7/25/2011 - Photo
Seriously, where the fuck do these people get off?
I already said this on that blogspot post, but then I came over here and got annoyed all over again. I never engage in semi-political discussions, that’s how annoyed I am. But really, this is about a fashion trend, guys. People were just massacred in Norway, and you want to complain about a photo shoot in a small, alternative magazine. How about focusing some of that self-righteous anger towards the world today instead of the world 300 years ago.
I’m an adopted Korean living in Alabama. If you don’t understand how confusing that is culturally, just think about it for a second. As a minority, I do understand that American culture can be insensitive about heritage. I’ve lived in an incredibly racist community (i.e., all of the South) and in an incredibly PC community (i.e., the Northwest). You know what I found? Living in Seattle was the first time I had hate directed towards me personally for my race. Never in my 20 some years of living in the Bible belt did I ever feel that way. It was bizarre. I’ve experienced ignorance. Hell, I’ve dated 2 guys who were only interested in me because of their obsession with Japan. And note: I’m KOREAN. So yeah, I know how it feels. But the point I’m getting to is that tip-toeing around, too scared to offend some sort of subsection, whether based on ethnicity, religion, politics, sexual orientation, etc., is kind of like abstinence. To tell anyone they simply CAN’T do something is an ineffective means of dealing with the issue. You know the governor of TN made it illegal to say “gay”? Who does that serve? It’s just sweeping the issue under the rug. I mean, at the end of the day, we ALL get shit on for one reason or another. Rich, poor, white, black, we’re all humans. So all I’m saying is, educating is one thing. But the “just say no” mentality is simply naive.
Because we are a nation based on individuality. On being who you want, believing what you want, and part of that is being able to say what you want, even if it offends someone else. Yes, people shouldn’t be prejudiced. But, well, whatcha gonna do? Protect everyone from anything? Hey distopian future, I’ll be seein ya soon. Cause I find sermons to be pretty offensive, as an atheist. Doesn’t stop the Jehovah’s Witnesses from knocking on my door. Nor should it. Ultimately, the only thing you can do is shut the door, not wear a headdress, live in whatever fashion fits your philosophical perspective. But seriously, this whole blog is a little bit offensive to me, but it is your right to have it, and it is my right to avoid it as much as possible. One could argue that you are stereotyping and belittling the “hipster” culture, which like it or not, is a significant cultural movement. No, hipsterism doesn’t have as much history, as much oppression, or anything that can be considered sacred in the religious sense. (Hey, if I take peyote, will you blog about me, too?) But if you are respecting their religious beliefs in the headdress, can’t I have something as important to me? Maybe you don’t understand why it’s important, much like I don’t understand why I’ve been stewing over this blog for the past couple hours, but it doesn’t matter either way. Because it’s not the hipster comments that offend me; it’s that you seem either unwilling or incapable of accepting that there are other perspectives on this issue besides your own. Now how fucking closeminded is that?
Also, in regards to that food post, about Chinese food being Americanized. Sure, it homogenizes Asian cuisine, to an extent. BUT, go over to Japan and order a hamburger or chicken nuggets. Buy a bag of chips at the store. They are going to taste different because the companies behind them are trying to appeal to a specific market. In some ways, you could even say that they are trying to be sensitive to the tastes of a particular region. But to me, again as a Korean woman who grew up in the South, I find food fusion representative of everything that I love about America. It’s the bringing together of different flavors and different cultures, cultures that wouldn’t have been able to influence each other until recently, but they can teach each other about ingredients and techniques that haven’t been explored in traditional American food. How is this a bad thing? Our ability to come together as a community and work towards a common goal, now those are reasons to be happy about the world, about the progression of our society, not angry.
And lastly, for anyone who wants to say that I am self-loathing of my race. Don’t presume to know who I am or where I come from based on 5 paragraphs on a blog. And don’t try and say that it is my “responsibility” to “get in touch” with my heritage. That’s an extremely personal choice. And believing that your way is the only way, well isn’t that how we got in this mess in the first place?
I ask ONCE AGAIN: Since when was hipsterism considered a legitimate cultural movement?
All jokes aside, forever conflicted. Sometimes you just need to remove yourself from the game for awhile. I never want to hurt anyone. But I also never want to censor myself, ever. That said, I also always want to speak with integrity and without ignorance. I don’t always. I don’t think I know of anyone who does.
Suddenly, I’ve gone from exercising a human right to exercising white middle-class privilege. It’s taking me a little bit to grasp that concept. I understand that many people are not awarded with basic human rights and the fuel to function in this country. But I don’t know that a small independent company has any duty to speak to that.
What responsibility do artists (comedians, writers, photographers, etc) have when it comes to showcasing content with potentially offensive material? I’m ready to submit that they have none as long as they are willing to accept consequences of hostility and controversy from the public. I might be willing to change my mind if someone could argue that an artist was taking away someone’s liberty by publishing offensive content.
Anyway. I dunno. I left PORK. I am sad. I might return when I feel more solid. I am exhausted. Information is leaking out of my ears. I’m back to looking for that Cosmic niche and letting the Universe do it’s thang. I have been VERY HORMONAL THIS WEEK. and I should remember for future reference to STAY THE FUCK OFF THE INTERNET when feeling so emotionally volatile.
p.s., I understand that a lot of the outrage for the photoshoot in question was in fact centered around issues of today. I don’t agree with everything that is said in the above blog. But it was an interesting counter-point.
