well, if it’s any parallel, i really don’t like vikings. especially this week. but if one happens to have a #4 on his back, i may or may not still like that particular one.
i suppose it’s kind of a tradeoff – big men with lots of fat or big men with lots of hair. different strokes for different folks.
if celebrating my history and heritage means identifying what is true and what is caricatured, good and evil, then i choose to look at my history as a mixed bag at best and debunk caricatures for what they are. but silliness is no longer silly when it becomes oppression. which is, unfortunately, my history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking
when images of your people are used to symbolize nazi facism, it makes you want to hide in a hole…or punch a hole in one…
It’s not nice to make fun of people. Sumo wrestling is actually a part of my culture…and something that our family enjoys watching in the summer. It might be different if it were balanced by positive images–but instead people see this and then make judgments.
Kind of makes me think about other “costumes” from Halloween. “Gypsies” and “bums/hobos” were sort of popular when I was a kid. So I guess I shouldn’t throw any stones.
Does it make a difference if it’s an ethnic/racial stereotype? Is it ok to dress
as a “hollywood starlet” or a “wall street business woman”?
well, if it’s any parallel, i really don’t like vikings. especially this week. but if one happens to have a #4 on his back, i may or may not still like that particular one.
i suppose it’s kind of a tradeoff – big men with lots of fat or big men with lots of hair. different strokes for different folks.
if celebrating my history and heritage means identifying what is true and what is caricatured, good and evil, then i choose to look at my history as a mixed bag at best and debunk caricatures for what they are. but silliness is no longer silly when it becomes oppression. which is, unfortunately, my history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking
when images of your people are used to symbolize nazi facism, it makes you want to hide in a hole…or punch a hole in one…
It’s not nice to make fun of people. Sumo wrestling is actually a part of my culture…and something that our family enjoys watching in the summer. It might be different if it were balanced by positive images–but instead people see this and then make judgments.
Kind of makes me think about other “costumes” from Halloween. “Gypsies” and “bums/hobos” were sort of popular when I was a kid. So I guess I shouldn’t throw any stones.
Does it make a difference if it’s an ethnic/racial stereotype? Is it ok to dress
as a “hollywood starlet” or a “wall street business woman”?
Nikki