ToDaZeD Word of The Week

‘splains a lot…

Ethnomasochism is the act of taking pleasure in contemplating the humiliation, subordination, or annihilation of one’s own ethnicity or race.

…The full-blown modern style of ethnomasochism is, like many other psychosocial pathologies, a product of Anglo-American progressivism.

…The phrase “noble savage” goes back two centuries…

… “the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone,
All centuries but this, and every country but his own
.”
–W. S. Gilbert wrote (in a real musical)

Like this.

(CNN) — They’re familiar characters in the debate over controversial Halloween costumes: suicide bombers, geishas, gangsta rappers, rednecks and sexy nurses.

There’s a discussion? Who knew?

“It’s like dressing up as the Greek goddess Athena and paying tribute to a specific character instead of impersonating a stereotype that doesn’t represent the culture as a whole,”

…”One is mythology, and the other is a stereotype that comes with a lot of baggage,” said feminist blogger Veronica Arreola, assistant director of the Center for Research on Women and Gender at University of Illinois at Chicago.

No, I did not make that up.

“Spanish-language media bring in programs from Central and South America on a daily basis that portrays Latinas in this very sexy, provocative way. For people channel-surfing who are not familiar with the Latino community, those images stay in their mind,” [Marisa Treviño, founder and publisher of Latina Lista] said.

So it is your culture…

It’s an argument similar to the one an Ohio University student group made last year in its “We’re a culture, not a costume” campaign that spoke out against dressing up as racial and ethnic stereotypes. The campaign went viral, generating memes often more offensive than the original images and sparking debate over the line between distasteful and playful.

Oh Teh Horrrrorororororrrr. Stigmatized as a Calculus-comprehending noodle eater.

Where’s the wife/sister/cousin and the Tea Bag?

It’s not just a concern for Latinos, Arreola said. It’s something that all women should think about before they decide to dress as a sexy anything: geisha or farmer’s daughter.

Hey! I’m offeeeended!! …I’m told.

“There are costumes that take both of those problems and push them together and we need to deal with them,” she said. “It’s getting outrageous.”

*facepalm*

Well, there’s always this.

21 Comments!

  1. kinlaw
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 8:27 am |

    I think it is important that we discuss this obviously important cultural phenomenon.

    I think one of the co-bloggers should post many pictures of women humiliating themselves by dressing as a sexy nurse, or a sexy teacher/librarian, or a sexy anything.

    And we’ll all study the exhibits and have a discussion.

    Sort of.

  2. kinlaw
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 8:33 am |

    PS: How is that guy going as the loader from Aliens going to hold his bag for candy?

  3. Jimmy don\'t play that
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 8:40 am |

    a·re·o·la/əˈrēələ/
    Noun:

    A small circular area, in particular the ring of pigmented skin surrounding a nipple.

    Oh, wait, she spells it with two ‘R’s. Nipple-whispering like a pirate ?!?

  4. Ironic in Denver
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 9:32 am |

    kinlaw 1: yep, it’s important that we see the evidence.

    Meanwhile, I always liked farm girls and want to meet that one…

    … Oh! The farm girl is sexy? Oh! Well, gosh I just thought she was wholesome….

    … In any case, dressing up like a ..ah.. farm girl (assuming one is ..er.. equipped for it) is much better than dressing up as a over-impressed-with-onself over-educated-but-completely-vacuous social commentator without enough real work to do.

  5. Claire: pink pig with car keys living in an alternate universe
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 9:38 am |

    This guy, IinD?

  6. DougM (November is coming)
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 9:45 am |

    Brought to you by people who don’t understand the difference
    between stereotype and caricature.

  7. dick, not quite dead white guy
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 10:00 am |

    the Center for Research on Women and Gender at University of Illinois at Chicago
    So they’re starting their own nation-state?
    Don’t men have gender too? I demand equal billing.

  8. Ironic in Denver
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 10:02 am |

    ^ 5 ^ yep, him. Breitbart he ain’t.

    ^ 6 ^ yep on that too. The fun thing is when people don’t know they have caricatured themselves, yet rush to show everyone they have.

  9. DougM (November is coming)
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 11:02 am |

    Re: “You wear the costume for one night. I wear the stigma for life.”
    See post above.
    *snick*

  10. ZZMike
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 11:45 am |

    “They’re familiar characters in the debate over controversial Halloween costumes: suicide bombers, geishas, gangsta rappers, rednecks and sexy nurses.”

    And those are for the 6-year-olds.

  11. TheOldMan
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 11:48 am |

    I’m offended that the farm girl isn’t trick or treating in my neighborhood!

  12. Posted October 30, 2012 at 12:28 pm |

    Veronica Arreola? What a boob.

  13. staghounds
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 1:50 pm |

    What, you all didn’t see this:

    http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/culture-not-costume.php

    last year?

  14. mech
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 2:57 pm |

    Staghounds^

    That’s great!

  15. Ironic in Denver
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 3:55 pm |

    ^ yes it is.

  16. katzemeow
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 8:15 pm |

    Iz confused……I plan on dressing up as Athena with the youngest as her sidekick owl…..iz that a tribute or a stereotype?

  17. Ironic in Denver
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 9:03 pm |

    16 ^ it depends. If you are a minority and/or a lib then it is a tribute. If you are white and/or conservative then it is a stereotype.

    By the way, I think Athena and owl is a fab, creative idea.

  18. PeggyU
    Posted October 30, 2012 at 11:09 pm |

    Hog – I’m tittering over that

  19. Posted October 31, 2012 at 9:59 am |

    I want to be offended some more by that farm girl and her friends.

  20. mojo
    Posted October 31, 2012 at 2:24 pm |

    “Awwww, she’s a victim…”
    – Kinison

  21. Merovign
    Posted October 31, 2012 at 4:04 pm |

    It’s the Cult of the Perpetually Aggrieved.

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