Everything is racism today - Comments

I agree with this to an extent.
Somethings is racist to someone. That's just how it is.
Nothing can change history though, and it will never be forgotten or forgiven.

Weeeeeeell that face is a racist caricature, and it does represent centuries of racism. Think Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's, or the absolute and horrible history of the creation of the North American railway system, or thinly veiled racist jokes about any Asian person's eyes, or the fact that most western people simply refuse to learn the difference between someone who is Korean or Chinese. It is partial cultural and identity erasure.

BASICALLY, that caricature is a racist western view on Asian people, and it isn't appreciated, and it should not be accepted because it is really offensive. Children especially should not be subjected to that kind of racism. The kind of racism that makes a white kid look at a Korean kid and say "HAHA! You look like the cartoon on that candy!!" I'm sure at least one kid has said that before. And they wouldn't know that that is not a cool thing to say. Because that cartoon would be considered normal and okay in your country. How would you feel?

@ Nialler.
Person/People of color.

@ SmilingScarlet
What does PoC even stand for?

This whole blog...really? To you it may not be racist but to some of us, it is. You ever see how many white people dress up in ponchos, and sombreros on Cinco De Mayo and drink like crazy and just make a mockery of Mexican culture/holidays....? Which by the way Cinco De Mayo is not even a holiday in Mexico, nor is May 5th our independence day, that was a day my people defeated the French in Puebla, Mexico. That's racist. What may not mean much to you, does to PoC.

Don't be quick to say otherwise, especially if it comes from a PoC. :/

Just because black people are present in a video doesn't automatically make it "less racist." Making black people into accessories in the videos (like in Lily Allen's video for whatever that terrible song is called) is racist. But I hate Taylor Swift so I didn't even watch that video. Just because you're not offended by something doesn't mean it's not offensive. That little Chinese person on that Chinapuffs bag is a little racist and stereotypical. I completely understand why people were offended by it and wanted it taken off. Racism isn't just being mean to another race, it's built off of systematic oppression which is something white people have never experienced, thus will never understand about other races that have (which is literally every single race in the world). Not everything is racism, but a lot of things are and in order for people to make change, we need to speak up and not stand idly by–which is what POCs were forced to do even 40 years ago–while shit happens.

I agree, everything is racism today in a sense. It was before as well but just now people started to speak up, all at once and it's creating drastic and massive changes due to fact that it is all at once - hence why people take more notice. People don't take shit anymore and they use the support they get when other's speak up to actually say what they feel is right and wrong. However I think some things are going too far.

the Disney series that we watch during Christmas, was not racist. No matter how you see it. Because in the case, it is a cartoon. There are dark, light, "yellow" and many more skin of people in the world, incorporating that into a cartoon is a bit ridiculous at least when its called racist. In that case the stop signs here in Sweden, with a white man crossing the street is just as racist. I'm sorry if it offends people but I just think some things are taken too far. I have full respect for people if they find something offensive due to their colour of skin or race but it doesn't justify suddenly pointing out every day things that you didn't have a problem with before just because suddenly, you know it's a big deal and you can get attention for it.

It seems harsh but silly things like the disney thing- even if may understand it on a really, really small level, is just as ridiculous as banning short people like me from movies just because it just isn't right or fair.

Sorry to anyone if you take offence to this, but that's how I feel.
If you have a counter argument fine, but I'm not going to reply, I've said mine.

I agree, everything is racism today in a sense. It was before as well but just now people started to speak up, all at once and it's creating drastic and massive changes due to fact that it is all at once - hence why people take more notice. People don't take shit anymore and they use the support they get when other's speak up to actually say what they feel is right and wrong. However I think some things are going too far.

the Disney series that we watch during Christmas, was not racist. No matter how you see it. Because in the case, it is a cartoon. There are dark, light, "yellow" and many more skin of people in the world, incorporating that into a cartoon is a bit ridiculous at least when its called racist. In that case the stop signs here in Sweden, with a white man crossing the street is just as racist. I'm sorry if it offends people but I just think some things are taken too far. I have full respect for people if they find something offensive due to their colour of skin or race but it doesn't justify suddenly pointing out every day things that you didn't have a problem with before just because suddenly, you know it's a big deal and you can get attention for it.

It seems harsh but silly things like the disney thing- even if may understand it on a really, really small level, is just as ridiculous as banning short people like me from movies just because it just isn't right or fair.

Sorry to anyone if you take offence to this, but that's how I feel.
If you have a counter argument fine, but I'm not going to reply, I've said mine.

I wouldn't say "everything is racism today". I don't think that people are exaggerating about racism. I think that oppressed groups just have more confidence and unity to call out things that have always been racist, but could never be addressed properly by the group. We now have the voice to call out on racism.

The reason why the Taylor Swift video is considered by many to be somewhat racist is because she's basically joining the bandwagon of white female artists (like Iggy Azalea and Miley Cyrus) taking certain parts of Black culture (trying to twerk, speak AAVE, etc) and using it as an accessory in performances. Why are people offended by this? Because they want to take the certain parts of being Black that look fun, cute, edgy or sexy and add them to their stage persona, but they don't want to and never have to experience the social, economic, and political discrimination that Black people have to go through on an everyday basis. If a black girl twerks, they're considered trashy and "ghetto". If a white girl can twerk, she's praised and admired by all her friends.

I don't think it's right to disregard what people of colour consider to be racist, even if it seems harmless at first. If an Asian person says a racial caricature is offensive, then you should listen to what they have to say—not just get angry and defensive right away. You shouldn't disregard their experiences and voice simply because it upsets you. If they say it is racist, they probably have a reason as to why they say it is. They aren't just calling you out because you're white. People of colour are probably just tired of seeing the distortion of their cultures being capitalized on by white people when the minority group can't even celebrate their culture without racists making fun of them.

Maybe it wasn't the Swift's or that company's intention to be racist. But it doesn't matter if someone intended to be racist. What matters is that what they're saying or doing is or isn't racist. Impact and intention are two very different things.

You say that the video is not racist but the representation of black and white people makes it less racist. . .? Could you clarify?

In any case, I think if you're part of the group of people who are affected by it, it could be seen as offensive. For example, the Chinapuffs thing. Maybe people don't think it's "politically correct" that it's a Swedish candy (that to my knowledge is not found in China) and has a stereotypical Chinese character with a hat that typically symbolizes their laborious work. (My grandma wears those hats to garden. Another image in my mind is workers in rice paddies before the Vietnam War and onward. Idek lol. Those straw hats are viewed as Asian goods. But yeah, she is Malaysian / Chinese). Now, if I showed that to a Chinese person, they might be offended. I know I get offended and discouraged when I go to a restaurant that says it's authentic Asian cuisine and it's not the case at all.

It's all very much subjective and sometimes people want to pull the race card for very strange, mundane things. We should be more concerned about things like being denied certain rights because of race. Being put into prison (or more likely to, rather) because of race. Being a slacktivist about issues such as racial discrimination.