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Outrage over Halloween costumes

Delphic Oracle

Philosopher
Delphic Oracle
Joined
Sep 17, 2016
Messages
6,416
It started with a post about how "cis men" should not dress in "drag" for Halloween because it is apparently offensive to the trans community and is an insult to femininity. Nevermind that drag, trans, and femininity are all totally different things!

Now I'm seeing dozens of examples of the same thinking applied to every possible ethnic/cultural/identity label imaginable.

All the while, nobody seems even remotely aware of the Celtic/Gaelic festival of Samhain ("Summer's End") or its equivalents. So here we are, complaining about the erasure of cultural identities and disrespect for sacred traditions...while totally disregarding the day's origins as being centered around ancestral worship and offerings of a portion of the bounty of your harvest to secure good fortune through the dark months of winter.

Apparently it is ok to turn reverence for the dead into a giant peackock semi-anonymous hook-up mating ritual, but wearing a sombrero or dressing up as a geisha is off-limits.

DISLCAIMER: There is such a thing as "too far" such as Arabic suicide bomber costumes or black face. Also, while I do have Irish ancestry (and seem to have inherited almost all of the superficial traits of such), I'm not actually upset about Halloween. I just despise selective outrage and tribalistic declarations of one's own identity as sacrosanct while totally silent about the same offenses against others.
 
Delphic Oracle said:
It started with a post about how "cis men" should not dress in "drag" for Halloween because it is apparently offensive to the trans community and is an insult to femininity. Nevermind that drag, trans, and femininity are all totally different things!

Now I'm seeing dozens of examples of the same thinking applied to every possible ethnic/cultural/identity label imaginable.

All the while, nobody seems even remotely aware of the Celtic/Gaelic festival of Samhain ("Summer's End") or its equivalents. So here we are, complaining about the erasure of cultural identities and disrespect for sacred traditions...while totally disregarding the day's origins as being centered around ancestral worship and offerings of a portion of the bounty of your harvest to secure good fortune through the dark months of winter.

Apparently it is ok to turn reverence for the dead into a giant peackock semi-anonymous hook-up mating ritual, but wearing a sombrero or dressing up as a geisha is off-limits.

DISLCAIMER: There is such a thing as "too far" such as Arabic suicide bomber costumes or black face. Also, while I do have Irish ancestry (and seem to have inherited almost all of the superficial traits of such), I'm not actually upset about Halloween. I just despise selective outrage and tribalistic declarations of one's own identity as sacrosanct while totally silent about the same offenses against others.
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For the most part, being offended is on the part of the offended person. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion, even an ******* one. Personally, I think the black face thing is funny when done right, just like its funny to see robin williams do mrs doubtfire. Its about tact, and taste -- not the action itself.
 
I thought about dressing as Bill Cosby this year. And yes, I am white. But I think the whole "Bill Cosplay" jokes are offensively old.
 
Cis men who dress as woman are guilty of cultural appropriation.
 
Damn...I thought I made a pretty cute French Maid a few years back...

I hope no actual Frenchwomen were offended.
 
Bear in mind these are often the same people who screech that white people have no culture, all while eating gluten-free pizza and drinking Coke. Offensive is taken, not given.
 
Gee. And I was planning as going as a fag.

Just couldn't decide whether it should be menthol or regular.

Beanbag
 
It's OK for people to be offended by this. It's OK for people to be offended by whatever they like - it's a right we all have.

What we don't have is any right to not be offended.
 
I can't but help recall this now (in)famous little speech tirade:

"It is not about creating an intellectual space! It is not! Do you understand that? It's about creating a home here!"
 
Corsair 115 said:
I can't but help recall this now (in)famous little speech tirade:

"It is not about creating an intellectual space! It is not! Do you understand that? It's about creating a home here!"
Click to expand...

The finger-snapping immediately afterward sent chills down my spine. It felt like a cult gathering, confronting "THE OTHER". Absolute insanity.
 
So who's winning? Thus far, but it's early yet, we seem to have nothing but votes from the "I'll Be Outraged by Your Outrage All the While Complaining About People Who are Easily Outraged" team.

Me, I'm thinking about going as a Dead Gay Person From the Orlando Shootings.

What? Too soon? Too specific? Well, I've always got my fallback choice, of Random Lynched Black Person Hanging From a Poplar Tree.
 
Bikewer said:
Damn...I thought I made a pretty cute French Maid a few years back...

I hope no actual Frenchwomen were offended.
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Probably the only the French men who thought you were a pretty cute French maid were offended.................
 
fuelair said:
Probably the only the French men who thought you were a pretty cute French maid were offended.................
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"Zee legs, zey are so much less 'airy zan zose of zee women back 'ome... ooh la la"
There, now I've offended the French, women who don't shave, and God knows who else.
I'm trying to compensate for not celebrating Halloween.
 
I suggest outrage should be taxed.
Either people would be less outraged, or we would get a lot of money in.

Hans
 
Foolmewunz said:
What? Too soon? Too specific? Well, I've always got my fallback choice, of Random Lynched Black Person Hanging From a Poplar Tree.
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You could come and swing from my gibbet, which is prominently displayed in the front yard on 31st October.
 
I remember once, as a child, being somewhere and a fancy dress event caught me unprepared so I put on my kilt (which I had with me) and dressed it up with as many ethnic Scottish accessories as I could scrape together.

All the while feeling like a bit of a fraud because this wasn't "fancy dress" for me. It was my clothes. (OK, arguably I was in drag as a kilt is male apparel but it's pretty common for females to wear them too.)

They're kind of missing the point. Dressing up by definition is about dressing as someone you are not. If we can only dress as who we are, it's not going to be a lot of fun.
 
Usually when people get offended at something I do, then I ignore them, and leave them at their infuriated ranting. Maybe this year i will go out as a blackface drag queen just for kickers.
 
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