Non racist kids Halloween costumes.

Cantona's Collars

This bollixology really takes the biscuit.A blogger thinks her kid dressing as Elsa from Frozen promotes "whiteness" or wanting to dress as Moana disrespects Polynesian culture.What's next,dressing as Dracula is offensive to Romanians?

http://www.raceconscious.org/2017/09/moana-elsa-halloween/

We saw both films within the month and, in early August, she declared that she wanted to be “Elsa” from “Frozen” this Halloween, and “Moana” the following Halloween.

I had some reservations regarding both costume choices…about cultural appropriation and the power/privilege carried by Whiteness, and about Whiteness and standards of beauty…and so our conversations began:

“Elsa is an imaginary or made-up character. Moana is based on real history and a real group of people…if we are going to dress up a real person, we have to make sure we are doing it in a way that is respectful. Otherwise, it is like we are making fun of someone else’s culture.”

Hearing me push back against her Moana choice, my daughter re-asserted her desire to dress up as Moana (for Halloween 2018!). I closed this initial “Moana” conversation by telling her: “We would have to do some research and figure out if there is a way to dress up as Moana that is respectful of her culture.”

Since her 2017 Halloween choice was, in fact, Elsa, I returned to this costume choice and shared: “There is one thing I don’t like about the character of Elsa. I feel like because Elsa is a White princess, and we see so many White princesses, her character sends the message that you have to be a certain way to be “beautiful” or to be a “princess”…that you have to have White skin, long, blonde hair, and blue eyes. And I don’t like that message. You are White, like Elsa—if you dressed up as a character like Moana, who has brown skin, you would never change your skin color. But I’m not sure I like the idea of you changing your hair color to dress up as Elsa—because I think Elsa’s character could also be a short, brown-haired character like you.”

SEPT 23 1989

Romanians love Dracula

Rumpy Pumpy

I’ve my two dressing up as a minstrel and a Red Indian.

WoollyRedHat

Rumpy Pumpy wrote: »

I’ve my two dressing up as a minstrel and a Red Indian.

Double trouble.

We didnt have these problems back in my day, you were either a scary black bag or a scary white sheet, that was that.

buried

Elsa from Frozen. That's a $hite costume man. May aswell dress up as Sharon Ní Bheoláin. The spirit of Halloween is really gone to the jacks

Turquoise Hexagon Sun

I saw this article the other day. Some big magazine did an article about it as well and there's all these concerned and confused mothers taking it was too seriously and asking what non-racist costumes they can dress their kids up in.

Seriously, talk about feeding the trolls.

The Backwards Man

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Double trouble.

We didnt have these problems back in my day, you were either a scary black bag or a scary white sheet, that was that.

Well la de da Mr. Posh with your choices.

We had to dress up in potato sacks.

With the potatoes in them.

server down

I mean, op, you went to a site called race consciousness. What would you expect there

alchemist33

The author has their racism all wrong. Dressing as Elsa was appropriating Nordic culture (unless they're Nordic themselves), and dressing as Moana will be perpetuating the idea that darker is beautiful ( cf. Fake tan). Silly racist author.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Oh lord.

I do actually find conversations about race can go a bit down the rabbit hole and still be interesting but Jesus.

That is going to be one very confused child.

Recently I read an interview with the British actor Riz Ahmed, who's of Pakistani heritage. He was ruminating on how it was easier for him to get roles in America than the UK which weren't specifically about his ethnicity, how he could just play someone called Bill rather than play Vikram the tragic minority character. And how that clashed with his experiences of living in both countries; that while he has experienced racist incidents in the UK, overall it's a far less racist and less divided society. His take on it was that countries make films about their fantasy of themselves. The UK's fantasy is back in time, an imaginary historical idyll, hence all the period productions, hence his difficulty in getting roles. The US's fantasy is of a happy clappy post racial society, which is totally at odds with the lived reality.

My point is that Americans seem to tie themselves in absolute knots being so careful about the use of language, diversity on screen, halloween costumes and so on which considering the issues in parts of the country seem ridiculously beside the point. Like they think if they can just crack that stuff, they're fixing racism. Spend so much time policing Disney movies that would maybe be better spent policing the actual police. In terms that this woman might understand there's a real performative non-racism that goes on and seems to frame the conversation as "look at me and what a good non-racist white person I am! Let's talk about that a lot".

I mean yeah, don't black your kid up for Halloween, but there's a very happy middle ground between that and this stuff.

The_Valeyard

Im going to dress up as Cultural Appropriation. Ill wear outfits and designs from all races and offend everyone equally.

Cantona's Collars

server down wrote: »

I mean, op, you went to a site called race consciousness. What would you expect there

Ha,ha.I saw the link in an article about it and decided to go to the source.
What a fupping eejit of a woman she is.Inflicting her idiotic views on her child.

Come to think of it,I'm nearly sure I heard on the radio about some University bringing out a guide for appropriate costumes for students so as not to cause offence.:rolleyes:

Hande hoche!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1taC3JjIOkM

Atoms for Peace

You can't dress as a Nazi either which is unfortunate as their Hugo Boss designed uniforms are actually quite smart.

McMurphy

I dressed my young lad as a very famous black man never had one racist accusation hurled at me all evening.

appledrop

Ffs this is getting ridiculous. What's next the feminist will probably say girls shouldn't be dressing as princesses anyway as they can achieve so much more.

looksee

Who discusses 2018 halloween costumes with their child before halloween 2017 anyway? Well, not beyond 'yes, dear, we'll see'.

Hande hoche!

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

You can't dress as a Nazi either which is unfortunate as their Hugo Boss designed uniforms are actually quite smart.

Very tempted to dress up as a Nazi some Halloween. That way it can leak out about ten or so years down the line.

alchemist33

Hande hoche! wrote: »

Very tempted to dress up as a Nazi some Halloween. That way it can leak out about ten or so years down the line.

Is this just a cunning ploy to go around shouting out your boards username at people?

Hande hoche!

alchemist33 wrote: »

Is this just a cunning ploy to go around shouting out your boards username at people?

Jawohl Herr Alchemist.

RobbingBandit

I'm gonna go out as Al Jolson or one of the Dumbo Crows.

alchemist33

Hande hoche! wrote: »

Jawohl Herr Alchemist.

"Schnell, schnell schweinhund!"

Autochange

Cant go too far wrong with a miniature Adolf Hitler costume.

RobbingBandit

Rick Shaw wrote: »

I dressed my young lad as a very famous black man never had one racist accusation hurled at me all evening.

That is ****ing epic, you are an artist.

AllGunsBlazing

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Double trouble.

We didnt have these problems back in my day, you were either a scary black bag or a scary white sheet, that was that.

Yeah, no potential for any trouble there!

Inviere

TLDR - The world is fucked. The Left are more Right than the Right, and Racism is a one way street.

branie2

Rick Shaw wrote: »

I dressed my young lad as a very famous black man never had one racist accusation hurled at me all evening.

I pity da fool who doesn't like this!

EPAndlee

So black face is a no go?

server down

Of course, if the yanks stopped appropriating Irish Samhain culture it wouldn’t be such a problem.

AnneFrank

Is a piece of coal off limits?

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

Hector Bellend

It could be worse.

You could dress your daughter up like a stripper and call it "my big fat gypsy wedding" or "look at me i'm a 6 year old beauty pageant participant that my big fat mammy made me enter"

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

You could rasie an objection to just about any halloween costume if you tired hard enough. "Whiteness"...? - does that rule out skeletons?

All joking aside, the problem is that people mistake cultural appropriation with misappropriation. You can take ideas and inspiration from a different culture - pretty much everyone does it at some time - but it doesn't mean you're being disrespectful.

the_pen_turner

go as matrass mick

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

the_pen_turner wrote: »

go as matrass mick

Looks like Pat Jennings.

Mrs OBumble

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

You can take ideas and inspiration from a different culture - pretty much everyone does it at some time - but it doesn't mean you're being disrespectful.

But sometimes you are perceived as disrespectful, whether that was your intention or not.

I know a few people from Polynesian backgrounds who aren't happy with Moana, because "why should US entertainment companies profit from our culture".

I'm also a fan of a Facebook group called Princess Free Zone, and consciously try to give neices etc non princessy gifts etc - figure enough other people will be giving them princess shyte and that it's good for them to get a range of influences.

diomed

Our fancy dress was burning the end of a cork and painting a moustache and beard on your face with the black burnt bit.

fatknacker

I wish all these non-Celts will stop appropriating our culture every samhain.

fatknacker

Oh. Someone already said it there afew posts back now I see.

DEFTLEFTHAND

My little customer is going as an Injun. His mum is going to make him up and i've arranged for the feather and rag clothes. I've cut up an old pair of chinos, and taken the sleeves off his old tshirt

Auroras_encore

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

But sometimes you are perceived as disrespectful, whether that was your intention or not.

I know a few people from Polynesian backgrounds who aren't happy with Moana, because "why should US entertainment companies profit from our culture".

I'm also a fan of a Facebook group called Princess Free Zone, and consciously try to give neices etc non princessy gifts etc - figure enough other people will be giving them princess shyte and that it's good for them to get a range of influences.

Yawn

Noodles81

Hector Bellend wrote: »

It could be worse.

You could dress your daughter up like a stripper and call it "my big fat gypsy wedding" or "look at me i'm a 6 year old beauty pageant participant that my big fat mammy made me enter"

Well I laughed out loud at this one...perfect response to this thread methinks.

PLL

appledrop wrote: »

Ffs this is getting ridiculous. What's next the feminist will probably say girls shouldn't be dressing as princesses anyway as they can achieve so much more.

They are already saying it. Suggesting to their kids to dress up as iconic female role models. Or how about, we just let them be kids?

B.A._Baracus

Ahh the ol' "cultural appropriation" argument....
Don't get it. Americana has spread throughout the world. Jeans, Sunglasses, Apple Pie, Baseball Caps & slang. Yet that's all alright.

Sure some Japanese person is gonna dress up as leprechaun in next years St Patricks Day parade in Toyko. Do I or we care? :pac: Course we don't.

Cultural appropriation is for those who get offended on the behalf of others or racists themselves. Like that black american lady who gave the white guy guff for having dreadlocks on her YouTube video.

snowflaker

jacksie66 wrote: »

Social media is an absolute plague. Gives idiots like this a platform to spout their nonsense so other idiots will listen..

I agree.

RayM

No kid of mine is wearing a non-racist Halloween costume, dammit.

Canis Lupus

Whenever I see the title 'blogger' my brain switches off to anything they have to say.

gozunda

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

But sometimes you are perceived as disrespectful, whether that was your intention or not.

I know a few people from Polynesian backgrounds who aren't happy with Moana, because "why should US entertainment companies profit from our culture".

I'm also a fan of a Facebook group called Princess Free Zone, and consciously try to give neices etc non princessy gifts etc - figure enough other people will be giving them princess shyte and that it's good for them to get a range of influences.

Christ on a bike - best stop over thinking things and remember everyone is not the same ...

I for one am not going to get upset when someone misappropriates my cultural 'celebration' of paddys day :rolleyes:

whoopsadoodles

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm also a fan of a Facebook group called Princess Free Zone.

Ironically, that sounds like a place full of princesses.

Erik Shin

Why, oh why do I click on these threads..
Princess free zone?....are we talking militant lesbians,.... grown ups that weren't hugged enough as children ....or just a shower of miserable bastards?

Mr.Crinklewood

Not looking forward to the hassle that the song "White Christmas " causes