Ladle Ghoulash 23,531 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I mean, I think it's pretty problematic. It's a shame that people assume this knee-jerk "ugh, here come the PC police again" attitude so much so that they refuse to look at the issue from any other angle. Something can be racist without malicious intent. Just because she didn't mean for it to be racist doesn't mean that it isn't/wasn't. We have forgotten our public MANNERS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed 7,716 Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 White people should stick to making white music - classical, electronic, country. I'm sure the majority of Neo-Nazis would agree. It hilarious how the racist right and the PC left ends up agreeing! Same way racists hate a white girl like Miley demeaning herself by acting like a whigger. I wager more Americans despise her 2013 act for that than for PC reasons. I mean, I think it's pretty problematic. It's a shame that people assume this knee-jerk "ugh, here come the PC police again" attitude so much so that they refuse to look at the issue from any other angle. Something can be racist without malicious intent. Just because she didn't mean for it to be racist doesn't mean that it isn't/wasn't. I think a good article to read is here, even though it isn't about the exact topic at hand (it's about asian fetishism) http://seoulbeats.com/2014/02/playboy-petrarch-racial-fetishism-k-pop/ and here's a cool quote I found in the comment section that I think really applies to the situation every teenager grows up with a certain cultural baggage, every teenager grows up as a victim of certain conditioning. However, once enlightened they try to break away from that thought paradigm.Therefore, if they are indulging in passive racism (INTENTION does not matter) they need to be told so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 680 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Therefore, if they are indulging in passive racism (INTENTION does not matter) they need to be told so. Again, the article makes me feel the only way to avoid charges of racism is to totally ignore Asian culture. The author seems to be projecting a lot of hang-ups (perhaps self-loathing) onto people who genuinely admire Asians culture. Since time immemorial we have been fed with stereotypes of East Asian men as as-xual nerds and East Asian women as docile and submissive. These stereotypes were created with the sole purpose of demeaning, and rousing mockery and condescension amongst most Non-East Asians. Therefore, when these very Non-East Asians come with open arms to embrace ‘Asian’ culture, it is seen as a hand of friendship when in reality, it is just another slave contract. This friendship treaty is built on a foundation of racial condescension and pity wherein love is given out as charity by agents of authority. “Aren’t we greater people since we accept Asians?†The vast majority admire and respect Asians for excelling at school and in STEM subjects. Gwen and Gaga don't embrace kawaii because they want to be docile and submissive. Equating kawaii with that sounds bloody racist itself! The "slave contract" reference sound like a projection of black oppression, as if all non-whites were in the same boat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
faux 2,190 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Everything is racist these days Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 680 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Brilliant critique of PC: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bj-gallagher/the-problem-political-correctness_b_2746663.html But there is another category of name-calling that is also hurtful and destructive: names such as "racist," "s-xist," "homophobe," "anti-Semite," "bigot," and the like. Yet many throw these labels around at the drop of a hat, without understanding what the labels actually mean -- not to mention the damage done by accusing someone of racism, s-xism, etc. The accusation alone -- even without merit -- can be enough to besmirch a reputation, kill a career, and/or be used to invalidate a lifetime of good work. Let's consider the definition of racism: "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial difference produce an inherent superiority of a particular race." How about the definition of s-xism: "prejudice or discrimination based on s-x; especially: discrimination against women." And let's see who is a bigot: "a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance." I wonder, do the TV talking heads understand the true definition of the labels they hurl at public figures: "racist," "s-xist," "bigoted," or worse -- based on nothing more than a comment taken out of context, someone's clumsy attempt at humor, or a photo or image that's the artistic expression of a creative person? How many of us understand these definitions when we call someone a racist or s-xist jerk? Jerk, perhaps... but racist or s-xist? Perhaps... perhaps not. Do we really understand the seriousness of those labels? Or, are we simply indulging in destructive name-calling based on political correctness? My point is that the political correctness movement has gone way too far. While the original intent of political correctness may have been good (to encourage tact and sensitivity to others' feelings around issues of gender, race, religion, s-xual orientation, physical abilities, and such), the effect of political correctness has been to make everyone avoid these topics altogether -- thereby hindering our ability to get comfortable in living and working with those who are different from us. It's gone so far that political correctness has become a bigger problem than the problem it was intended to address! It's gotten so bad that a liberal professor friend of mine says that she thinks the whole political correctness movement was invented by the Far Right to inhibit any meaningful discussion of diversity issues in order to keep racial, gender, and other barriers in place. Wow. Could my cynical (dare I say paranoid) friend be right? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gagarunner 0 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I think many people are forgetting that, love, angel, music, and baby (the 4 Asian women) are collectively, the personification of her love of Japanese fashion and culture, and that they were her muses 'from her imagination' and that was why they didn't speak in public--because they technically were in Gwen's head (even though we all saw them *wink wink*). Japanese culture was a huge inspiration for gwen during that era--hell, she still had a line called harajuku lovers if I'm not mistaken. And the lyrics in question: 'I'd get me four harajuku girl who inspire me and they'll come to my rescue, id dress then wicked, I'd give them names, love angel music baby hurry up and come and save me' This is, again, just a personification of her inspiration--the fashion of harajuku. She's saying when she needs creative help, that she'll call upon her muses and they'll help her--they'll come to her rescue. It's not supposed to be taken literally--that she's taking these girls and renaming them--they are her creation based off of her inspiration--which in turn inspires her to be creative. Like many have said--they were a brilliant performance art piece, and many people have taken it out of context and hastily deemed it offensive when, if you do you're research, is not at all offensive. It's her celebrating her inspiration and showing the world what is inspiring her. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveandMagic 1,731 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I actually really liked those girls and that style, but I can't blame others if they find it offensive. I'm not of that culture, so I can't see what they see. I don't think she meant to be offensive, and if the girls are still friendly with Gwen then maybe they saw it as all good fun? I hope those girls didn't feel exploited. Didn't Katy get some sort of similar criticism? Just repeat to yourself, "It's just a show. I should really just relax." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimisaMonster 31,073 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 It's just like Hello Kitty being racist... She's not racist and they're reaching for the stars tbqh Stream my new single, 💜"Heartbeat"💜, on Spotify! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LikeAnAngel 0 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I get how it could be percieved "racist", but I see it as part of the fantasy of the Harajuku Girls. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staryu 6,162 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I agree with points on both sides, but I don't think that Gwen made this to make fun of them... she just love the culture so damn much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMKKARDASHiAN 8,570 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 These days everything is racist... Feck... Literally everything. Like get over it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JbGaga 2,261 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Its not Racist. Is acting Racist? Is being any Character Racist? So stupid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed 7,716 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 Its not Racist. Is acting Racist? Is being any Character Racist? So stupid. Yeah if you're wearing blackface and you're white and you're "portraying" a black person, that's pretty freaking racist. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEANGT 5,252 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I mean it sounds racist to me. I thought this was going to be about the No Doubt video with all the native american stuff though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEANGT 5,252 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I think many people are forgetting that, love, angel, music, and baby (the 4 Asian women) are collectively, the personification of her love of Japanese fashion and culture, and that they were her muses 'from her imagination' and that was why they didn't speak in public--because they technically were in Gwen's head (even though we all saw them *wink wink*). Japanese culture was a huge inspiration for gwen during that era--hell, she still had a line called harajuku lovers if I'm not mistaken. And the lyrics in question: 'I'd get me four harajuku girl who inspire me and they'll come to my rescue, id dress then wicked, I'd give them names, love angel music baby hurry up and come and save me' This is, again, just a personification of her inspiration--the fashion of harajuku. She's saying when she needs creative help, that she'll call upon her muses and they'll help her--they'll come to her rescue. It's not supposed to be taken literally--that she's taking these girls and renaming them--they are her creation based off of her inspiration--which in turn inspires her to be creative. Like many have said--they were a brilliant performance art piece, and many people have taken it out of context and hastily deemed it offensive when, if you do you're research, is not at all offensive. It's her celebrating her inspiration and showing the world what is inspiring her. That makes more sense in that context. Thanks for detailing it. I still see why it's offensive though. The article in the OP is still not wrong about what happened, it's just through a different lens. In my opinion she probably should have chosen a different way to represent her inspiration. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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