Lovelyish

I don’t really see the exaggerations or offensive suggestions that are in old caricatures. Mostly I think they look tacky, but I think the jewellery and dressing is a more noble than condescending. 

@loner_writer@xanga - Let me guess. You’re white.

@emptyabyss@xanga - Kind of obvious from the picture, eh? I didn’t mean anything bad by it. I have seen things from the racist south and this didn’t seem quite the same. If you have something constructive to add, feel free. 

@loner_writer@xanga - I actually can’t see your picture on my phone, but my point is that obviously you’re not going to be offended by this if you’re white ( and i assumed you were cause i’ve not heard one non-white person think this was in any way okay). You obviously haven’t had your culture/ethic group/race littled down to stereotypes in the most harmful of ways over and over for thousands of years so it’snot going to sting you. The fact is that people are offended by this so it’s not really our place to try to defend it.

@emptyabyss@xanga - I actually think they’re just plain tacky too.  I mean, if you took it at face value, yeah it’s racist but if you take it at the explanation given it’s the direct opposite of racist.   Either way, you’d have to have poor fashion sense and judgement to actually step out the door with the on. Ew.

@deadroseawaiting - I agree, they’re ugly as sin. But it’s still an offensive stereotype and it’s real easy to do something racist and then make up this story about how it’s not racist. Doesn’t really change anything.

@emptyabyss@xanga - Maybe it’s a personal perspective kind of thing.  The designer sees it as Moorish and the public sees it as racist?

If they were white women, would people be crying racism?

@daydreams_nightmares@xanga - Nope

I guess Precious Moments figurines must be racist, too, right? I mean, what do they think, all white kids have to be Christians? Jeeze. How dare they.
I guess since minorities don’t have jobs, they have nothing better to do than bitch.  No, I’m not being serious.
Some people really need to find better things to do with their free time than complain about stupid shit.

@daydreams_nightmares@xanga - I would probably still think they were tacky. But the circumstances would be bvry different: if they were white faces, they wouldn’t have the historical significance of blackamoors.

I really think these were made to stir up controversy.

@emptyabyss@xanga - actually, being white we have quite often ”had [our] culture/ethic group/race littled down to stereotypes in the most harmful of ways over and over” by people who assume all white humans are racist. sometimes those people can even spell ‘ethnic’ and ‘belittled’ and somehow still generalize people by a color. how archaic and silly it is! all this fuss over earrings that may or may not be offensive and here were are bandying genuine racism about like it’s nothing.

@m3t00 - Honestly, what you’re getting from this is that I or anyone else is saying that all white people are racist? Your privilege is showing. And yes, I misspelled a couple of words and I didn’ feel like going back on my phone and correcting them cause I just didn’t care. Trying to imply that I’m stupid over a couple of spelling mistakes is not only immature, but hilarious. English is my third language. Wanna have this convo in your third language, error free?

And the little cartooned asian kimono girls you see on jewelry at Forever 21 aren’t?  Clearly, they’re popular b/c all asian women should be represented as cute Japanese prostitutes.

im so sick of everything being claimed racist. they are earrings not a white cloak with kkk on the back. get over it.

@emptyabyss@xanga - no, i’m not saying you’re stupid. i’m saying it seems a little silly to use racism in a comment about how racist something is/isn’t perceived to be.

@m3t00 - Dude, HOW is saying that white people don’t understand what black people go through in life racist? Honestly, if you’re one of those people who is worried about “racism against whites” i feel sorry for you. I don’t think your reading comprehension skills ar quite up to par if you think I was in any way saying that all white people are racist. I wasn’t even saying that the original commenter was racist. Just that they maybe don’t understand why this would be offensive cause their skin color doesn’t come under this sort of attack like, ever.

I think the clothing is beautiful. Not a fan of the earrings – just not my taste, but the clothing has pictures of the women as well as flowers and other patterns. I think it should be an honor and flattering to be so interesting and beautiful that people want to wear your likeness. 

Similar to this, I went to a university and we were known as the Chippewas. When I was there, the university decided that it was racist to have our “mascot” be a human/tribe/Native American. The chief of the local tribe came to the meeting where they were discussing and voting on the change. He spoke of what an honor and point of pride for the tribe to be considered strong, powerful, and a positive force and that our university would want to take on the Chippewa name and represent itself as such. In his perception, this was a very flattering thing and esteemed the tribe. In the end, the board chose to keep the Chippewa name and it is a point of pride for students and tribe alike. I honestly think this is all about perception. To me, these earrings and clothing collection is not racist. If the womens heads on the earrings were hanging from little ropes, I would be much more apt to go for the whole “racist” thing and would certainly be more concerned. This type of thing happens to virtually every other population (as other readers cited: Precious Moments, Asian inspired accessories at Forever21, as well as over-exaggerated characters such as Barbie, Bratz dolls -of all ethnicity!- or even various Disney characters). In my opinion, this designer found beauty and inspiration from a certain population and wanted to share that beauty through artistic expression via clothing and accessories.

^ Why are people trying to counter the logic of the argument with the whole “if it was white would it be racist”? thing, LOL sounds like some people did not pass their history classes.
And no, I don’t think these are racist. They’re tacky as hell, but far from racist. Though with the hyper politically correct culture we live in, it’s not surprising that this might offend people.

Not seeing the “mammy” thing in these earrings at all. Google “moorish” and you will see exactly what these are based on.

Of course Americans base EVERYTHING in the world on the perspective of the last 200 years of American history so it’s easy to see anything even remotely “strange” and attack it as racist, etc.

Seriously. The rest of the world does not automatically think this way.

P.C. culture needs to calm down.

I don’t think those are racist at all. What a huge overreaction. It seems like people are just looking for things to get all worked up about. 

In fact, they’re cute and I’d wear them if they didn’t look so heavy on the ears. 

I don’t think it’s racist at all. When I lived in Atlanta, people dress up like that all the time and walk around in public like that. Most of them were immigrants I’m sure, but anyhow. I think they’re cute. I wouldn’t want that on my jewelry, but I would put that on my wall or desk.

I suppose anybody can be offended over anything and if someone is offended then not much can be done. I don’t find them offensive, but I suppose if my feelings were hurt I’d hope somebody would stick up for me. 

I think it is important to note that offensive or not fashion seems to walk a fine line between an art form and a mode for making statements that can reach far beyond the realm of artistic expression. In this case though, it doesn’t seem like the item in question is being worn to make some kind of social or political statement and it is just a piece of art. 

@emptyabyss@xanga - If that’s the case, then how is it YOUR place as a minority to judge the life experiences of white people by assuming they automatically have privilege (“your privilege is showing”)?  I look white as day but I’m Jewish, and people of my ethnicity have been discriminated against, mocked, you name it for centuries by people of every color.  But you probably couldn’t tell just by looking at me, and if you judged me to just be some Anglo because of how I look, you’d be stereotyping, which would be ignorant.

@VampireOfSeduction@xanga - If we did that, then Lovelyish would cease to exist.

Where would we be then?! I shudder to think of it! Oh, the travesty!

Ok, fine, I’m not being serious either

@emptyabyss@xanga -          ” cause their skin color doesn’t come under this sort of attack like, ever.”

Cracker, gringo, whitey, honky… these are words that don’t exist. Because their skin color doesn’t come under attack, ever.

#oops

If this offends you, please do everyone a favor and kill yourself. There are far greater things in this world to get your panties in a twist over. This is just ridiculous. I’m so tired of idiots being “offended” over every little fucking thing, grow a pair, seriously.

They don’t look like mammies at all. The Black figure looks queen-like, in fact. Look at her gold necklaces.

I don’t think this is offensive. It’s the same thing as wearing a White queen-like head as earrings. Any representation of racial figures that are not White is not racist. In fact, I would say that it’s racist to always depict White figures.

@DrummingMediocrity@xanga - Because if you’re white, you have white privilege. Just google it or something, I really don’t have the patience to explain this to you. And yes, Jewish people have been discriminated against, and still are in many ways, but you still benefit from white privilege, just like a black man might be discriminated against for his skin color but still benefits from male privilege.
You are right that stereotyping is stereotyping, but you can benefit from white privilege even if you’re not white. I have some friends who are ethnically not white but “pass” as being white and they benefit from that.
Also, love that you assumed that I was a minority just cause I talked about racism. I’m white as hell girl.

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - Yeah, there are some words that mean being white. So what? If your definition of coming under attack is being called a cracker then you probably haven’t ever been legitimately discriminated against. Racism against white people is not a problem. Why is that so hard to grasp? Also note “this sort of attack” is not the same as “any attack”. Being called “gringo” (which has nothing to do with skin color btw and means foreigner) is not the same as what this post is about.

Also a sidenote, most “anti white slurs” have roots in something white people have done. Gringo is a bad word cause foreigners came to spanish speaking countries and treated the natives horribly. Also, cracker… Of the whip.

@emptyabyss@xanga - 
you are right. Oh, the oppression!

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - See, now I don’t even understaand what you mean. Are you trying to imply that non-white people aren’t oppressed? Or are you just all out of arguments but wanted to sound like you’re right? Cause you’re still not.

@emptyabyss@xanga -  C: you, and your “argument” have ceased to be worth my time or attention, beyond a closing bit of sarcasm

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - So I was right and you actually believe POC aren’t opressed. Well that makes me wonder about your intelligence. Well not so much wonder… 

@emptyabyss@xanga - 
Lmfao.
You turned my saying I was bored with you into proof of that, and you are insulting MY intelligence?
Oh that’s fucking rich!

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - No, I turned the fact that you said you were being sarcastic about POC being opressed into that. Sorry man but if you have run out of your little white pride arguments after one comment, that’s not my fault. Making a random comment and calling it sarcasm just shows how far off you are.

@emptyabyss@xanga -  you are right. You sure schooled me, you did!

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - “hahah,being sarcastic makes me right all the time no matter what dumb shit i say!”

@emptyabyss@xanga - 
Ouch, you got me there, too.
As painful as all these revelations about my character have been, I just want to thank you for taking the time
Now I know that I’m a piece of shit, but hey, I’ve got room for improvement!

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - Well I hope you work on that.

@emptyabyss@xanga - 

I’ll get started right fucking now!
What book should I read first?
Gosh I hope I dont screw this up. You believe in me… Don’t you?!
Please say you do!

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - Shit, man. I though you were bored with this like fifteen comments ago? I know you’re never going to, but I genuinely believe that you would learn a lot from eading some articles online about white privilege and racism. You might actually end up being a better person. Not that I actually think you’re a bad person, just sadly misinformed. 

@emptyabyss@xanga -  oops, I did say that, didn’t I?
I’m untrustworthy!

@Under_the_Ghillie@xanga - Okay, now you’re just trying to tell me aout yourself so imma stop you. In case you ever decide you want to know more about racism, here’s a pretty solid collection of links for you: http://super-eklectic1.tumblr.com/whiteness

Now enjoy the rest of your day.

I suppose sometimes racism is in the eye of the beholder. I am not Black, I cannot speak for this as to whether it is right or wrong because it is that, in which, I cannot solely relate to or be offended for my unrelated race in itself, so I have no say in this.

@bowknee@xanga - Agreed