Boston Kimono Exhbit removed over racism.

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xenocity
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09 Jul 2015, 1:00 pm

Quote:

Following an uproar of criticism on social media, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) cancelled an event that protesters labelled racist and culturally insensitive.

Museum officials announced that they would cancel "Kimono Wednesdays," which was originally scheduled to run until 29 July.

Every week, visitors were encouraged to "channel your inner Camille Monet" by posing in front of Claude Monet's "La Japonaise" while trying on a replica of the kimono Monet's wife, Camille, wears in the painting.

Protesters quickly labelled this event as racist, saying it propagated racial stereotypes and encouraged cultural appropriation.

Some stood with signs next to visitors who tried on the kimono.

"It's not racist if you looks cute & exotic in it besides the MFA supports this!" one sign read...

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-33450391

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chapstan
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09 Jul 2015, 1:08 pm

My question would be, were the protesters who declared that it was racist of Japanese heritage? And you could easily construe the exhibit of helping one better understand that heritage rather than it being demeaning.

xenocity
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09 Jul 2015, 1:14 pm

chapstan wrote:

So far no one has identified with being exclusively Japanese.
Though there are Asians protesting and the protesters are demanding a public hearing and panel to discuss this.

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blauSamstag
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09 Jul 2015, 1:35 pm

xenocity wrote:

chapstan wrote:

So far no one has identified with being exclusively Japanese.
Though there are Asians protesting and the protesters are demanding a public hearing and panel to discuss this.

Should you have to be the subject of racism to be offended by racism?

I think minstrel shows are pretty offensive and i am not black. Blackface is just offensive.

However, it is a bit of a stretch to propose that a white woman in a blonde wig and kimono adds up to yellowface.

And a replica formal kimono is hardly a replica ceremonial device, and isn't analogous to white people wearing native american ceremonial headdress.

Grebels
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09 Jul 2015, 1:57 pm

One things for certain she didn't marry the old geyser for his money.

http://s214.photobucket.com/user/Mikey_ ... .html?o=23

naturalplastic
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09 Jul 2015, 2:22 pm

blauSamstag wrote:

xenocity wrote:

chapstan wrote:

So far no one has identified with being exclusively Japanese.
Though there are Asians protesting and the protesters are demanding a public hearing and panel to discuss this.

I agee with your first point. But am curious about what real Japanese think precisely because I ALSO agree with your second point: that it isnt totally obvious how this is offensive.

Grebels
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09 Jul 2015, 2:41 pm

The protestor looks Chinese to me and the OP top of the graphic obviously is. To say there is no love lost from Chinese to Japanese is an understatement. The Massacre Of Nanjing is still strong in the national memory.

chapstan
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16 Jul 2015, 9:23 am

OP

Has anything else happened with this? Wasn't there going to be some sort of forum to discuss it?

Just curious.

kraftiekortie
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16 Jul 2015, 9:26 am

I don't find the exhibit racist.

I believe the exhibitors should explain themselves better, though.

Sweetleaf
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16 Jul 2015, 11:20 am

This is one of the dumbest things ever...same thing I said about it on facebook. Where is the racism? Not to mention there where plenty of comments from people of Japanese heritage saying they didn't get the uproar or see how it insults their 'culture'. For one there is no confirmation its a real 'kimono' in the painting in the first place...maybe it was a robe styled like one and its having people pose in the dress the person in the picture is wearing to have their picture taken. So it is racist for people to try on a kimono or kimono like dress/robe a white woman in a painting is depicted wearing to try and do an impression of 'the painting'?

I say the museum should have kept the exibit up instead of just giving into a group of butthurt white yuppies who think they have some sort of duty to protect any minority from offense, thus offending minorities as they treat them as people that ought to be wrapped in cotton wool....maybe I am not correct on the last bit, but the impression I got was most of the protesters where white.

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Sweetleaf
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16 Jul 2015, 11:27 am

naturalplastic wrote:

blauSamstag wrote:

xenocity wrote:

chapstan wrote:

So far no one has identified with being exclusively Japanese.
Though there are Asians protesting and the protesters are demanding a public hearing and panel to discuss this.

I agee with your first point. But am curious about what real Japanese think precisely because I ALSO agree with your second point: that it isnt totally obvious how this is offensive.

Well yeah what is racist about it? What about it implies 'people who put on this kimono and/or view this exibit view themselves as racially superior to the Japanese and are doing it to show hate of their inferiors.' It is not even clear what was offensive specifically in any articles/comments I've seen about it.

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Fugu
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16 Jul 2015, 12:39 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

probably because it turns japanese culture into a carnival attraction

chapstan
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16 Jul 2015, 3:15 pm

Ok Fugu I can see that a little. But what is the famous quote: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

So how could things be displayed, interactively (since some people learn better that way) that wouldn't feel like mockery, racism?

Fugu
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16 Jul 2015, 3:22 pm

chapstan wrote:

I would ask why a painting needs to be interactive.

adifferentname
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16 Jul 2015, 3:45 pm

Fugu wrote:

I would ask why a painting needs to be interactive.

Paintings are innately interactive.

androbot01
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16 Jul 2015, 6:12 pm

I guess the kimono had no historical value as people trying it on would add unnecessary wear and tear. I went to an exhibit of historical costume and we couldn't even touch them.
This reminds me of the Halloween costume controversy - kids dressing as native peoples and such.
I can kinda see how having gallery viewers try on historical replicas could be offensive. Like appropriating someone else's culture.

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