Comments for Scrawled in Wax

Comment on Dancing Behind the Tree of the Real by Michael Thorner

Michael Thorner — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:38:29 +0000

When I was first exposed to a plethora of Bollywood cinema in the India Now! programme at the 1994 Toronto International Film Festival, as much as I appreciated the aesthetic of the form, and certainly respected the work of masters such as Mani Ratnam, I instead gravitated towards the work of filmmakers such as Buddhadeb Dasgupta, who I saw as an auteur in the new Indian cinema that was evolving. I consider The Wrestlers (2000) a masterpiece, and hold A Tale Of A Naughty Girl (2002) and Chased By Dreams (2004) in high regard.

And yeah, David Gordon Green’s first two films are the bomb.

Comment on Is Joan Holloway’s Body a Feminist Act? by Rain

Rain — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:15:41 +0000

So… what happens when a girl is all three?

Cool Betty
Sweet Peggy
and overtly sensual Joan?

Comment on Sitting at the edge of an enormous bed by hjli

hjli — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:20:57 +0000

I definitely know how that feels.

Comment on Questions about Russell Peters by m

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:44:05 +0000

I guess, on the one hand, I’d want to think of comedy is a form of storytelling or representation. Margaret Cho uses accents in her comedy all the time, and I’ve never felt strange about it. Why? Maybe because she “becomes” the people she’s talking about. Margaret Cho’s mother, for example, is exaggerated, sure, but she’s also presented as a real person with a real personality. Isn’t the difference between racism and not-racism often simply the specificity in representation? I mean, are you talking about one person you know, or are you making stupid comments about a whole people? So that’s one thing. On the other hand, I do understand the idea of airing dirty laundry. Patrice O’Neil, for example, says a shit-ton of stupid things about black people, white people, and (OMFG) women. He’s all about generalizations. But there’s something incredible about watching the shamelessness of his presentation. It seems to do something BECAUSE it’s so fucking horrible. He brings up all that stuff for us to see. Peters, I’d say, fails at both representation and at dirty-laundry airing. He is generalizing badly, and with no real consequence or effect that I can see. It’s bland, vague, cheap humour.

Comment on Questions about Russell Peters by David Cadiente

David Cadiente — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:31:12 +0000

http://davidsayswhatsup.tumblr.com/post/13592403613/why-are-accents-funny-to-dumb-immigrant-kids

My two pennies…Have a great Thursday!

Comment on “It’s not racist to not be attracted to someone.” by Denise

Denise — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:42:04 +0000

Samantha Fox! I think she made me feel bad about myself in grade four.

The notion of beauty is at least partially socially constructed, which is why “fat” (for example) is a “fetish” but “rib-showing skinny” isn’t. Sometimes I think it’s changing – my entire career rests precariously on me teenage self being pissed off that all the women on the cover of magazines were white. Well, I went to the magazine racks the other day and noticed that the mag covers were Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and someone else who wasn’t a WASP, maybe a Kardashian or something. Then again, Rihanna was blondified to snag the cover of Vogue, so I’m not entirely convinced. Which is good, for my work drive, but not so good for figuring out why we find beautiful what we find beautiful (and hot).

Comment on “It’s not racist to not be attracted to someone.” by Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:20:50 +0000

Interesting post. As a white woman who has been in interracial relationships, I often ask myself a slightly different but related question: is it racist to be attracted (not exclusively but strongly) to people of other races/ethnicities? The issue of fetishization/exoticization comes into play here, for me. I have sometimes worried that when I express interest in, or curiosity about, a partner’s culture/background, I may in fact be engaging (unconsciously) in a form of exoticization. I’ve also wondered if it’s okay, for instance, to enjoy the contrast in skin tones, both aesthetically and sexually, or whether that very appreciation is racist at some deep level. These are difficult questions that I think white people need to think about, too.

Comment on “It’s not racist to not be attracted to someone.” by “It’s not racist to not be attracted to someone” « The Ethnic Aisle

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:04:34 +0000

[...] Well, it’s not that easy, according to Navneet Alang. It might probably be a bit racist but it’s way more complicated than that. First, let’s look at the “normal” standards of beauty. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

Comment on “One big room / Full of bad bitches” by Shy

Shy — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:53:22 +0000

Don’t be hatin on Kreayshawn if you don’t know her. You don’t talk shit about people you don’t know. Take time to write about something important, not just spread that negative bull shit.

Comment on Is Singing in an English Accent an Act of Rebellion? by Patrick M.

Patrick M. — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:17:24 +0000

You do you realize what a trend is right?