Pottery Barn Apologizes For Asian Halloween Costumes

[Bocefish]

WTF!? :snooty:

http://mynorthwest.com/76/2383040/Civil ... n-costumes

Pottery Barn has reportedly now issued an apology for a couple Halloween costumes it was selling after an Asian civil rights activist group spoke out.

The disputed costumes are a sushi chef, featuring a Japanese flag headband, and a kimono outfit.

A representative for Asian Americans Advancing Justice tells KIRO Radio's Dori Monson the issue is not specifically with the costume designs, but with the fact that they are being sold as costumes.

"The reason why we found Pottery Barn's costumes problematic is not with the attire themselves, these outfits are just traditional Japanese outfits. The problem that we found was that they were being packaged as costumes, as Halloween costumes, and that a national retailer was profiting from them," says Ling Woo Liu, with Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

But Dori says he's seen a lot of Halloween costumes that are based on different cultures and ethnicities.

"I have seen a Swiss Miss at a Halloween party. When I was back in college, Crocodile Dundee was big and I saw people wearing what was perceived to be Australian garb. I've seen people wearing Mexican clothing with the sombrero and all that," says Dori. "I guess I get what you're saying, but it sure seems like manufactured outrage to me when it happens to a lot of other cultures come Halloween time."

Liu says she's sure she could find some Swiss Americans who wouldn't be thrilled about a Swiss Miss costume. But the main issue she says, is the negative impact a costume could have.

"For instance, there's a popular Osama bin Laden costume that's being sold out there. That is controversial at this point because we still have a frequent amount of hate crimes against Sikh Americans, other Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim Americans because of a certain look ... But if someone is going to go out dressed like a Swiss Miss, is she or he going to incur comments, hate remarks, or violence?"

Is it likely that a sushi or kimono costume will increase violence against Asian Americans, Dori asks Liu.

"I can't say," says Liu. "But I would say continuing to strengthen certain stereotypes of minority communities as perpetual foreigners who don't belong - it certainly has an impact on Asian American communities."

Dori says he thinks the stereotypes of Asian Americans are pretty positive.

"There is no other group that I hail as much for its commitment to family, to education. Asian Americans do better than any other ethnic group that comes to America and I think that is a tribute to Asians and Asian Americans," says Dori.

While many Asian Americans are thriving, Liu says it's important to remember those who are struggling with low income, language barriers, and the like. She also cites a few instances involving hate crimes against Asian Americans, one as recently as 2012. Liu says an American service member, Danny Chen, committed suicide after enduring racial taunting and slurs from fellow service members.

But Dori says every race, Caucasians, blacks, Mexicans, and Asians, have all had hate crimes perpetrated against them.

"I guess I'm just saying to talk about a Halloween costume in context with any of that stuff [hate crimes], I think it diminishes any legitimate incidents that you may bring to light when we talk about something like a Pottery Barn Halloween costume," says Dori.

"I certainly didn't say that a Halloween costume is going to cause a hate crime," says Liu. "But when you put out the image of Asian Americans all doing well, and there aren't really any civil rights issues we face, I needed to (correct you.)"

 

[SexySteph]

It's called cultural appropriation. Dressing as a specific character ("I'm Crocodile Dundee/Swiss Miss/Madame Butterfly/Bob Marley/Cheech Marin/George Washington") is different than dressing as an Asian/African/Mexican/Middle Eastern/Native American/Indian/White person. Another persons culture is not a costume, a specific character can be, but their culture is NOT.

 

[Bocefish]

I totally get that just dressing as Asian could be offensive, but who buys a kimono without adding make-up or a wig to be something like a Kabuki performer. The only thing I see wrong with the sushi chef costume is the Japanese flag headband. I could see them pulling that costume or just blacking out the red dot.

Would dressing up as a Ninja, Shaolin monk, or a Samurai also be a no-no? It's Halloween FFS!

I see cam girls dressing up like a native American Indian squaw all the time. Is that wrong too? Wearing a headband with a feather does not constitute a Pocahontas costume.

 

[RoseCavilla]

I honestly don't see how this is offensive. If a white boy dresses up as a cowboy is he being offensive to himself? People overreact to everything these days.

To me, "offensive" means to upset someone. If you're upset by a costume that could very well be honoring your culture you need to reevaluate your life. These costumes are not painting Asian culture in a negative light so what is the issue?

If the issue is that Pottery Barn is profiting off these costumes, then all I have to say is: :lol: . Tobacco companies profit from selling death and feel no shame for it. Why should Pottery Barn when they're not doing anything illegal or dangerous?

On Family Guy Peter smashes a disco ball and eats it, cutting his mouth and throat. He then says, "Damn Mexicans and your glass candy!" Now THAT could be seen as offensive. But no one raised a big stink about it then. How is this different?

 

[NataliaGrey]

I'm surprised this is an issue. I've seen far, far worse costumes that people don't seem to bat an eye at. I'm guessing Pottery Barn has an older, more liberal crowd than, say, Leg Avenue or other popular costume designers. I'm sure those brands get just as many complaints, if not more, but since their demographic (generally young adults) is less likely to care, they don't care.

I see cam girls dressing up like a native American Indian squaw all the time. Is that wrong too? Wearing a headband with a feather does not constitute a Pocahontas costume.

Um, yes? Camgirls can be racist too. It is very likely unintentional, but I'd say a white girl dressing up as a Native is possibly one of the more offensive costumes.

On Family Guy Peter smashes a disco ball and eats it, cutting his mouth and throat. He then says, "Damn Mexicans and your glass candy!" Now THAT could be seen as offensive. But no one raised a big stink about it then. How is this different?

That's satire. Peter is SUPPOSED to be an idiot, we're supposed to laugh because only a dumb person or a racist would say that. This is real life.

 

[AmberCutie]

Um, yes? Camgirls can be racist too. It is very likely unintentional, but I'd say a white girl dressing up as a Native is possibly one of the more offensive costumes.

Can a person accidentally be racist? Isn't the racist part of racism the intent to discriminate against someone because of their race?

 

[mynameisbob84]

Um, yes? Camgirls can be racist too. It is very likely unintentional, but I'd say a white girl dressing up as a Native is possibly one of the more offensive costumes.

Can a person accidentally be racist? Isn't the racist part of racism the intent to discriminate against someone because of their race?

It's the intent that separates racism from insensitivity. A white person dressing up as native American in a bid to annoy people of native American heritage is racist. A white person dressing up as a native American not realising that it might offend people of native American heritage is merely insensitive :twocents-02cents:

 

[Bocefish]

This the main problem, from what I understand:

"It's not that ethnic dress is offensive. What we find problematic is packaging this type of dress as a costume," said Ling Woo Liu, director of strategic communications for Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

"Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are real people who cannot and should not be commodified as costumes," Liu said.

Liu described the chef costume as being composed of traditional Japanese attire with a Japanese-flag bandanna. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... z2jL6ASwWw

I understand the problem with the Japanes flag bandana, but the rest of the chef costume should be fine, IMO.

So all the kids that dressed up in traditional American attire as American astronauts, firemen, local police officers... were somehow violating civil rights?

No more convict costumes either, apparently.

I guess French maid and hula dancer costumes are out of line now too?

I call BS.

If anything, it's helping to assimilate other cultures being accepted by imitation, imho anyway. If a cultural costume is somehow portrayed in derogatory manner, that's a different story.

ETA:



:twocents-02cents:

 

[WildFingers]

I believe any costume can be viewed as not politically correct to someone or some group.

There are extremists moderates and CouldGiveAFucks that make up the entire world. In some cases being PC is impossible.

Any group that voices its feeling of being made fun of will be heard loud and clear by any business who wants to keep and grow its consumer base.

Time changes individuals sensitivities. The majorities opinions wont change unless the offended group bring their "hurt/slighted" feelings to the forefront.

Lets all hold hands and sing:

 

[RedHerby]

Um, yes? Camgirls can be racist too. It is very likely unintentional, but I'd say a white girl dressing up as a Native is possibly one of the more offensive costumes.

Can a person accidentally be racist? Isn't the racist part of racism the intent to discriminate against someone because of their race?

I think to that "be racist" is different then doing something stupid that is received as racist by other people.

Next step is that they are offended and getting really angry when pointed out it is a stupid racist thing they are doing.

And this is the essence of the current Blake Pete thing here in the Netherlands. One aspect of a old tradition is in the current time and with the current multicultural society received as something racist. We are really not all racists here ...

I think we should change our tradition and take in account that times are changed, that our society did change to a multicultural society. Hell, being tolerance & consideration for others, those are Dutch traditions to, this is a minority opinion and not shared by most dutch folks currently.

 

[KayleePond]

I'm going to jump in with something of a non sequitur and say that I think that sushi costume is fucking cute as hell.

Sorry. Carry on.

 

[JoleneBrody]

I'm going to jump in with something of a non sequitur and say that I think that sushi costume is fucking cute as hell.

Sorry. Carry on.

Same!

I just have to echo that the costume is being presented and sold very specifically as a character (sushi chef) not (Japanese person)

This is fucking stupid and pisses me off. If a non-Irish person dressed up as a Leprechaun I wouldn't give two flying fucks in any direction... and I don't imagine any Irish-folk would. We deal with St. Patty's day every year and that shit is just ridiculous.

And the Irish suffered incredible amounts of racism when they mass immigrated to the states. You can thank the Irish for most of the railroad.

While St. Patty's day is a little offensive to the Irish culture... it's also a mass acceptance of the Irish culture. I would rather have a culture be accepted in a douchey way than segregated. This is all part of the blending of cultures, it will feel silly for a while but any big change will.

Plus you know, "sushi chef" and "leprechaun" are not an actual race of people... well maybe leprechauns. LOL

Like this shit. "suicide bomber" is not a fucking culture! It is a type of person that is often (but not always) found within a certain religion...

By throwing this little hissy fit you are only furthering the stero-type that it IS a culture! We are supposed to be working to change that view by treating suicide bombers and extremists as their own entity and not a representative of the middle eastern culture as a whole... thanks for setting the efforts back with your PC bullshit.

 

[Red7227]

Um, yes? Camgirls can be racist too. It is very likely unintentional, but I'd say a white girl dressing up as a Native is possibly one of the more offensive costumes.

Can a person accidentally be racist? Isn't the racist part of racism the intent to discriminate against someone because of their race?

No, but an idiot can take insensitivity to new levels


their Halloween costumes as "niggas"

Or this, all I saw was the guy on fire and that it looked like that wasn't staged.

 

[Red7227]

By throwing this little hissy fit you are only furthering the stero-type that it IS a culture! We are supposed to be working to change that view by treating suicide bombers and extremists as their own entity and not a representative of the middle eastern culture as a whole... thanks for setting the efforts back with your PC bullshit.

Its also intent and context. There is so much deeply wrong with these outfits but it is still ridiculously cute.

 

[IsabellaSnow]

I can understand why these things can be deemed as annoying.... I mean it's sometimes irritating that in almost every American film English people all seem to be fabulously wealthy and live in a GIANT mansion with loads of grounds... And of course we all play polo and have really stuffy parents who don't like Americans... Or we're football hooligans.... and often English people in America turn out to be the baddy... But... it's not something that bothers me much. There are stereotypes, there always will be. There will also always be people who'll dislike certain people and give them abuse.

I empathise with any form of situation where there is racial abuse... having two half chinese cousins and going to school and uni with a large asian population I have never really thought of anyone as different, occasionally the girls would bitch about people in front of their faces because we couldn't understand them... but it was against the rules to speak in anything other than english in lesson times as the whole point of them being sent so far from home to go to boarding school was to learn english.

Unless the costume has on the label "an asian person", then I really don't see the issue... Wearing a kimono type costume sounds like an amazing outfit to wear, halloween is an excuse to do fancy dress, people tend to wear things they wouldn't usually get away with.

I think that when people over exaggerate and get overly sensitive about things like this is hurts the cause. People don't generally want to upset others, most don't have a reason to, but when it comes to people getting so sensitive about things that really just aren't important, then it derails the whole point, it makes people just go "fuck it, nothing is going to make you happy", which isn't a good attitude for people to have.
It also makes people not take these things seriously, if someone has time to moan about something so mundane that doesn't seem to be causing any real harm, then does that mean that they have no other problems? If that's the case then it'd seem like they don't have any problems, which I'm certain isn't the case.

I just cannot imagine anyone I know from that origin ever getting upset at seeing a kimono/japanese type of outfit worn on a fancy dress night and getting that upset about it... so long as it didn't seem really racist/like they were taking the piss out of those origins I just can't see it... I will have to ask. I think if I went to the states and saw a fancy dress costume saying "stuffy english person", I'd laugh. A fancy dress costume is supposed to be silly and fun.

 

[Anonymous]

So much for my Kill Bill costume. I'm offended. I'm going to sue Asians for being so insensitive to my needs.

 

[Anonymous]

Um, yes? Camgirls can be racist too. It is very likely unintentional, but I'd say a white girl dressing up as a Native is possibly one of the more offensive costumes.

Can a person accidentally be racist? Isn't the racist part of racism the intent to discriminate against someone because of their race?

No, but an idiot can take insensitivity to new levels


their Halloween costumes as "niggas"

Or this, all I saw was the guy on fire and that it looked like that wasn't staged.

Without a subculture referring to their own selves as "niggas" it couldn't have happened. Ignorance breeds ignorance.

 

[Sevrin]

Racism is all about context. If your ethnic group is in some kind of ongoing conflict with members of another, or has a history of being in conflict, then appropriating their cultural symbols is more likely to give offense, especially if your group has traditionally been the aggressor. In North America, the battle lines are pretty clear.

In Germany, however, there is an annual festival, called the Karl-May-Spiele, where (mostly) Germans dress up as Amercian settlers, cowboys and Indians and act out stories in tribute to adventure writer Karl May. I used to watch them on TV. His books are still sort of popular (though less among the young), and, while his works are of his time include a lot of negative and positive stereotypes, on balance, no side comes off looking superior to the other.



That is most definitely racial appropriation, but they don't get a lot of flack over it, because the Germans back home aren't the ones who participated in the conquest of North America. In fact, they are reaching out to North American native groups for material to include in their festival. Some of those groups see interest among foreigners in Native American culture as a potential way to find allies in their fight for cultural survival. War makes strange bedfellows, eh?

Are all appropriations harmful and hurtful? Where do we draw the line between appropriation and appreciation? For example, Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States often involve dressing up and acting out early settler and Aboriginal relationships, and there have been attempts to de-stabilize this narrative as well (Loewen 2007). Germany has also had a “long standing fascination with the American West and Native American culture” (Hesse 1998). The Karl May festival in Germany, for example, is a festival that reenacts an early vision of the North American “West” popularized through Karl May’s adventure novels (Hess 1998). This festival now sees Indigenous engagement through film and performance (see the recent call for submissions).

Source and further reading

That whole thing with the Asian costumes looks like a lot of horseshit, though. Some people will take any opportunity to portray themselves as victims. It's a like cultural version of Munchausen Syndrome.

 

[Red7227]

Without a subculture referring to their own selves as "niggas" it couldn't have happened. Ignorance breeds ignorance.

That's just appropriation, every culture does it. Back about 30 years ago we had the same thing happening with "wogs" Australia has a recent and very large and very recent population of Italian and Greek immigrants from the 1950s. At the time they were call all kinds of things but "wogs" was the most common. By the 1980s it was normal for their kids to call themselves wogs but still an insult for any one else to do it. My housemate at the time was a teacher and was given the epithet of "honorary wog" by her class. She also discovered how prevalent incest was in Italian migrant culture and nearly had a nervous breakdown, but that was a separate thing.

 

[Zoomer]

Holy fucking shit balls. It's a costume - perhaps the fact it's "Halloween" (usually associated with scary costumes?) is what ruffles feathers, but otherwise, eh?!

No, but an idiot can take insensitivity to new levels


their Halloween costumes as "niggas"

Did they really post themselves with that reasoning though? or did someone take someone else's photo, out of context, and insert a malicious context into it, representing it as that when it never was? In other words, is it real?

The only reason I ask is because looking at that photo I wouldn't remotely think it's anything to do with race, and everything to do with taking the piss out of people who go overboard with tanning (or characters from a scary movie?). Perhaps this is due to the lack of black afro hair, bright red lips and every other stereotype that would imply racist overtones (see the "Black Pete" thread )... I just didn't see it and think "Oh, you little racist..."

I see many images (especially on Facebook) which are utterly ridiculously misappropriated to further various anger/hate/intolerance or just plain old mischief.

So did they specifically, themselves, say that - or did someone see the photo, take it, twist it, mis-represent it, spread it - fuel it.

 

[Jillybean]

I think that kimono outfit is really cute.

Don't you guys think those outfits of dutch women meant for men to wear are more offensive than these costumes?

Or these costumes... I find them much more insensitive than the costumes in the article.

http://www.partycity.com/product/adult+pregnant+cheerleader+costume.do?page=2&navSet=110767 Pregnant cheerleader- men's costume

http://www.partycity.com/product/adult+lunch+lady+costume.do?navSet=110767 - men's lunch lady costume. I think this one gets to me because my family has a lot of lunch ladies in it. And that's not an easy job.

 

[Sevrin]

I think that kimono outfit is really cute.

Don't you guys think those outfits of dutch women meant for men to wear are more offensive than these costumes?

Or these costumes... I find them much more insensitive than the costumes in the article.

http://www.partycity.com/product/adult+pregnant+cheerleader+costume.do?page=2&navSet=110767 Pregnant cheerleader- men's costume

http://www.partycity.com/product/adult+lunch+lady+costume.do?navSet=110767 - men's lunch lady costume. I think this one gets to me because my family has a lot of lunch ladies in it. And that's not an easy job.

 

[Jupiter551]

I don't think anyone, even those criticising, consider this a truly serious issue - that said however, it makes even less sense to continue making some inane costume that may offend, than to just stop making some costumes no one cares about.

True, it's a joke to get your knickers in a twist over something like this - but that goes at least as much for the people who want to be stubborn for the sake of it and somehow 'protect' these costumes from censure. Who gives a shit if Pottery Barn no longer sells 'sushi chef' or 'kimono' costumes...

Halloween costumes are about being scary, silly, or slutty. Not dressing as if it's a fucking SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL.

 

[RoseCavilla]

I'm surprised this is an issue. I've seen far, far worse costumes that people don't seem to bat an eye at. I'm guessing Pottery Barn has an older, more liberal crowd than, say, Leg Avenue or other popular costume designers. I'm sure those brands get just as many complaints, if not more, but since their demographic (generally young adults) is less likely to care, they don't care.

I see cam girls dressing up like a native American Indian squaw all the time. Is that wrong too? Wearing a headband with a feather does not constitute a Pocahontas costume.

Um, yes? Camgirls can be racist too. It is very likely unintentional, but I'd say a white girl dressing up as a Native is possibly one of the more offensive costumes.

On Family Guy Peter smashes a disco ball and eats it, cutting his mouth and throat. He then says, "Damn Mexicans and your glass candy!" Now THAT could be seen as offensive. But no one raised a big stink about it then. How is this different?

That's less satire and more
That's satire. Peter is SUPPOSED to be an idiot, we're supposed to laugh because only a dumb person or a racist would say that. This is real life.

That's less satire and more the producers trying to crank out material they think will keep the interest of their drunken adult audience. Their satirical repotoire is mostly in their first few seasons. Now they smoke a shit load of weed and rely on the show's name to get views. And it's not just Peter that is racist on the show. Brian is just as bad but can hide some of his racism behind his higher IQ. And either way, I still say it could be seen as racist, as in some people will agree and others will argue it's satire or just good old fun.

And yes, this is real life. Where we have much bigger problems than what Johnny and Sue decide to wear for Halloween. We're all adults and should know how to act as adults.

A truly racist costume would be a white person with a black "slave" in tow in plastic chains. Not costumes that look Asian. I love geishas. I think their style of dress was beautiful. I would definitely dress up as a geisha for Halloween and laugh my arse off if someone felt inclined to call me racist.

 

[Zoomer]

Halloween costumes are about being scary, silly, or slutty. Not dressing as if it's a fucking SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL.

I should have mentioned, there was a mini shit storm in shops here about psychiatric patient costumes and another one too.
Obviously mental health charities stating that the costumes perpetrate the idea that all psychiatric patients are infact fucking nutter killers.

That I could understand - it wasn't a poor costume, it was poorly labelled. Hannibal Lecture costume or something similar would probably not have raised an eyebrow.

 

[Sevrin]

Hannibal Lecture costume or something similar would probably not have raised an eyebrow.

Little known fact: Hannibal Lecture went off the deep end because of one-too-many student's texting in class.

 

[LilyEvans]

Holy fucking shit balls. It's a costume - perhaps the fact it's "Halloween" (usually associated with scary costumes?) is what ruffles feathers, but otherwise, eh?!

No, but an idiot can take insensitivity to new levels


their Halloween costumes as "niggas"

Did they really post themselves with that reasoning though? or did someone take someone else's photo, out of context, and insert a malicious context into it, representing it as that when it never was? In other words, is it real?

The only reason I ask is because looking at that photo I wouldn't remotely think it's anything to do with race, and everything to do with taking the piss out of people who go overboard with tanning (or characters from a scary movie?). Perhaps this is due to the lack of black afro hair, bright red lips and every other stereotype that would imply racist overtones (see the "Black Pete" thread )... I just didn't see it and think "Oh, you little racist..."

I see many images (especially on Facebook) which are utterly ridiculously misappropriated to further various anger/hate/intolerance or just plain old mischief.

So did they specifically, themselves, say that - or did someone see the photo, take it, twist it, mis-represent it, spread it - fuel it.

No, they are actually terrible people:

http://www.blackyouthproject.com/20...ween-to-critics-worry-about-finding-your-dad/

After offended Black people on Twitter challenged @dobebeiber about the ignorant and racist costume, she further showed her true (lack of) color with the following tweets:

@dobebeiber quit worrying about my Halloween costume and worry about finding your dad!!!

@dobebeiber what would Rosa Parks think of you people in my mentions

@dobebeiber I am famous in the black community

@dobebeiber black people are so over dramatic

IMPORTANT EDIT

It's still hard to say if those girls are the ones who originated the photo, although they are certainly the ones who said they were going as "n****ers" for Halloween. I checked out their Twitter. Even if they posted the pic as some sort of "joke" they are definitely the kind of people I want to punch right in the mouth, I can tell just from reading their stupid Twitter feeds.

 

[AnOkayGuy]

It's still hard to say if those girls are the ones who originated the photo, although they are certainly the ones who said they were going as "n****ers" for Halloween. I checked out their Twitter. Even if they posted the pic as some sort of "joke" they are definitely the kind of people I want to punch right in the mouth, I can tell just from reading their stupid Twitter feeds.

They've both posted other pictures of themselves in their timelines, and they do seem to be the ones in the picture. It's okay, though:

 

[LilyEvans]

Without a subculture referring to their own selves as "niggas" it couldn't have happened. Ignorance breeds ignorance.

Wat. Am I misunderstanding you? I very much hope I am.

First of all they didn't say they were going as "niggas", they said they were going as "niggers". And if you think white people havent been dressing up as "niggers" since long before anyone adopted the term "nigga" that's just plain silly.

That's also a bit like saying, "Oh well if there wasn't a subculture that called themselves white trash/kikes/spics/chinks then people couldn't have dressed in offensive costumes based on stereotypes!" That just doesn't make any damn sense.

 

[Bocefish]

That story about the blondes still isn't passing the smell test for me, especially after finding out "ochocinco' had a hand in it.

From NewsOne:

The two little Klansladies-in-training, @kinkystyles and @dobebeiber, proudly showed off their costumes, with the tweet: “me & @kinkystyles are n**ers this Halloween
The photo quickly went viral after being tweeted by Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.