Racially insensitive halloween costume?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone's heritage or culture should not be used as a Halloween "costume".

co-signed. Because there's nothing at all racist about this: http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/mens-native-american-costume/productinfo/42068/ or this: http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/mens-indian-brave-costume/productinfo/32740/ or the fact that the costume you mentioned pops up when you seach "geisha": http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/red-kimono-princess-costume/productinfo/34987/ I'd avoid that catalog on principle...

You could dress up as any muthafuckin' mythical made up whatever you want, and you pick "caricature of another person's culture" for your kid's costume?

C'mon.

This is why DCUM has turned into such a lowbrow forum. Was this really necessary? Jeez! I'll bet you were throwing up gang signs while saying it...

Yea it only became lowbrow when someone used this word
Before it was a bastion of class.
Privilege is a muthfuka, people really want to do what they want without thought of how it affects others.
By the way cowboy is a profession around which a culture has been formed and there are black cowboys.
There are some very closed minded IGNANT mofos on this board.
And I am not the original pp who first used the "m" word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Racially insensitive. Yes!

WTF is insensitive about wearing a Kimono? Hell, I *won* a kimono when I lived in Japan, along with a few others, and non of us were even Asian. So if actual Japanese people gave me one, does this mean I can't wear it?

[Anonymous]

You all do know that people wear kimono everyday in Japan? Most don't, but its not unusual to see a woman in a kimono in Japan. Kimono does not equal geshia!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all do know that people wear kimono everyday in Japan? Most don't, but its not unusual to see a woman in a kimono in Japan. Kimono does not equal geshia!

While in Japan for the cherry blossom festival last year I got a kimono for my daughter. I had her wear it this year at the cherry blossom festival in the US. I thought having her wear it at the two festivals would be very cool photos (with the blossoms on the other side of the world). On each occasion, we met Japanese people who wanted to take their picture with my (white) daughter in her kimono. Sometimes, it can be seen as honoring another groups culture.

However, I would not have her wear it for Halloween.

[Anonymous]

OP's husband is culturally insensitive because he thinks all Asian people are the same.

[Anonymous]

There is a difference between dressing "up" as a specific character, or a specific profession, and dressing up as a member of another culture as a Halloween costume.

My African American son has gone out on Halloween dressed as Robin Hood, Harry Potter, Spiderman. Similarly, I wouldn't have a problem if my kid decided he wanted to dress up as Kai Lan or Caillou or Diego. I also wouldn't have a problem with him dressing up as a ballerina, or a cowboy, or a matador, or a traditional Indian dancer, and wore clothing from those cultures as part of the outfit. I'm sure that if I was more versed in Japanese children's literature, I could come up with a character, or age appropriate role where my child might wear a kimono as part of a costume.

But dressing up in a kimono and have the kimono itself be the Halloween costume, that is dressing up as a "Japanese person", portrays the culture as an "other". Because it makes the kimono itself into the costume, as opposed to what it is, which is clothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all do know that people wear kimono everyday in Japan? Most don't, but its not unusual to see a woman in a kimono in Japan. Kimono does not equal geshia!

While in Japan for the cherry blossom festival last year I got a kimono for my daughter. I had her wear it this year at the cherry blossom festival in the US. I thought having her wear it at the two festivals would be very cool photos (with the blossoms on the other side of the world). On each occasion, we met Japanese people who wanted to take their picture with my (white) daughter in her kimono. Sometimes, it can be seen as honoring another groups culture.

However, I would not have her wear it for Halloween.

10:30 here.

This exactly, I'd let my kid wear a kimono for what it is. Beautiful, dressy clothing for a special occasion. For example, I'd let my kid wear a sari to a wedding, because that's what a sari is, clothing you might wear to an occasion like a wedding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was looking through the Chasing Fireflies halloween costume catalog tonight and remarked that the kimono costume was cute. My DH says its insensitive and he doesnt want to ring the doorbell of our elderly Chinese neighbors w our DD wearing a kimono for Halloween. Thoughts? One of the neighborhood kids wore an Indian sari last year and I thought it was beautiful and my DH also thought that was not PC.

Unless the Chinese neighbor minds the Kimono for different reasons. I know there are some friction between the Chinese and Japanese over land disputes. A Chinese co-worker bluntly stated that she hates the Japanese for the war atrocities, like the Nanking Massacre.

[Anonymous]

But dressing up in a kimono and have the kimono itself be the Halloween costume, that is dressing up as a "Japanese person", portrays the culture as an "other". Because it makes the kimono itself into the costume, as opposed to what it is, which is clothing.

Very well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Barbara Walters (I believe) was interviewing Kirstie Alley. Her parents died in a tragic Halloween accident. They were dressed as a black woman and a ku klux klansmen.

Their deaths should be memorialized as a national day of mourning. Three day weekend Halloween!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Barbara Walters (I believe) was interviewing Kirstie Alley. Her parents died in a tragic Halloween accident. They were dressed as a black woman and a ku klux klansmen.

Only her mom died, after their car was hit by a drunk driver, in October, but not on Halloween. Not sure what their costumes (if you did get that part correct) had to do with anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone's heritage or culture should not be used as a Halloween "costume".

co-signed. Because there's nothing at all racist about this: http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/mens-native-american-costume/productinfo/42068/ or this: http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/mens-indian-brave-costume/productinfo/32740/ or the fact that the costume you mentioned pops up when you seach "geisha": http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/red-kimono-princess-costume/productinfo/34987/ I'd avoid that catalog on principle...

You could dress up as any muthafuckin' mythical made up whatever you want, and you pick "caricature of another person's culture" for your kid's costume?

C'mon.

This is why DCUM has turned into such a lowbrow forum. Was this really necessary? Jeez! I'll bet you were throwing up gang signs while saying it...

It's prose, bitch. Deal therewith.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a difference between dressing "up" as a specific character, or a specific profession, and dressing up as a member of another culture as a Halloween costume.

My African American son has gone out on Halloween dressed as Robin Hood, Harry Potter, Spiderman. Similarly, I wouldn't have a problem if my kid decided he wanted to dress up as Kai Lan or Caillou or Diego. I also wouldn't have a problem with him dressing up as a ballerina, or a cowboy, or a matador, or a traditional Indian dancer, and wore clothing from those cultures as part of the outfit. I'm sure that if I was more versed in Japanese children's literature, I could come up with a character, or age appropriate role where my child might wear a kimono as part of a costume.

But dressing up in a kimono and have the kimono itself be the Halloween costume, that is dressing up as a "Japanese person", portrays the culture as an "other". Because it makes the kimono itself into the costume, as opposed to what it is, which is clothing.

But I can think of plenty of other cultural costumes that are not seen as inappropriate. For example, hippie, punk, flapper, etc are all costumes with references to cultural movements and no one sees those as stereotyping everyone of the generation. They are celebrating the culture, and I see no reason to believe a tasteful kimono wouldn't do the same.

For those saying kimonos, saris, etc are for special occasions, I've known plenty of young girls that would, for example, wear an old flower girl dress for Halloween. No specific character, just replicating the (primarily American) tradition of flower girls. Seems pretty similar to me, yet no one is up in arms over that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous



Anonymous wrote:
There is a difference between dressing "up" as a specific character, or a specific profession, and dressing up as a member of another culture as a Halloween costume.

My African American son has gone out on Halloween dressed as Robin Hood, Harry Potter, Spiderman. Similarly, I wouldn't have a problem if my kid decided he wanted to dress up as Kai Lan or Caillou or Diego. I also wouldn't have a problem with him dressing up as a ballerina, or a cowboy, or a matador, or a traditional Indian dancer, and wore clothing from those cultures as part of the outfit. I'm sure that if I was more versed in Japanese children's literature, I could come up with a character, or age appropriate role where my child might wear a kimono as part of a costume.

But dressing up in a kimono and have the kimono itself be the Halloween costume, that is dressing up as a "Japanese person", portrays the culture as an "other". Because it makes the kimono itself into the costume, as opposed to what it is, which is clothing.


But I can think of plenty of other cultural costumes that are not seen as inappropriate. For example, hippie, punk, flapper, etc are all costumes with references to cultural movements and no one sees those as stereotyping everyone of the generation. They are celebrating the culture, and I see no reason to believe a tasteful kimono wouldn't do the same.

For those saying kimonos, saris, etc are for special occasions, I've known plenty of young girls that would, for example, wear an old flower girl dress for Halloween. No specific character, just replicating the (primarily American) tradition of flower girls. Seems pretty similar to me, yet no one is up in arms over that.

Are you really this dense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's Halloween. If that's the most offensive thing you see on Halloween, you need to get out more.

Shorter PP: it's ok to be offensive, if other people are being more offensive.

It's okay to be as offensive as you want to be on Halloween. Making fun of death and political figures and other serious stuff is part of what Halloween is about. Halloween takes the starch out of things by mocking them. If it puts stereotypes out there for people to see, then it puts stereotypes out there for people to see and that's okay.

BTW I don't think wearing a kimono is particularly offensive. It's a little girl in a dress that she finds pretty. If you put her in yellowface that would be one thing, but this is just a dress.