Small Rant
I really don't have that much to write about. The day before last I spent 2 1/2 hours in the dentist's chair making preparations for a crown I'll get in a couple of weeks.
Next semester I'm taking a class called "Literary Perversion," which will be taught by my friend. I've been gathering all the books together for it: Don Juan (Moliere), Don Juan (Byron), The Story of O, Venus in Furs, Fanny Hill, Lolita and some other stuff. It should be a pretty interesting class, needless to say.
On a trip to the mall this morning, I did see one thing worth ranting about. In the window of a consignment shop today, I saw a huge set of newlymade "folk art" serving ware painted with blackface-like depictions, but whereas the older stuff is all in darker hues, this stuff was in varying hues, from very light to black, set against a white background. This is something that is not only racist, but also bugs me on an aestetic levelt. I'm not talking about folk art MADE by black people, but stuff like this that old white lady folk art collectors think is cool (note that it's a pin cushion, of all things).
Firstly, this stuff is just ugly. No human being has ever had a dark black face, big cartoon eyes and huge, oversized white lips.
Secondly, it takes about five seconds to see through this "American Folk Art" trend. As Oscar Wilde said, "America is the first country to go from barbarism to decadence with no civilization in between." Obviously, you have to take that with a grain of salt, but America has never had a huge, legitimate folk art tradition except on things like quilts (or pincushions) that get used and worn out. I'm convinced (and I come from Amish country, where you can't spit without hitting a craft store, so I know) that most American folk art always has been made to be sold to tourists. The thought of some white people making "black" folk art to sell to other people because it's "quaint" or "soulful" or whatever you want to call it, is pretty appalling. The reason people buy folk art is because of its nostalgic properties. What kind of message are white people sending by making and buying this stuff? "Ahh...for the good ol' days when there was a mammy in every white kitchen."
Look, it's not cute, it's not cool, and while they may seem like the good ol' days to you, that's not how everyone sees it.
I'm all for preserving the history of black oppression in this country. When white people don't see it, they forget about it, and then you have people saying stuff like, "There isn't any racism in this country anymore. Get over it." Preserving something like that pincushion is important (although it should probably be in a museum instead of an online store), but making or buying stuff like that is not the same as keeping around a grim reminder of black oppression, it's putting a happy face on it.
So that's my gripe for the day. Hopefully I'll have something else to write about soon, perhaps more about Wordsworth.
Next semester I'm taking a class called "Literary Perversion," which will be taught by my friend. I've been gathering all the books together for it: Don Juan (Moliere), Don Juan (Byron), The Story of O, Venus in Furs, Fanny Hill, Lolita and some other stuff. It should be a pretty interesting class, needless to say.
On a trip to the mall this morning, I did see one thing worth ranting about. In the window of a consignment shop today, I saw a huge set of newlymade "folk art" serving ware painted with blackface-like depictions, but whereas the older stuff is all in darker hues, this stuff was in varying hues, from very light to black, set against a white background. This is something that is not only racist, but also bugs me on an aestetic levelt. I'm not talking about folk art MADE by black people, but stuff like this that old white lady folk art collectors think is cool (note that it's a pin cushion, of all things).
Firstly, this stuff is just ugly. No human being has ever had a dark black face, big cartoon eyes and huge, oversized white lips.
Secondly, it takes about five seconds to see through this "American Folk Art" trend. As Oscar Wilde said, "America is the first country to go from barbarism to decadence with no civilization in between." Obviously, you have to take that with a grain of salt, but America has never had a huge, legitimate folk art tradition except on things like quilts (or pincushions) that get used and worn out. I'm convinced (and I come from Amish country, where you can't spit without hitting a craft store, so I know) that most American folk art always has been made to be sold to tourists. The thought of some white people making "black" folk art to sell to other people because it's "quaint" or "soulful" or whatever you want to call it, is pretty appalling. The reason people buy folk art is because of its nostalgic properties. What kind of message are white people sending by making and buying this stuff? "Ahh...for the good ol' days when there was a mammy in every white kitchen."
Look, it's not cute, it's not cool, and while they may seem like the good ol' days to you, that's not how everyone sees it.
I'm all for preserving the history of black oppression in this country. When white people don't see it, they forget about it, and then you have people saying stuff like, "There isn't any racism in this country anymore. Get over it." Preserving something like that pincushion is important (although it should probably be in a museum instead of an online store), but making or buying stuff like that is not the same as keeping around a grim reminder of black oppression, it's putting a happy face on it.
So that's my gripe for the day. Hopefully I'll have something else to write about soon, perhaps more about Wordsworth.
posted by Emily @ 2:11 PM
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