Illegal Alien Costume is Hateful, Bigoted and Racist
Fox News pundits , bloggers and commenters across America are dumbfounded as to why people are offended with the illegal alien costume. After all it's all in the spirit of fun and Halloween, with a wink a giggle and nod. It's that enemy of America " Political correctness" they scream hating on Halloween.
Well it's not simple Halloween fun. If you don't understand why it is offensive, let me break it down for you. And yes, I am being the PC police, cause obviously, lots of people don't get it.
First some data, from the Southern Poverty Center's Hatewatch Report , they track hate groups and hate crimes in America.
- Hate crimes targeting Latinos increased again in 2007, capping a 40% rise in the four years since 2003, according to FBI statistics released earlier this week.
- As anti-immigrant propaganda has increased on both the margins and in the mainstream of society — where pundits and politicians have routinely vilified undocumented Latino immigrants with a series of defamatory falsehoods — hate violence has risen against perceived “illegal aliens.” Each year since 2003, the number of FBI-reported anti-Latino hate crime incidents has risen (see table, below), even as a swelling nativist movement has become larger and more vitriolic.
- At the same time as anti-Latino violence has risen, the Southern Poverty Law Center has reported a major increase in hate groups — from 602 in 2000 to 888 in 2007, a 48% percent jump — and said that the growth has been almost entirely driven by the immigration debate.
- White supremacist groups that normally target African Americans and Jews have focused heavily for the last several years on the “threat” of Latino immigrants, exploiting the issue successfully in order to recruit more and more members, especially in the border states.
Second, after the hate crimes and hate groups, there is the ridicule of the undocumented immigrant. There is nothing funny about the human struggle and plight of undocumented immigrants in America and anywhere in the world.
People risk their lives to come and make a living. People work at some of the hardest jobs--jobs that citizens scorn. People live under the radar and cannot report the thousands of crimes committed against them and their families. People are separated from their families, living in isolation.
What is funny about that? What is light hearted fun about being arrested and deported while wearing an orange jump suit?
Finally, who is the potential buyer of such a costume? Most likely it's someone who harbors anti immigrant sentiments and can in the "lightness" of Halloween, add to the stew of hate and bigotry.
Finding the costume in Target takes the hateful feelings from the margins and gives them legitimacy. Such sentiments must be marginalized and not sanctioned by mainline institutions.
So, Lou Dobbs and Fox News think that the PC police is at it again. In a time when they stirred up hatred against people, we should not be joining in the hatred of undocumented immigrants.
Modern nations have created artificial boundaries to define territories, yet human beings have migrated for thousands of years to survive and to seek a better life. We may erect walls in America, walls in Europe, walls in other nations and people will struggle to climb the walls to survive. It is our human nature to want to make a better life for ourselves and our children.
Of course we have laws on immigration, no one is saying that we have to abandon them, but, we can show some kindness, some humanity in spirit and some compassion for human beings who struggle.
You say I am being politically correct? Hell yes I am. From what I see, it seems that we still did not learn how to not humiliate and put down minorities and the downtrodden. So, have your Halloween fun, but you do not need to do it while making fun of the misfortune of others.
I heard on the radio the UN commissioner on human rights, I think, he said something truly simple, yet true: "In economic hard times people blame their governments and foreigners". So, we know that we have a tendency for hateful sentiments, why legitimize them?
UPDATE : Target has pulled it off the shelves, I think others may have as well.
Added on October 22, 2009, in case you think it's just about one costume, here are the three cosumes with the following descriptions via the OC Register: "Sexy Illegal Alien" costume, which included a sombrero, a metallic minidress with a poncho, and handcuffs, as well an alien mask with a bushy mustache.
Is it still harmless? Yes, they have space alien eyes, but do you see a theme?
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Rhetorica
Martha Nichols
Jeanette DeMain
Amalias
Ken Honeywell
Patton Lee Beaugus
Salon.com
Comments
I say open the fucking border. There will be turmoil at first, and then things will settle down. Free markets.
It's the brown skin, cookie. That is what this is has always been about.
Just sayin'.......
Natalie, thanks. I get tired of the nod, nod wink wink, let us have our fun. A little human kindness and compassion should not be a hard thing to come by.
If I were CHIRLA, I would have definitely have gone after this. It would have been insane for them not to have.
I understand not legislating people's behavior, I do, however, to let this go unchecked would be equal to blessing it. Silence is equal to indifference.
Thank you for speaking the truth Stellaa; not what is going to "sound good." The best choices are often the hard ones.
i think of political correctness, generally, as being something that doesnt really matter and people use as an excuse to get to feel some superiority.
this DOES matter, and it is offensive to any thinking, non-bigoted person.
i am going to go to our local target tomorrow, and if it is there, i am going to talk to the manager and make sure he knows how people feel about it.
huh. seems to me it would be protested by anyone who doesnt pride himself on ignorance.
I take it personally. When I hear a lot of hate spewed about Latinos, and I see the big, dark, empty void where awareness and empathy should reside in people's minds, it scares the shit out of me. Sometimes people say stuff around me because I'm light-skinned and have no accent, and then they get embarrassed because, surprise, I'm still a Latina, and then I hear the even more offensive, "Oh, not you" shit. When I hear all the immigrant bashing, I feel even more like an outsider. Thank god for pools of sanity and tolerance like OS, and folks like you, stellaa.
I think I'm going to throw up.
Stuff like this is so damned upsetting. Haven't these folks learned how to have real fun? Don't they know that it is possible to enjoy yourself without it being at someone else's expense?
Target should be targeted....Adults who purchase such costumes for their children are teaching hatred and encouraging and condoning bigotry at the most basic of all societal levels....And then I get accused of overreacting............
The propaganda that these illegals do jobs that other Americans won't do is only partly true. Illegals permeate the construction industry which forces wages down while doing nothing to reduce the price of product. I've watched my own value on a steady decline for years because of it.The excess money goes right into the pockets of those who do the hiring.This leaves legal Americans out in the cold in many instances, regardless of race.
This is not a racist attitude, but a personal observation from spending forty years in the construction industry. Other industries can speak for themselves.
Let me state that I don't blame illegals for coming here. I would likely do the same if I were in their positions, but they should also carry some responsibility for creating at least some percentage for the problems against legal immigrants or citizens of their race. To think illegals that commit crimes here aren't a part of that problem would be to ignore at least a part of the reality of the situation. After all, for most of us, perception is reality, so many see the crime and relate it to Hispanics, without ever thinking any further than that. Yes, that is wrong, but we are talking of perception, not reality.
Immigration reform is and always will be a political albatross. I will admit that you are far wiser than I am about this issue Stellaa, so feel free to correct me, but here are some things I'd like to see done about the "illegal" immigration problem.
First, there should be some kind of policy in place for amnesty for long time illegals that are here. Maybe those that have been here five years or longer. Not everyone deserves to stay just because they have crossed a boarder. They are still entering our country illegally. There is just no denying that fact.
Second, I would REALLY like to see those who hire illegals get prosecuted. We don't need any new laws in this area, just enforce the laws that are already on the books. I feel that those who hire these people and exploit them for personal gain are the biggest part of the problem. If they weren't so eager to hire illegals a large part of the problem would cure itself.
And third, and maybe most importantly, I would like to see the U.S. find a way to pressure these other countries to become productive so that these illegals would have more incentive to stay in their own country. They are proud people. Give them something to be proud of.
It seems to me that most of these Central American countries have many natural resources that generate plenty of wealth. The problem is that most of that money goes straight to the top leaving nothing for those who actually do the work. It's exactly what is happening to America. The systematic elimination of the middle class is a very real problem. Those in power have to care enough about the people to share the wealth. That includes here and abroad. Creating a middle class in these other countries (and saving our own) would be a worthy goal for the entire hemisphere.
How you change that, I have no idea, but I know that happy people that have enough to eat won't be so hungry to enter other countries illegally.
The costume is unacceptable because of its association with Halloween, a holiday for children. The costume, which carries an unmistakable political message, should not be foisted on a wearing child any more than the "um...um...um...Barack Hussein Obama" refrain should have been foisted on children. As the costume will be viewed by innocent children who should not suffer the consequences of their parents' illegal conduct, it is cruel and offensive.
This rare moment of accord between us having passed, I could not disagree with you more on the issue of adult immigration. The United States has every right to require those who seek to cross its borders to conform to certain policies and procedures. Man is not endowed by his creator with the inalienable right to live in the United States. Those who transgress those policies and procedures are criminals and should be treated as such. I would make those policies and procedures even more restrictive by requiring would-be entrants to demonstrate good character as well as the capacity to survive and contribute without reliance on public assistance. I was required to do all of the above when migrating to a foreign country and didn't for an instant resent those rational requirements.
The reason the Republicans are freaking out over immigration from the south is that most of the Latinos who come in vote Democratic.
"t is our human nature to want to make a better life for ourselves and our children. "
I think we see too many images of people running across the border, climbing walls or being arrested. we're not seeing enough of where they're running from. we really aren't considering why a human being with a family depending on them would uproot themselves from all that is familiar and loved to come to a country that will exploit and discriminate against them. this is a complex economic problem.
Like I said, I in no way deny that we have immigration laws. At the same time, in the history of humanity borders, passports and immigration are fairly new. Human beings, not just in the Americas, migrate for better conditions and will till the end of time. We take advantage of people in these circumstances all over the world, we then discard them in a whim.
Serenita, I could not agree more, the breaking of the law is a higher virtue to some than compassion for human beings.
Mark, at first I did not think much about the costume, but when I saw so many "liberals" missing the point and trivializing the offense that the latino community took I kept getting angrier and angrier. Then there is the facile dismissal that it's just the PC police, well obviously this society still needs to be reminded what behavior and thoughts should not be mainstream. Racism is not reduced to using and not using the "N" word. It has many layers, many manifestations. Todays liberal is proud to have shed the obvious, but misses so much.
Get the damn thing off the shelves!
If you find the costume offensive, don't buy it. It falls clearly under the same category as a copy of Hustler. If it offends you, you don't have to buy it. To say a piece of tasteless satire is so objectionable that it should be censored is wrong. The first amendment must protect speech that others find offensive. If you want to protest Target and other stores for selling it you should, and with any luck they'll stop selling such things of their own right (which was what happened here). But such tasteless things have always existed (ask any Wiccan). Maybe this one hits a little closer to home and that's why we (yes, WE) find it so offensive.
This statement was the one that raised major red flags in my head: "Such sentiments must be marginalized and not sanctioned by mainline institutions." That statement struck me as highly reactionary and marginally fascist. I don't think that was your intent, but the when I read it, I got chills down my spine. Please allow the rest of us to make our own decisions. Don't censor it just because you don't agree.
Many of these people have come here at great personal cost and danger. When they get here they often end up being exploited by employers and labor contractors. Many of them do backbreaking work that makes a person old at age 40. They live stacked up in apartments in order to save money to send back home to their own families.
Whatever one thinks about immigration issues, there's no reason not to feel compassion for these people, and were we in their shoes, we would do the same thing. To the extent that people reflect on the people in these illegal alien suits, I suspect the suits will not be as funny as they might have hoped.
How many other laws should we allow people to break based on "compassion" and "human kindness?
Give me a break. They are here ILLEGALLY. For those of us who believe in the rule of law that means they should be sent home until they can abide by our laws. Not a difficult concept.
This is the fine line of democratic societies and societies that respect the human rights of others and hold to freedom of speech and choice.
Is it fascistic to say that hatred and bigotry should be marginalized? Do I want people to feel shame and to feel scorn if they express racist and hateful feelings: You bet I do.
Fascism is complex and an over simplification of my position.
Aric, another thought, at some point our society decided that "black face" and the "Shilock" type character are not acceptable. Making fun of people with disabilities is not acceptable, is that fascistic?
I decide what I should be exposed to. You decide what you should be exposed to. It's as simple as that, and that's the entire idea behind the expression "freedom of speech".
Maybe we need to invent a ratings system on haloween costumes. There'll be an entire adult section at the costume store, where you'll find this costume and the masks with axes planted in their skulls and eyeballs hanging out (which I find far more offensive and innapropriate for children).
Again, just because 99% of the human race finds it offensive doesn't mean it should be censored.
Controlled, as is the case with Hustler? Maybe. But removed from the market? Fascist.
I think you're giving them a little too much credit. The thought of acceptable/not acceptable wouldn't even enter their tiny little brain.
Julie I am not, Fox news legitimizes, Lou Dobbs by having a voice legitimizes and major retail chains legitimize. Why is this still ok and other symbols of hatred have been marginalized?
Actually, CHIRLA lobbied the subjective morality of a "non-human voting entity" the all-mighty "corporation" (i.e. Target, WalMart), using free speech, which could negatively impact the all-mighty dollar, in which it is legally obligated to protect (shareholders), and won.
This is where the "real" conversation happened - Wall Street - This is where America balances its morals, occasionally. We're just discussing the merits of it.
The topic of your post has to do with illegal aliens. I was addressing that specific point.
R
Is there anything more satisfying than seeing professed "liberals" called on their own hypocrisy? "I have here in my hand the names of ten retail outlets that are selling the Illegal Alien costume."
Don't waste your time. No sense preaching to this deaf choir.
Can anyone translate this into English, our language of choice hereabouts?
Free speech is about discussing it. And certainly you can create your own costume like it. That's free speech. A fascist nation would never allow production of the costume in the first place or you know, jail you for wearing it. Let's not throw those terms around wildly or they'll lose their power when they're really needed.
I think both Jodi's post and this one both make good points. I did dress like a homeless person as a child. No one said a word. I did wear a costume to look like a gypsy. No one said a word. Yet, these outfits must have been offensive to those they 'represented.' If we're going to discuss this costume, we need to be open to discussing the others. (And don't even get me started about the five year old prostitute-like outfits that I saw in the store ...)
Of course, in the end, it's all about judgment and values. What do we want to teach our children about respect for others really? That's the key.
My father was complaining about political correctness, and I agree that it can go overboard. It really can, but what's it about really? It's about being kind and respecting each other. That's not a bad thing.
Saying that because Target sold it (past tense) they were legitimizing it is kind of like saying they're approving us burning witches at the stake because they sell pointy hats. I can see why you think that, but I disagree.
On hypocrisy, lets not go there Gordon cause your basket is full. I admit the conflicts in democratic societies between issues, do you?
Furthermore, I have spent the last couple of months focusing on the healthcare issue, but when I see people bantering around this issue and trivializing the feelings of the Latino community. Further the continual bashing of PC notions is an oversimplification and buying into right wing reactionary values and notions.
If it never existed, which I think you'd prefer, we'd never be exposing these issues and raising awareness.
:-P
I agree with Stella… she is making an argument about the nature of the costume… why it is offensive and the dangers of legitimizing bigotry (through major corporations no less). It isn’t about Hustler magazine. It has its own context. I believe it’s wrong to think one’s argument is bad just because it doesn’t fit into another faulty, comparison/analogy formula.
Aric, I am not saying that selling it at Target legitimizes it, I know it does.
What about witches? I mean, they were rounded up and burned at the stake. Recently in Africa ( I think) a father burned his own child with acid because he thought he was a witch. I find that horrific.
Do you see what I'm trying to say here? Yes, it's offensive to anyone with any sense, but there are a lot of offensive things out there and censoring isn't the answer. I think it cheapens the legitimate immigration disaster by tacking issues with it onto a Halloween costume.
Julie, the topic at hand is this costume. This costume that Latino groups spoke up against. If other groups speak up about other costumes, all power to them and they should make their points. Why is a Sambo costume not acceptable anymore? Because people spoke up against it and we as a society accepted the distaste of the Sambo character as a depiction of African Americans.
Dehumanizing others is not trivial.
As for the stats, I'm well aware of them. I've dealt with hate and racisim and all it's ugly manfestations.
It never stopped me from having a sense of humor. Comedy needs no boundries. If we can't loosen up about things like this, we're doomed to a grey-faced serious world where more and more terrible things will happen.
That's just my two cents.
Stellaa: I hope you're not saying that a costume is acceptable until it's not, because that's kind of what you just said. The reason why Sambo costumes aren't allowed anymore is because a bunch of people [legitimately] raised a stink. You are currently raising a stink about this costume in the hopes of making it not acceptable. The witches, rednecks and nerds? They can all go fuck themselves. Those costumes are their problem. (That's kind of what it sounds like you're saying).
@ Julie: Thank you for your contributions.
Excellent job, Stella.
This conversation was not brought by the costume. The conversation was brought by someone who pointed out the costume as anti-social. There is a big difference there. That is like saying sanity is brought to you by insanity, and therefore necessary and valid. That would be a nihilistic, deterministic absurdity. The concepts of sanity or social justice have validation over, above, and separate from the privation of same. Aric, surrender all of your wealth so that you might know wealth. The prescription is an absurdity.
Maybe you can answer this. Why is it worse to "be seen as racist" than it is to actually be racist? I have never understood this. To illustrate what I mean, consider the Justice of the Peace in La. who recently said that he was not racist, he just did not want the interracial couple to have children. The concept is a racist notion, but he considers himself to no be racist. The other examples of this are virtually universal. People dont want to be "seen" as racist, but are very willing to be racist.
And as for why being racist is a dangerous thing for a society, consider the early 30's in Germany as just one example. The lives of Jews was made illegal. Practically everything about there lives was incrementally taken away until they were physically removed. This had the political/psychological appeal to the majority as being a panacea for their problems. It was scapegoating. This happens from time to time, and it is not rational. It leads to genocide. Doing it is a bad thing, no matter how you justify it to yourself. And it starts out small, like costumes. I can tell you why doing it is bad. Tell me why you think "being seen" that way is worse?
I was, for a small moment, trying to lighten up the conversation by pointing out ONE positive thing that the costume represents. This conversation, however, seems replete with humorless people. Thanks for the bucket of water over my head.
http://open.salon.com/blog/julie_tarp/2009/01/19/every_forty_yearsrepost_for_mlk
It matters to me because I'm not a racist. If you're stating that someone who doesn't agree with the HALLOWEEN COSTUME, but thinks there are bigger atrocities in the world is a racist, I think that's completely ridiculous. Are rednecks okay to make fun of (key words being made fun of) because they're idiots?
Is someone now making the lives of immigrants, in this case Mexicans, illegal? Costumes = genocide? Wow.
I don't think the immigration issue is funny, but I do think that the obsession with illegal immigration is funny. Not "funny ha-ha" so much, more like "smells funny".
Let's see. I have a George Bush with Hitler mustache mask and a George Bush as a chimpanzee mask. Or how about a cop uniform with a pig's mask. Or a dumb blonde. Or a blind person. A Chinaman. A Frenchman. An Arab. If I dress up as a parrot with a Condi Rice face, am I debasing women in general, black women in particular, blacks overall, or parrots? Which one crosses the line? What line? Really, who gives a shit.
Someone makes an orange jumpsuit so the morons out there can dress up one night as an illegal alien. Yawn and a great big boo-hoo. This is America, Welcome to the the Big-Top. Put your George Bush mask and party on, Jose. Just wait'll you get a load of Valentines Day.
Just as an aside Chinaman went out some time in the 70's, only those who insist to piss off Asian Americans and particularly the Chinese, use that term. Of course I am being PC again, but just pointing out the purposeful placement of that word. Yes, yes, I know about the Frenchman cover and I know that it's that gorgeous English language that I am insulting. And you know that you specifically used that word to serve your purpose.
"innocent until proven guilty" is a matter for the courts.
I believe that as soon as someone crosses our border illegally they have committed a crime. The courts will decide innocent or guilt.
You are absolutely right, it is a matter for the courts. "Illegal alien" has the word "illegal" in it, see? "Legality" is a latter for the courts. Bingo. Pass go and collect $200.00.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57136902@N00/310314627/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/poco-cocoa/285834316/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/libbyiscool/1791042224/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blogmasterg/285133540/
why are we freaking out over them? there are some far more offensive homemade ones and the one target is carrying doesn't actually imply anything about race.
and i say this as a person who does believe the borders should be open. we've massively fucked up our relationship with mexico and that is incredibly sad. but i have a hard time rallying my anger for this silly costume that has wisely eschewed any of the racial overtones i see in homemade ones.
Here is another way to look at it. Small things build to larger things. There is a socialization process. The reason for mentioning the early 30's in Germany is that it started with small things. Civilization and justice start with small things. Stella is absolutely right. If you dont take care of the small things, they become bigger things. This particular event is now a rather large thing. The statistics that Stella cited indicate that hate crimes are no small thing. A cavalier attitude about picking on whomever, frequently leads to larger oppression when the population is placed under stress. And as for "rednecks" being "picked on", it is never a good thing. But deserving or not, ethnic white, Celtic, Northern European, plain ol' white people are not being oppressed in the Northern Hemisphere by virtue of their whiteness. To compare that to Latinos from Central and South America here is the United States is not an apples to apples comparison with regard to oppressive policies. Immigration policy in the Unites States is racist in favor of white people from places that are predominantly white. That is a matter of fact. There is no scrutiny on the Canadian border like there is on the Mexican border. We dont scrutinize nannies from Norway the way we do gardeners from El Salvador. Immigration polices are necessary, but the U.S.'s policy has always been racist. This mask thing is just the child of that racist policy.
1. It became a national issue when the Farmworkers and some other groups made it an issue.
2. I noticed that people did not see a problem with the costume and I looked into it and found out why it is a problem, why it is hateful.
You've certainly painted a vivid picture of my life. Unfortunately, it is completely unfactual, but that's never stopped you and your ikky ilk before.
So while y'awl are fretting about holiday wardrobe, your illustrious leader will continue making his bumbling mistakes, domestic and foreign.
My vote for the funniest Halloween costume would be Obama in a Thomas Jefferson get up, going to D.C. with hand outstretched begging alms from business leaders he sought to destroy. That's really rich.
Censoring a haloween costume will eventually lead to... who knows, but I'm guessing it's probably more censorship. Certainly it's not going to make racial attitudes go away. Certainly it won't make those racial attitudes NOT turn into genocide if that's where it's gonna go. If anything, censoring this costume is likely to piss off the bigots and racists in the world and make them feel even more picked on. Maybe wearing a fucked-up costume like this one will keep one redneck from beating up an immigrant on haloween night because he already got it out of his system.
In any case, it seems clear that my opinions and thoughts "must be marginalized and not sanctioned by mainline institutions" in order for others to view me as decent human being. Let's start with how I feel about a haloween costume, shall we?
That is a red herring. No one said to "censor" it. It is not a censorship issue. You are using a false defense of a racist practice. It has nothing to do with censorship. Saying that racism is wrong is not censorship. Cut the crap.
i do think it is a more specific comment to add a sombrero or a giant mustache or poncho like some of the people in the pics i shared did. that crosses a line. i see a clear difference between that and what target did.
Bummer racist right.
You said it right the first time. It is a matter for the courts. Second, they dont have to protest their innocence. They are innocent by law. They must be convicted to be "guilty". That is the "rule of law" that you referred to, Blackflon. That is how it works.
Your view of inherent guilt is something other than "rule of law". I think I know what it is, but I wont accuse it. What it is NOT is "rule of law." The law states something very specific. Guilt requires due process. Innocence attaches as a base. It does not only apply in murder or robbery, or assault. It attaches in boarder jumping and every other matter before the justice system. Due process is the American way, Blackflon. That is the "rule of law" that you mentioned, and would now seek to deny.
I remember when I used to see those shirts that asked Hilary Clinton to "Get Back in the Kitchen, Bitch" or those other shirts that said "It's called The White House." Those were offensive. Both were hurtful, though surely some ass wipe found them funny.
So, you see, the allusion to immigrants here is strong enough that it's offensive. It's one thing to poke gentle fun. It's another thing to reinforce a stereotype in a way that is hurtful. I think we are all adults and can tell the difference. We might even chuckle for a second. "Illegal Alien! ha ha." But yeah, in the end, it's a bit too tasteless to be okay.
What I'm seeing is a lot of defensiveness. No one wants to be called a racist, sure. But in order to have a discussion about racism, it might be a good idea to remember that it can be our insensitivity to a situation can reveal deeper, hidden things about ourselves. The "caucasian-centric" point of view isn't the only one, is it? But because it is so well represented in our country, we can forget that there are other viewpoints equally important.
At least, we should have the ability to admit, "Oops. You might have a point. I guess I could see how a child with immigrant parents might see that costume and feel like less than. I don't want that."
Cluelessness is only a defense for about a minute, people. I remember I had a student once who thought it would be very, very funny to dress as a gardner and call himself "A Mexican" for Halloween. ha ha. Interestingly, the kids in the class who had family from Mexico were less than amused.
Maybe it's just a call to remember that no one is alone out here on the playground, kiddies. Time to see another point of view besides the most culturally represented in our country.
I'm white. I'M WHITE, and even though I had a great, great, great grandmother from the Trail of Tears and we've got people who passed in my family because they were the children of slaves and of a white owner (god. so depressing), when you see me, I'm white. I'm Candidate Skin Cancer #1. And I'm just gonna say it ... it's really easy for me to accept the normative culture as the "right" one, as the dominant one. But that is wrong. And there shouldn't be a normative culture. That is, everything is measured against Caucasian/Not caucasian in our culture and usually Caucasian Male. It's easy to fall into a rut, that's all. So, we should be mindful. That's all I'm saying.
I'm not calling anyone a racist. I have no idea if anyone here is. How can I? I'm simply saying it's good for us to rethink our assumptions on these issues as often as possible.
The overall theme about a costume of this nature (I consider racist, not funny) being pulled from mainstream America's stores shelves is a win, albeit a late one, for the Latino community. I think that is worth celebrating. Trick -or- Treat!
The Latino community cares.
I'm going to hope this was an attempt at humor I don't get...
1. First, I'm not understanding why Aric and others see this as "censorship." I didn't see Stellaa call for legislation against such costumes. Isn't what she doing here exactly what civil libertarians would endorse? A grassroots effort to raise awareness against a product and produce enough pressure to influence the market? I say this even as I agree with Aric (and others) that Hustler magazine and other costumes that promote stereotypes are in fact excellent analogies to consider. I think it's precisely true that they all require a personal moral decision rather than a legislative one, and I also think it's true that many of them fly under the radar simply because they aren't the issue of the day. That some of us dressed vaguely as homeless people as children is relevant but only to the extent that we were apprised of the condition of homelessness, understood that a group of unfortunate people were offended by the costume, and chose to wear it anyway. That's the whole point of consciousness raising, which is how I see Stellaa's post.
2. And yet, I must admit that my first reaction--expressed in my first comment--came before I knew what the costume looked like. What an interesting foray into the mind! How many of us pictured some old Mexican dude looking careworn, maybe with some veggies flowing from his pocket? Jesus. What does that say about us? I don't know. I also know that an actual space alien changed something for me, made it less offensive. Can't easily explain why, just being honest.
3. As usual, I love what Odette says, and I think the heart of the matter is the morality of the thing. I think all the other offensive costumes listed--cop pigs, Hitler Bushes, dumb blondes--make me uncomfortable too. The truth is, I always found Halloween problematic for just that reason. I hated the gore for my kids when they were small, and they're almost all out of the Halloween thing anyway, but at the end of the day, the farther into fantasyland the better, I guess. Or the tamer. Mostly they just wanted the fricking candy, so they threw something together last minute, like a baseball player or "business man" or something really lame.
4. I see Gordon's point about making kids the messengers of adult political rage. I mean, what the hell do 10-year-olds know about the whole issue? Why would they want to be an illegal alien? Truthfully, if one of my boys picked out the costume when he was small, it would simply have been because of the alien, not anything to do with green card or the orange jumpsuit. They wouldn't have gotten it. I feel the same way about young kids going around as Obama or Bush--and I mean negative costumes about them--I mean, are these really examples of parents living vicariously through their kids?
Anyway, I found this a really interesting discussion and have become muddied in my thinking after reading many of the comments. Which is as it should be, I think, when one engages with lots of smart people.
George Carlin
Lisa Lampinelli
Richard Pryor
Bill Hicks
Shakespeare
I imagine you probably wouldn't care too much for their answer though because all of them pushed and blurred the lines to the greatest possible extent. Plus you can't because most of them are, unfortunately, dead. Laughter kills hate, as long as we all understand that humanity is the punchline of it's own eternally pervasive joke.
And you're projecting. I know I don't feel morally superior because I'm "thoughtful" of others. I'm pretty sure no one else feels that way either. Perhaps that's you, feeling morally superior because you "get" the joke. Yes. ha. ha. It's so funny. Yes.
All I'm saying is let's talk about it and think about other peoples' feelings occasionally. I'm pretty sure that's the crux of Stellaa's post, that what we might perceive as a joke, is quite possibly offensive and might actually encourage racist behaviors down the line. What's wrong with that stance? I'm really curious about why you and others appear so angry and touchy about that viewpoint. For pete's sake, as has been stated by those who disagree, it is just a costume, right? And that you perceive that concern about treating others the best we can as a problem is, I admit, interesting.
I'm sorry but I don't get your over the top hostility.
You were right to point out the ugliness of this all. I'm surprised at the reactions of some. Brava.
I'm not angry, just sandpapery, if I rubbed you the wrong way, or the right way, I'm sorry for leaving you with the feeling that you need to moisturize in either case.
What I mean is, if we take ourselves and things like this alien costume too seriously, the world begins to suck at an ever increasing rate.
Consideration of others feelings is important to an extent. Take it too far, like anything else, and it becomes madness. Where are we going to be in 100 years if ths trend continues? Carlos Mencia would be swinging from a tree for his commentary in that world!
Oh, and I don't hate anyone, especially you three! Even if you disagree with my particular brand of insanity, I don't hold it against you and I certainly won't print off "dart posters" of anyone's avatar. Healthy disagreement keeps us all human.
The things we do when we don't know better.
And, a little sandpaper never hurts anyone, that's how many of these discussions get off the ground.
Just as wearing this costume is raciscm in disguise, pulling this costume from the shelves because some people are offended is censorship in disguise. Wearing this costume is a slippery slope to racism, and pulling it from the shelves is a slippery slope to censorship.
Or, put another way: Just like "I dislike illegal immigrants" can lead to "I want to insult illegal immigrants by wearing an offensive costume" which in turn can lead to "I'd like to eradicate all illegal immigrants", "I dislike this costume" can lead to "I'm removing this costume from our shelves and will encourage everyone else to do the same", which in turn can lead to "If I had my way, these costumes would never exist." Which is censorship. Kind of like "I dislike this book" can lead to "I discourage anyone from reading this book" which in turn can lead to "Let's all burn this book".
I hope that makes it clearer.
That is not censorship.
"would it be as funny if the mask was of a black man, but we kept the orange jumpsuit?"
and this mask isn't a hispanic man mask. it's literally an alien. all the racism is coming from connotations of the phrase "illegal alien", but i still don't see how the costume itself is racist. it's really sort of sad that a space alien mask is now all you need to imply, "latino".
how about this, would it be as funny if you stenciled a maple leaf on the forehead? funnier? more offensive?
"Clearly, it's more than a costume or we wouldn't all be getting so mad, right?"
what if i said, "clearly homosexuality is more than a lifestyle, or we wouldn't all be getting so mad, right?"
i think it is a mistake to defer to our instincts on issues like this. i honestly don't know why this costume is deemed racist when it doesn't actually comment on anyone's race. we should think hard about whether or not it does cross any lines and why that's important, instead of just assuming our anger must be justified because it's so fiery.
i am really curious about why this costume is such a big deal when i have personally seen variants of it for years. the one target had for sale was much more tasteful than some of the homemade ones. why isn't that acceptable?
and i dressed as sarah palin last year. as a woman, i didn't mind seeing her burnt in effigy or hanging from a tree. i didn't get shivers thinking anyone might really do that to her. i do think it was still different for people to hang effigies of obama, but both sides got angry about those stories. both sides claimed the violence was ramping up.
are their feelings justified just because they have them? i don't see how we can be a tolerant nation if we are so willing to be swept up into angry mobs.
and thanks for an interesting chat on this subject. it was refreshing to see so many people commenting here and on jodi's post.
How is it not censorship? How would you define censorship? How would you define this, then, since it's not censorship?
This is not a Freedom of Speech issue. This is about corporate-sponsored racism and the violence to which it often leads. For Christ's sake, public censorship of bigotry did not lead to genocide in Germany. Tolerant and enthusiastic attitdues toward bigotry and scapegoating did. If a major corporation decides it makes financial sense to endorse these sterotypes, I do not have to accept it and spend my money there. I also have the right to try and shame them into not being bigots.
Next people here on OS will be saying that civil rights legislation is censorship because if forbids institutionalized racism by those who feel it is their God-given right to be a bigot.
Ouch. Stella, you're such a finepee-pee whacker. Now, I want you to write down all the names of everyone who talks while I am out of the room having my coffee and cigarette.