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Protesters upset at non-Japanese trying on kimono at the MFA
By adamg on Wed, 07/01/2015 - 9:11pm
A roving UHub photographer reports the MFA had this "try on a kimono" event this evening - that got crashed by a man and a woman who tried to convince participants they were being racists by trying on kimonos or even just looking at paintings of people in kimonos - by participating in "yellowface." He was not impressed:
I got the feeling they were trying to upset people, get arrested and then sue the place. The kimono is a symbol of Japanese culture but this one was made by Japanese people for the purpose of sharing culture.
While he was there, at least, they were failing at getting arrested.
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Comments
You keep saying this
but earlier in this conversation you said you'd only read the Facebook page and what you'd seen online.
I haven't been to the exhibit, so I can't refute this, but no where have you said you'd actually been. Have you? I'm not trying to attack, I just haven't seen that you have come to this conclusion based upon being there in person vs what the protesters say.
Wednesday, man. I'll see for
Wednesday, man. I'll see for myself.
cool.
:)
to those offended
In the future, please inform yourselves before being offended. As others have pointed out, but you still have yet to directly respond to, the artist wished the kimono to be experienced by visitors to the museum so that they may be educated about beautiful Japanese traditional clothing. Education is a good thing. Sharing ideas and cultural traditions is a positive thing. We are not islands of ourselves. Personally, I don't belive in segregation. If you choose to practice that then that's your choice. However, don't condemn people who choose to learn about other cultures, adopt ideas and traditions from other cultures, marry people from other backgrounds as racists. That's actually quite backwards -- think about it.
Read just above.
Read just above.
Yes, the kimono is a priceless gift. No, the MFA isn't offering any education of it, except to try it on. Yes, that is an experience in and of itself. But just inviting people to try on the kimono in the European Art gallery as an accessory to understanding a Monet? Problematic to me.
Being asked to try on the kimono surrounded by other kimonos on exhibit in the East Asian Art gallery? Full of examples and explanations of Japanese culture? Fine by me. But it's not on display in that way.
Not a priceless gift...
... but a generous gift (of more than one replica kimono) which was expected (by the Japanese gift givers) to be used in conjunction with Monet's painting. Why do you (and the actual protesters) choose to ignore this rather basic fact?
I don't choose to ignore the
I don't choose to ignore the artisans' wishes. I am dismayed at the MFA's presentation of the kimono out of context without any educational component on the kimono itself.
Side note: I consider the kimono priceless because the skill to produce such an elaborate piece is shrinking fast and not expanding. I suppose I should have said figuratively since there is indeed a price.
A new site by the kimono protesters
White Supremacy Kills: https://twitter.com/hashtag/whitesupremacykills?src=hash
No different
It's no different when people dress as Mexican for Halloween! Which to my opinion is racist. I'm gonna dress myself as a white man this Halloween, oh wait there's no stereotypical way a white man dresses. Hmmm. Maybe a quilt!
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