a penguin of very little brain ([info]stephiepenguin) wrote,
@ 2008-07-09 18:44:00
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Entry tags:isms

things that are racist
the Western Suburbs Weekly, July 7, page 8


cartoon of pig-faced chinese man, speech bubble says ha ha rose aussies just quack me up


I don't care how trashy a local rag is, this sort of racist, offensive shit masquerading as 'hilarious social commentary' is completely unacceptable.

Worse is that of the four people I was with, only one of them understood why I got so angry.

(I wrote my very first angry letter to the paper)


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[info]nixwilliams
2008-07-09 10:57 am UTC (link)
holy shit, WHAT, THE, FUCK?

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[info]stephiepenguin
2008-07-09 11:03 am UTC (link)
THIS IS HOW I STARTED WORK THIS MORNING

IN OUTRAGE

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]nixwilliams
2008-07-09 11:36 am UTC (link)
i'm just gobsmacked. how? what? i mean, how can someone think up the idea for this picture, draw it and submit it, and how can nobody else in the process of approving the publication not stop and think that, hey, this is a wee bit fucking offensive?

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]stephbg
2008-07-09 11:01 am UTC (link)
The description is disturbing enough, but I can't get the image to download.

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[info]stephiepenguin
2008-07-09 11:03 am UTC (link)
It's a .tiff, which, in hindsight, I should have converted to .jpg, but can you see it if I link directly to it? here.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]stephbg
2008-07-09 11:11 am UTC (link)
Oh. My.

A *pig*?????

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]miss_kittylix
2008-07-09 11:17 am UTC (link)
That is really really offensive! I can't believe it was in the paper. I'm glad you wrote a letter, I'm seriously considering writing one myself.

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[info]jayabear
2008-07-09 12:43 pm UTC (link)
????

That is so offensive!! >:(

(and racist, and rude. I bet it was the West. None of the other papers would print it)

(Reply to this)

[info]utopos
2008-07-09 01:10 pm UTC (link)
Alston does this. Constantly. In the state's so-called paper of record.

Which is why I read the Fin Review. Despite its editorial assumption that unionists drink blood and eat veal.

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[info]stephiepenguin
2008-07-09 11:20 pm UTC (link)
Oh, look at you! I read the Fin Review.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]ataxi
2008-07-21 02:02 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, I wrote my first angry letter to The West about Alston's racism over fifteen years ago. I've written about three since. Guy's a horrible bigot.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]grahame
2008-07-09 01:12 pm UTC (link)
Yeah, I'd like to say I'm astonished by it but it's the western suburbs weekly. They regularly publish incredibly racist rants from people living in this area, which make me wish to stop living in this area. Of course, this is worse as it's a work commissioned by the actual paper and not just poor editorial discretion.

(Reply to this)

[info]glvalentine
2008-07-09 01:37 pm UTC (link)
WHAT?

...WHAT?!

(Reply to this)

[info]mynxii
2008-07-09 01:38 pm UTC (link)
That's horrible.

Didn't we leave that in the past of some 50-60 years ago?

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[info]skywardprodigal
2008-07-10 10:59 pm UTC (link)
No. See downthread? That's someone defending the fact that y'all are still there now.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]mynxii, 2008-07-11 01:31 am UTC

[info]sajee
2008-07-09 02:01 pm UTC (link)
*dies inside*

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[info]benmurrihy
2008-07-09 02:07 pm UTC (link)
I hesitate to go against the apparent consensus, but has it been considered that this might be reflexively satirical?

I'm not that well abreast of currect affairs regarding carbon emissions and Australo-Sino relations, and though I scanned it quickly the rest of that edition had nothing on the matter; however I'm pretty confident in interpreting this to have something to do with carbon emissions and the fact that developing countries (as China is classed in this particular case) are not required to reduce them under the Kyoto protocols. Let's assume that the artist has an opinion on this matter, but whether it is positive or negative is not immediately clear.

Straightforward, this could indeed be someone using racist language/imagery to express their negative opinion; on the other hand, it could be attempting to promote a positive view on this matter by linking those who express negative views with racism, effectively saying that this negative feeling would probably be less if they weren't funny yellow foreigners. This is exactly the type of un-nuanced argument that abounds in political cartoons and makes me hate them, but would not be racist per se.

I disagree with the argument that satirists should stay away from things which could be misinterpreted as racist; I think that this is political correctness gone too far. Efforts such as theirs (to combat racisim and the like) should be applauded, even if not everyone gets it.

That said, there is absolutely no indication of whether this was meant to be reflexive in its satire or not.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]stephiepenguin
2008-07-09 11:10 pm UTC (link)
I hesitate to go against the apparent consensus

You have previously said that you often consider it your duty to play devil's advocate, which, I can see the benefit in that. But there's a difference between satire and racism, and drawing a Chinese man so that he's fat and has a pig face is racism.

It is not funny, and it is not satire. It is not making fun of racists, it IS racist.

The fact that you can't tell the difference is a cause for concern.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-10 02:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]stephiepenguin, 2008-07-10 02:58 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2008-07-10 07:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lauredhel, 2008-07-10 07:38 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2008-07-10 10:09 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-10 10:09 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]stephiepenguin, 2008-07-10 03:03 am UTC
(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2008-07-10 07:12 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-10 10:10 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]stephiepenguin, 2008-07-10 11:12 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-11 08:14 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lauredhel, 2008-07-11 09:10 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-14 12:15 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]lauredhel, 2008-07-14 01:58 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-15 02:44 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]skywardprodigal, 2008-07-11 02:54 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-14 12:05 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]delux_vivens, 2008-07-12 11:51 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-14 12:21 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]delux_vivens, 2008-07-14 02:32 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-15 02:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]delux_vivens, 2008-07-15 05:53 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-16 02:02 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lauredhel, 2008-07-10 07:39 am UTC

[info]frenchiephish
2008-07-10 12:38 am UTC (link)
That's disgusting, and why the fuck would that get past the editing team when the same point can be made without the over the top characterisation.

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[info]benmurrihy
2008-07-10 02:09 am UTC (link)
But what was the point? If it was simply something about China and carbon emissions then yes, perhaps. But if it was meant to include a perspective on race in these matters - how racism of some Australians might be influencing their views - you really need to include racism somewhere.

And I've always found political cartoons to abound in over the top characterisation.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]skywardprodigal
2008-07-10 10:59 pm UTC (link)
*hugs*

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]stephiepenguin
2008-07-11 11:00 am UTC (link)
Thanks. :o/

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]skywardprodigal, 2008-07-11 03:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]benmurrihy, 2008-07-14 12:29 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]skywardprodigal, 2008-07-14 04:46 pm UTC

[info]delux_vivens
2008-07-12 11:54 am UTC (link)
hey there, i had to just jump in. that was *deep*.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]stephiepenguin
2008-07-14 09:47 am UTC (link)
thanks, your support (and jumping in) is appreciated.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]delux_vivens, 2008-07-14 02:52 pm UTC

[info]nixwilliams
2008-07-21 11:59 am UTC (link)
:O

omg WHUT?

uh, that was at the "discussion" rather than the source - though it applies equally.

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