The french would think im american and never consider me french. An american indian would say im not enough.
No matter whether we are rich or poor, black or white we are the most privledged group of people in the world. I wonder what happens to these kids when they are treated rudely by customers, their bosses and their coworkers? A tamper tantrum and cussing is going to get them fired. The adult world does not work that way. Too bad many college students never worked a job slinging burgers dealing wih the general public where your feeling are going to get hurt frequently by those of their own race and other races.
People enjoy being offended because it makes them feel important; like they are someone. They also enjoy feeling like they are part of a group of someones who are similarly offended.
Unfortunately, being offended is the opposite of what people need to experience for a healthier existence. The more things you find to be offended about, the smaller a person you become.
Passing out non-gluten free candy only means I am passing out non-gluten free candy. Nothing more.
“War bonnets are symbols of great respect in some Native tribes and men have to earn each and every one of those feathers; when some uneducated dude just dons a huge one because they think it’s funny/awesome, it’s disrespectful.”
The same could be said for a black belt in karate or a Girl Scout / Boy Scout uniform with badges or a Michael-Phelps-style chest of Olympic gold medals, yet I don’t see any pushback if kids (or adults) wear those costumes. Why do you suppose that is? Why do you suppose it doesn’t really make any difference if the wearer is “uneducated” about what it really takes to be a black belt, earn those badges or can’t swim a lick?
“I’ve seen so many costumes that genericize an entire culture: “Mexican,” “70s black woman”, “Native American princess,” “random Japanese woman in a kimono” (or worse, those parties that use racist slurs for costumes and hav people dress up like negative stereotypes).”
Whoa. There’s a huge distinction between a generic representation of a culture, and using a racist slur as a costume. A 70’s black woman is a representation of what many black women looked like during the 70’s (bell-bottom pants, polyester, gold chains, Afro hair) - just like a 70’s white woman is a representation of what many white women looked like during the 70’s (bell-bottom pants, polyester, gold chains, Farrah-Fawcett-style hair, etc.). Is it “racist” to acknowledge that many of those women wore Afro-style hair? How is that a slur?
“Yeah, I do feel kind of weird when I see a person who’s hair is not naturally afro-textured wearing an Afro wig for Halloween when they are not specifically dressed as someone. (Foxy Cleopatra or Pam Grier or Angela Davis costume? Awesome. “Generic black woman beacuse this is how their hair looks har har?” Ummmm…no.)”
Who are the new Halloween police who have decreed that a costume must be a representation of a particular person? And please - the people who are offended at the 70’s black Afro wig are going to be equally offended whether it’s a generic 70’s black disco woman or whether it’s Angela Davis specifically.
When I was a little girl, my mother made a Puritan costume (not Pilgrim - I know the difference!). I wore it and won some costume contest. It got passed on to my sister, my daughter and my niece and will maybe get to a female grandchild one of these days (or maybe a male one - who knows). What makes a Puritan costume non-controversial? Their clothing styles / choices were very important to them, too. Why is that not perceived as a slur? And why is it ok that it’s just “a little Puritan girl” - that it’s not a specific one? Where did THAT new rule come from?
Just to be clear i was not criticizing those who dont pass out gf candy but i giggled when i saw the initial post so i couldnt refrain. My daughter would never be insulted.
As i think about this and the hurt from halloween customes i wonder whether an african american wear a blond wig or is it only caucasions cant wear an afro.
“People enjoy being offended because it makes them feel important; like they are someone. They also enjoy feeling like they are part of a group of someones who are similarly offended.”
I think there is some truth to this.
An african american can wear dress as a white person.
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/white-like-me/n9308
This is so trivial. Having a child with celiac and many health issues i cant tell you how badly she was treated. Having wheat smothered on her desk to make her sick. Ridiculed for being sick. Her story of growing up is fraught with pain but she has to learn to deal with the unfairness of life and the cruelty that exists. But she learned to be a fighter standing up for herself and to succeed with obstacles and she does not wak around as a victim. We taught her not to be a victim. It is not unique to minorities which is maybe why i get incensed. People can be mean but its not only thrown their direction. And she is not clamoring for all food at the college to be only gf so that she is not offended. And yes the food situation at college makes her life more difficult and makes her different from her peers.
scubadive: I am so sorry for your daughter’s health challenges. Until my children were seriously, chronically ill as youngsters, it was impossible for me to understand what parents in your situation are experiencing. I am so sorry your daughter has had to deal with this. Good luck to her.
edit: I find it reprehensible anyone would ridicule your daughter, especially since her health issues are totally beyond her control.
Candy has no gluten. Maybe it would have been more appropriate to use the word “treats” which is a more encompassing and inclusive definition.