Hey, Readers!
***Trigger Warning: This post discusses and links to several things that may be triggering for you. This includes sexual violence, racism, misogynoir, ableism, murder, police brutality, transantagonism, slurs of various sorts against marginalized folks, cultural appropriation, white supremacy, fat antagonism, and others. Please be cautious and engage in self-care.***
It’s that time of year again! :D You know the time—when the scantily clad, pale-as-mayo “native” women with blonde hair come out wearing all these bomb ass war bonnets with a few lines of red paint smeared badly on their faces and random feathers sticking out in weird places, and “black” rappers with smudges of whiteness under their skin come out all blinged up and with their afros all about 15 feet high while obnoxiously yelling out phrases like, “Fo’ shizzle, my dizzle” and various impressions of Samuel Jackson, and all the “brown” people in the neighborhood suddenly carry plastic weapons and get rigged up in fake suicide bomber packs under long robes. Good old Halloween! Oh, does the sound of that make you uncomfortable? Feel insulted? Yeah, it does me, too. In fact, it makes me really angry. And it should make you uncomfortable and angry because this annual display of white people parading around wearing geisha costumes, black face, “native” attire, and serapes and so on is really just white people “wearing” another culture of people in the name of Halloween. This, my friends, is what we call cultural appropriation—and really just straight up racism.
Dressing up as someone from another culture as a representation, especially a stereotypical representation, of that culture is super fucking racist. Let’s get that cleared right off the bat. If you have any respect for people of other cultures, you will not resort to draping stereotypes of them on your limbs for the sake of costume. Just don’t do it.
And for transparency’s sake, I am sad to say that I used to be one of those assholes. Ugh. Looking back, it makes me sick to my stomach to see the various inappropriate costumes I wore as a kid and young adult (as a young child, a "native girl;" as a teenager, a "geisha;" and as a young adult, an "asylum patient"— uuuuuggghhhh). It’s shameful, and there’s absolutely no excuse for it. The only good thing is that I now know better, do better, and want us all to know better and be better people. So take heart! If you sound like someone from below, YOU CAN DO BETTER. I believe in you.
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Let’s talk a little bit about why these things are not okay and the usual retorts you may have/encounter in defense of them:
“But I’m honoring their culture! I find them so interesting.”
You’re not honoring anyone’s culture by perpetuating stereotypes of marginalized people who already navigate this bigoted world being judged by the very same things you find “funny” or “interesting.” What you’re doing is exotifying a culture based on an aspect of their culture you have become enamored with. If you really want to honor someone’s culture and want to be respectful of them, WHY would you dress up in something that disrespects them?? Seriously.
“I’m helping them by showing other people that they’re cool.”
You’re not making these other cultures “more mainstream” or helping them be more accepted by society by dressing in their traditional outfits (note the use of the word “outfits” and not “costumes” here). What you’re doing is taking something that is serious and often sacred or very important and making it into a costume, a joke. Especially in the case of sacred apparel: you are making light of something that that culture’s people value and mocking its importance to the people who own it.
“It’s just a joke!! Lighten up!” or “It’s just Halloween/a costume; don’t be so serious!”
Oh, you think it’s funny to be racist? No. It’s not funny to be racist. At all. Also, fuck you.
“I’m just trying to be accurate in my (racist) portrayal.”
If you try to use the excuse of being “accurate” for blackface or redface or any other form of “face,” I will slap you so hard, you’ll be back in your mama’s womb. You’re saying you want to be accurate about racist stereotypes of people that are made up in order to better represent your racism. You do realize that, don’t you? Lord.
“I’m not racist, so this costume isn’t racist.”
Yes, it is, and yes, you are. Super racist. Both you and your costume. Refer to links throughout and below and go borrow the cone of shame from Dug and think about what you did. Then come back and fucking do better as a human being. And keep learning about why you’re racist and how to be better.
“My (person of color) friend thinks it’s hilarious!”
No. Just no. Your “friend,” first of all, may not even exist. I’ve seen this excuse used so many times, and somehow that magical, okay-with-everything-you-abuse-your-white-privilege-with “friend” of color can never be produced. And if they can, they usually are an acquaintance, and you didn’t actually engage in a legit conversation with them about privilege and shit.
Second of all, even if your ONE friend of color is legit okay with you mocking them and their culture with racist costuming and stereotyping (in which case, I would seriously feel bad for them for the amount of brainwashing they have sustained about themselves), I sincerely doubt that that ONE person speaks for an entire culture of people. And even if they really were, it still wouldn’t be okay. What you’re doing is perpetuating racism. Don’t know how much clearer I can make that.
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Third of all, your friend of color? You probably didn’t think about this one: they may not have felt safe around a white person or someone from outside their culture to say, “No, Jordan, I don’t think that’s okay or funny. In fact, I think you’re a seriously bigoted asshole with some severe racist tendencies. Kindly go fuck yourself.” Especially given how violent privileged people can become toward marginalized people when they’re told they’re wrong or offensive about issues of race. For people of color, challenging white people on their racism can often lead to death, a violent beating, or an arrest of them in their own self-defense.
“I don’t think dressing as a rap star/basketball player with a big fro/gangsta is representative of black people, thus this costume is not racist. But you’re racist for saying that!!”
*Sigh* These people here. Okay, look here now: There’s this little huge thing called privilege. And you are so wrapped up in it, you can’t seem to figure it out. So let me explain it to you. We do not live in a post-racial world. We also do not live in a world where prejudice, bigotry, and oppression do not magically exist anymore. So when you pretend, willfully and despite ALL evidence to the contrary, that we do, it makes you a racist asshole. You are deliberately ignoring the fact that things such as whatever racist costume you’re wearing—for an example, a rap star with huge gold chains, baggy clothing, a fro/du rag—is generally viewed as a stereotype of certain groups of people—in this instance, black people. And seriously, being honest with yourself, do you really think that when you chose that particular costume that it never once occurred to you that this could be associated with any particular marginalized group? Because if you can search within yourself and tell me no, I don’t want to discuss anything with you ever because you are so happy with your privilege or brain-washed into thinking everything is a-okay with the world.
“It’s a free country! I can dress like whoever I want, and you can’t tell me not to.”
Why, yes it is. And yes, you can. And yes, you also get the free prize of being a complete and utter racist asshole that comes with it! Aaaaand yes, you get to be criticized for your awful choices because other people live in the same free country and are equally able to talk so much shit about your awfulness—and to your face of all places! Yay, fuck you! :D
“You’re just being too sensitive.”
No. You’re not being sensitive to other people and other cultures, and you are abusing your privilege by saying something like this. You’re not being sensitive to the facts about the experiences of marginalized people. You’re not being sensitive to the fact that women of color are the most likely to suffer at the hands of sexual violence. You’re not being sensitive to the fact that people of color are murdered and arrested more frequently by the police than any white people. You’re not being sensitive to the fact that women of color are abducted more and ignored more by the police, the media, and the general public. You’re not being sensitive to the fact that people of color, especially women of color, make less money than their white counterparts in jobs. Maybe you need to start to be more sensitive to the cultural climate around you instead of attempting to conform it to your bigoted beliefs.
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Bonus Round! Dressing up as members of other marginalized communities!
“But dressing up like Stephen Hawking is so cool!” or “What’s wrong with dressing like a ps*cho?”
Do I really need to say, after all this, that playing pretend when it comes to ableism is not okay? God, I really hope not. People with disabilities endure enough stigma, violence, and oppression every day of their lives. They do not need you further helping to make them into a sort of freak show for public viewing when society generally treats them that way as is.
“There’s nothing wrong with dressing like a tr*nny.”
Ugh. I’m just gonna point here, here, and here. Read these articles that detail the exponentially higher rates of oppression and murder and abuse of transwomen, and please try to understand how mocking someone contributes to their dehumanization: something transpeople globally do not need any more of. Also, fuck you. Don't use that slur.
“My fat girl in a mini skirt suit is hi-lar-ious, especially when I bend over and it makes a fart noise— you dono what you’re talking about.”
Sooo there’s this thing called fat antagonism. And misogyny. And you’re engaging in both. Fat antagonism is awful. Fat people are not only regularly ridiculed by the public but are also oppressed greatly in the medical field, leading to many health complications due to the bigotry found in the health industry, often leading to death due to lack of treatment. Fat women, especially when they're women of color, are disproportionately impacted by this bias. So no. Your fat suit isn't funny at all.
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So there you have it. These are just some of the reasons why you should not engage in the annual practice of dressing up as a racist stereotype or even an "accurate representation" of a culture you're not a part of.
Another huge reason for not engaging in this debauchery-- in case, you know, being a racist prick isn't enough of a reason-- is because by dressing in ways that reinforce the prejudice against marginalized individuals, you are increasing the likelihood of their dehumanization. In fact, you are participating in that dehumanization by deiciding that they are collectively able to be objectified by you into this one mocking costume. And when you dehumanize and objectify people and downplay their value as human beings, you help increase violence against them, murder of them, arrests of them, oppression of them. And those experiences of violence and mockery and oppression can be just fun times for you, but they very likely are triggering and bring back real, lived memories of traumatic experiences for certain people. And you're causing that. So think about that before donning something you find funny based on another culture or a marginalized group of people.
So let's review:
[Image Description: An orange background patterned with black bats all over with black text on it. The title reads "Halloween Costumes." The text underneath is in a list format and reads in black text "1. Cultural appropriation is not okay-- even especially for Halloween. 2. Dressing up in a costume that stereotypes another culture is racist, and that is not okay. 3. Dressing up in a costume that stereotypes marginalized groups of people contributes to their dehumanization by those in power, and increases the likelihood of their facing violence, oppression, and murder. And that is not okay. 4. By doing any of the above, you are partly responsible for the consequences. Oppressors must be held accountable at both a group and an individual level, so by partaking in this behavior, you must be held accountable by others and you must hold yourself accountable, as well. 5. Just don't do it. Just don't." At the bottom is a lighter bit of black text that reads "Happy Halloween from CraftyCrookshanks.typepad.com!"]
So I hope you all have a blast this Halloween-- just remember to exercise your privilege responsibly. Don't blow it and engage in this horrid behavior. You're better than that. We're all better than that. And share this and other information on appropriation and racism far and wide-- we can change this! And get creative this Halloween if you do dress up-- there have been some great examples of people using Halloween as a platform for their social justice views with great results! For example, you could go costumed as an MRA douchebro, as birth control to bring attention to the lack of access people have to it, or maybe even just as your classic Rosie the Riveter. Whatever you choose, make it something that doesn't abuse your privilege and is considerate of others in marginalized groups. :]
And for more reading, feel free to check out these helpful links below! I've included a trigger warning, so be aware before going onward for your sake. :]
***Trigger Warning for the following links: These links discuss and share images of sexist and racist material, including blackface, Islam-antagonism, images of people in KKK “costumes,” and other hurtful stereotypes and behaviors based on race and religion. The links also discuss and contain images that are disparaging to women and transwomen. Please be cautious when visiting these links and be aware of the bigoted material included in them. Remember to engage in self-care!***
Helpful Links:
Ohio University's STARS: Students Teaching About Racism in Society
Sociological Images: Resistance to Racist Halloween Costumes
Sociological Images: Racist Hallowen Costumes for Your Dog
Sociological Images: Racist Halloween Costumes
Sociological Images:Racist Antics at Colleges and High Schools (Trigger Warning)
Everyday Feminism: Is Your Halloween Costume Racist?
Until next time, fair Readers!
Mischief Managed~
Jessi
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