Another PC case I don't understand - Boston Museum of Fine Arts

TerranceL

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Apparently I'm supposed to be horribly offended by these gentleman wearing 50's greaser outfits. This is apparently a great insult to my culture and my people.

Perhaps I should do as the poster about said and visit tumblr the home of all first world problems so that I can more easily understand why I am so offended by other peoples interest in my culture.

vbeEFc.png
 
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Red Fox

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I guess it would be too difficult for some of you guys to read the article and the tumblr page it links to and see that several of the protesters were of Asian descent.

I have spent many years battling against the misrepresentation and racist exploitation of the Native American people and culture in American sports entertainment, so I can feel sympathy for these people and I stand in solidarity. I hate it when my culture is exploited and misused, for whatever purpose, especially if it is racially motivated.
 
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MehGuy

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It's your everyday typical SJW bs. What is good news however is people are beginning to wake up more and more to this idiocy and start discussing it.

Yeah, 2010s will be known as the loony decade. Hopefully this stuff dies off soon.
 
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SkyWriting

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i think it would not be so much a problem as much if not for the history involved here of such things as blackface or whites being hired to play the parts of asians very stereotypicaly in the middle of the last century (ex. mickey roonie) and so forth. This problem is popping up now in japan as well these days.

I am a fan of such activity.

tumblr_lq2xoaehtv1qz702do1_400.jpg
 
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IceJad

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I believe people can tell apart exploitation and genuine reverence. The so called "Asians" that made a hoo-haa telling off the world need to self reflect.

It's a great disservice to the community they are so call defending.

And surprise they are perpetuating that we Asians are so sensitive that we frown upon everything that touches our culture.

It perpetuate that we Asians cannot live in a culturally diverse environment. That we must always find a small hole to huddle together as a single infallible society. Less we are exploited culturally.

More surprisingly it is the American Asians that make the most noise.
 
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Mystman

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I guess it would be too difficult for some of you guys to read the article and the tumblr page it links to and see that several of the protesters were of asian descent.

Sure, the painting in question only concerns Japanese cultural heritage, but the opinion of a random Chinese girl is still evidence that it's offensive to the Japanese right? Japanese, Chinese, it's all interchangeable.. ?

What I really appreciate about Japanese culture (or at least those elements that have reached me through the internet, every individual is different, etc etc) is that they don't seem to see themselves as a victim. And they'll happily "appropriate" parts of Western culture as they see fit, and/or make fun of our culture, our big noses (? google it, it's the strangest thing), etc.

But apparently, some other Asians (asians who were probably born in the USA, by the way..?) have decided that the strong, self-confident, admirable culture of Japan is also just another weak victim of.. white people making paintings and putting on dresses (or something). And apparently that's a good thing? Not that the Japanese gave any indication that they wanted to be seen as victims, but hey, this random Chinese girl said that they are, so that's something!
 
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HannahT

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Mystman

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Isn't she wearing our culture's clothes?

Yes, she is.

I'm offended. She is encouraging cultural appropriation.

The first image on her webpage is currently some arab (?) band prominently displaying a (knockoff?) Fender stratocaster. The stratocaster is actually quite an iconic item in my cultural background, and somewhat important to me personally. Both me and Leo Fender are white, so I'm now allowed to be offended that some of those brown-skinned* people are touching it?

*for the people who didn't listen to her rant, the lady in the tumbler video was offended that "her" clothes touched white skin

(edit: that, or the image is a photoshop making some incomprehensible statement/joke..? Which is even worse, using my cultural icons for stuff I don't even understand ;_; )
 
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SuperCloud

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Being Asian or more accurately Han (Chinese) I don't see why trying on cultural wear as racist. Have the Western countries gone over the deep end on sensitivity?

In my country wearing another race's cultural wear is an act of understanding and friendship. It means we look upon your culture with high regards that we want to try it on. I personally have an Indian shirt which I wear during function.

Stereotype? No.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-33450391

Following an uproar of criticism on social media, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts cancelled an event that protesters labelled racist and culturally insensitive.

Museum officials announced that they would cancel "Kimono Wednesdays," which was originally scheduled to run until 29 July.

Every week, visitors were encouraged to "channel your inner Camille Monet" by posing in front of Claude Monet's "La Japonaise" while trying on a replica of the kimono Monet's wife, Camille, wears in the painting.

_84161506_lajaponaisewithmodelinfront.jpg

The image Boston MFA put on its Facebook
Protesters quickly labelled this event as racist, saying it propagated racial stereotypes and encouraged cultural appropriation.

Blackface was not originally racist either. White thespians in England darkened their faces to play the role of Othello. I actually prefer that to say... a play I saw performed at a local theater in which a white father and Southeast Asian mother had a biologically dark skinned black child. When I brought this up to my teacher (this was basically a theater appreciation course at community college) at school he basically said this is Western theater's PC trend of pretending no racial differences exist and to suggest that race does not matter.

But I find such things and insult to my intelligence.

That said... the history and history of racial culture in the USA is different than in China. I would not recommend having a college frat "blackface" party. Regardless if those in China or Vietnam think Americans are being too sensitive. I have no problem shaking hands with left hands but I was told aboard Naval ship before disembarking to visit the UAE countries that it is an insult over there to shake with left hands, so not to do it. So, I made sure I did not.

With things like the Chinese Exclusion Act and the WWII era cinema tradition of how Japanese were portrayed. Things like that. And what's his name? Jackie Chan was it? Can't remember. Some people in the US will complain about anything they think hints at "racism."

Like you I don't have a problem with women wearing a kimono to take a photo in front of that painting. Actually, I think that's pretty cool. But it does not surprise me some have complained about it.
 
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SuperCloud

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Sooooooo many thoughts when listening to that young woman.

Some of the thoughts humorous. I was imagining having her as a wife and laying in bed as she verbally gave me the run down of "what's what." LOL. I'd have to put the pillow over my face and whisper to myself, "Oh, God, why didn't I remain single?"

Then there is the thought of the difference between the sexes and grown men from boys. Had a grown man spoke sooooooo fast and in almost an "hysterical" fashion no woman and no man would listen to him other than to dismiss him as crazy and melodramatic. If it was a little boy not yet a man then women and men would give him some pass. But in the feminist "we are all equal" thing somehow neither male or female feminist will give a grown man rattling off with that speed and emotion the same equal respect they extend to little girls and grown women. So, no, we are not all "equal."

Then there were the other thoughts about the content of what she was saying. And yeah... she made a lot of good points.

I don't know exactly what all of this "cultural appropriation" stuff is exactly supposed to entail. But I can see taking what you like from other cultures going in a good or bad direction. I guess it depends on context.
 
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ananda

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I have spent many years battling against the misrepresentation and racist exploitation of the Native American people and culture in American sports entertainment, so I can feel sympathy for these people and I stand in solidarity. I hate it when my culture is exploited and misused, for whatever purpose, especially if it is racially motivated.
What about the Asians who do not believe the issue in the OP is racist, and perhaps see it as an appreciation of Asian culture? That those who are making it an issue are the real racists? Who will you stand in solidarity with?
 
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Tallguy88

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We have a lot of Asians in my area, mostly refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and especially Laos, and their descendents. Growing up, one of my best friends was Lao. None of them seemed to care when whites liked Asians culture, cuisine, and such. They were anime nerds and Japanophiles like the rest of us nerds.

I wonder if the people who complained about whites wearing Kimono would complain about Americanized Laotians wearing them?
 
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SuperCloud

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That brave young woman is an idiot.
I will let an actual japanese man explain why the whole issue is idiotic to you.


I realize that this will come as a shock to many of the progressive left here but non-americans aren't the infantile imbeciles you think they are. They don't fall down in shock and start crying when they see someone wearing something from their culture.

The issue of "cultural appropriation" is an american progressive first world problem.

I have no problem with that video. And that Japanese dude seems like a laid back, cool dude. He also seems genuinely baffled by the American controversy over this whole thing. Understandably so.

But it's important to bear in mind there are cultural difference between America and Japan that Americans wouldn't quite grasp either.

Take for instance the history of racism in Japan or ethnocentrism. The Japanese have--or were--for a long time racist towards Koreans. There was some famous professional wrestler in Japan, like a national hero, who was in fact Korean but felt the need to pretend to be Japanese--for both his career and social standing. And by "pretend" I don't mean in national traits or culture but in terms of actual biology, ancestry.

And then there is the cultural traits expected of all biological Japanese. Brazil has the most Japanese outside of Japan. The United States the second most. But a lot of Japanese raised in Japan develop the Brazilian body language and are Brazilian in culture. They are more "loose" than Japanese in Japan. And for a long time Brazilian Japanese relocating to Japan were treated with scorn. To the extent some committed suicide. Japanese had no problem with Brazilians of no Japanese ancestry being culturally Brazilian in Japan in body language and so forth. But they did have a problem with those of visible Japanese ancestry being that way (unless perhaps they were mixed-race).
 
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SuperCloud

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I believe people can tell apart exploitation and genuine reverence. The so called "Asians" that made a hoo-haa telling off the world need to self reflect.

It's a great disservice to the community they are so call defending.

And surprise they are perpetuating that we Asians are so sensitive that we frown upon everything that touches our culture.

It perpetuate that we Asians cannot live in a culturally diverse environment. That we must always find a small hole to huddle together as a single infallible society. Less we are exploited culturally.

More surprisingly it is the American Asians that make the most noise.

Why is it surprising? Unless you adhere to some myth about the USA.

Brazil and the USA have similarities. Huge continent sized nation-states. People from all over came to them. Both were erected on the bones and graves of their indigenous inhabitant. Both were socially and economically supported on the institution of a racial caste system. But the USA and Brazil took different cultural routes towards national racial identities. Prior to WWI Louisiana--it has been claimed by one historian I've read--never fully assimilated into US racial constructs. It was perhaps more akin to Brazil. But after WWI Louisiana fully embraced US racial constructs.

Whereas Brazil took a national path towards assimilation of blacks, whites, Indians and whoever into one; as one Brazilian sociologist has coined it "cultural cannibalism" (in reference to some Amerindian nation in Brazil known for cannibalism I think). The USA on the other hand took the path of ethnic ghettos. If you listen (I mean really listen) to what both liberals and conservatives in the USA say they tend to suggest this "salad" (a metaphor where things remain distinct, separate but united) makes America stronger. As opposed to full biological and cultural assimilation.

Depending on how one wishes to define "multiculturalism" then Brazil is or is not multicultural.

If a "salad" of independent cultures is multiculturalism then Brazil is not multicultural. And the USA is. In Brazil which boasts the most Japanese outside of Japan, the most Italians outside of Italy, the most Arab Lebanese outside Lebanon, eveyone is expected to become culturally Brazilian.

The City of Sao Paulo in Brazil has more Italians than the City of New York. You'd never know it though because New York Italians have the loudest mouths and relish in the Italianess, in their vegetable identity within the salad as it were.

In Milwaukee--as nearly every other Northern city ion the USA--the history of Catholic parishes and Catholic ethnicities were this: they couldn't stand each other. A priest would say Mass for one ethnic group at one hour and a different ethnic group at a different hour (if they didn't have their own parishes) less a brawl and verbal insults break out.

Or consider Brazilian Jujitsu. That's an example cultural cannibalism.
 
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TerranceL

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But it's important to bear in mind there are cultural difference between America and Japan that Americans wouldn't quite grasp either.

Take for instance the history of racism in Japan or ethnocentrism. The Japanese have--or were--for a long time racist towards Koreans. There was some famous professional wrestler in Japan, like a national hero, who was in fact Korean but felt the need to pretend to be Japanese--for both his career and social standing. And by "pretend" I don't mean in national traits or culture but in terms of actual biology, ancestry.
Yeah from what I've studied it looks like the hatred goes both ways ... or well three ways in that area of the world.

The Chinese hate the Japanese, the Koreans hate the Japanese and the Japanese hates both of them.

Why?

Japanese imperialism is a huge part of it, turns out when your nation gets repeatedly invaded by a certain country your going to not like them. My only issue is some of the stuff that gets brought up happened hundreds of years ago. Well there are still issues where the Koreans and the Japanese claim the same pieces of land and such.

On a good note it looks like atleast one way to bring the sides together is music, I know at least a few Korean pop bands that are popular in Japan.

Do a Google image search for "no japanese allowed" (meh heres a link! https://www.google.com/search?q=no+...bIZHwoATy_bnIBQ&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1472&bih=711 ) you'll see signs, "no japanese or dogs allowed", "Japanese customers only", "no chinese, koreans or philipenos".
 
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Tallguy88

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Yeah from what I've studied it looks like the hatred goes both ways ... or well three ways in that area of the world.

The Chinese hate the Japanese, the Koreans hate the Japanese and the Japanese hates both of them.

Why?

Japanese imperialism is a huge part of it, turns out when your nation gets repeatedly invaded by a certain country your going to not like them. My only issue is some of the stuff that gets brought up happened hundreds of years ago. Well there are still issues where the Koreans and the Japanese claim the same pieces of land and such.

On a good note it looks like atleast one way to bring the sides together is music, I know at least a few Korean pop bands that are popular in Japan.

Do a Google image search for "no japanese allowed" (meh heres a link! https://www.google.com/search?q=no+...bIZHwoATy_bnIBQ&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1472&bih=711 ) you'll see signs, "no japanese or dogs allowed", "Japanese customers only", "no chinese, koreans or philipenos".
My mom is friends with a Filipino who's dad fought for the USA in WW2 and was a POW during the Bataan death march. He said the Japanese treated the Asian POWs much worse than they did the American ones.
 
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