YELLOW FEVER -- GOING FULL GEISHA

Most of the time I kind of ignore Angry Asian Man, because while the passion he puts into his blog is truly commendable, he's just too negative about all the cute things we Caucasians do. People don't read blogs to be depressed and sad. Or even righteously angry. For instance, my readers come here for the happy and the joy. And the kitten pictures.
Everybody loves the happy, the joy, the kitten.
I run a nice tinkly upbeat blog.
Butterflies!


OH POO!

Yesterday, Angry Asian Man called out Vogue. Which is a magazine that the normal person does not read, and should not read.

There's a photo-spread of a white supermodel doing Japanesey stuff in the March issue.

Including being all zen-type goo and artistic.

Japanesey-poo.


"The spread, photographed in Japan by Mikael Jansson and styled by Phyllis Posnick, features Kloss in what is pretty much yellowface, going full geisha in various photos shot around Japan's Ise-Shima National Park. They've got Kloss in thick black hair, pale skin and kimono-like attire, posed in various Japanese-y backgrounds. There's even a friggin' sumo wrestler for bonus stereotypical Japanese-ness."

[SOURCE: YELLOWFACE IS A REALLY AWFUL WAY TO CELEBRATE "DIVERSITY.".]

Really.


Years ago my apartment mate, who has a yellow face that she came by naturally, what with being of Asian ancestry and all, was steamed at fellow students of Aikido and Wushu because they ponced around in their neat-o uniforms acting all Asian and shit. Including being artistic, spiritual, chopstickey-poo, and accented.

I cringe on behalf of my fellow Wasps when we pull that kind of crap.

But it's by no means a sense of personal embarrassment.

See, I am a "Brabantine American".

We're better.



MUSINGS, ALL DEEP AND MEANINGFUL

Maybe the photo shoot with Karlie Kloss was meant ironically? Perhaps she and photographer Mikael Jansson really intended it as a cutesy-poo artisticky-poo tribute to woodblock prints and Manga, rather than the occupation forces in post-war Asia? If so, they got it all wrong.
Karlie Kloss is no Ranma½. Or even Akane Tendo.

This is Akane Tendo:

["Cheesu cake"]

Akane is probably the most admirable woman in the tale. A very sweet girl, really. Very ... "feminine". Yeah. Totally Japany-poo.

This is Akane expressing herself:

["Cha no poo fu"]

I cannot see Karlie Kloss doing that. But she should. To her agent, to the photographer, the stylist (Phyllis Posnick), and the dumb-ass editors of Vogue magazine.

The scene with the kick shown above is significant, because that is a tea ceremony in progress, and the exploitative sexist dingo has been politely removed, so that the others can continue with the ritual in a calm and civilised manner. Which is very Asian. Oh my yes.


Please notice the two individuals in the picture wearing kimonos.

Do either of them look like Karlie Kloss?

I don't think so.




==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================