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Minister in 'racist circumcision outrage' AKA let's all eat black people cake?

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R

Rootbeer

Banned
Click to expand...

video (a bit disturbing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rCK6zvWEN_Q

Minister in 'racist circumcision outrage'

Published: 17 Apr 12 12:36 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation

Swedish minister of culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth's participation in a "racist spectacle" in which she carved up a cake depicting a naked black woman has sparked outrage and prompted calls for the minister's dismissal.

Art exhibit pulls drawing after Jewish protests (17 Mar 12)
'Racism' ruins Iranians' Sweden dog sled jaunt (1 Mar 12)
Swedish town gives 'Negro Village' new name (13 Feb 12)

"In our view, this simply adds to the mockery of racism in Sweden," Kitimbwa Sabuni, spokesperson for the National Afro-Swedish Association (Afrosvenskarnas riksförbund) told The Local.

"This was a racist spectacle."

Sabuni's comments come following Adelsohn Liljeroth's participation in an art installation that took place at Stockholm's Moderna Museet in connection with World Art Day on April 15th.

As part of the installation, which was reportedly meant to highlight the issue of female circumcision, the culture minister began cutting a large cake shaped like a black woman, symbolically starting at the clitoris.

Makode Aj Linde, the artist who created the installation and whose head is part of the cake cut by the minister, wrote about the "genital mutilation cake" on his Facebook page.

"Before cutting me up she whispered, 'Your life will be better after this' in my ear," he wrote in a caption next to the partially eaten cake.
But images of the event, which show a smiling and laughing Adelsohn Liljeroth slicing up the cake, have caused the National Afro-Swedish Association and its members to see red and issue calls for her resignation.

"According to the Moderna Museet, the 'cake party' was meant to problematize female circumcision but how that is accomplished through a cake representing a racist caricature of a black woman complete with 'black face' is unclear," Sabuni said in a statement.

According to Sabuni, the mere fact that the minister particiapted in the event, which he argued was also marked by "cannibalistic" overtones, betrays her "incompetence and lack of judgement".

"Her participation, as she laughs, drinks, and eats cake, merely adds to the insult against people who suffer from racist taunts and against women affected by circumcision," he said.

"We have no confidence in her any longer."

Speaking with the TT news agency, Adelsohn Liljeroth was sympathetic to the association's reaction, but nevertheless defended her actions.

"I understand quite well that this is provocative and that it was a rather bizarre situation," she said.

"I was invited to speak at World Art Day about art's freedom and the right to provoke. And then they wanted me to cut the cake."

However, Adelsohn Liljeroth said the National Afro-Swedish Association's anger should be directed at the artist, not at her, claiming the situation was "misinterpreted".

"He claims that it challenges a romanticized and exoticized view from the west about something that is really about violence and racism," she said.

"Art needs to be provocative."

But the minster's defence of her actions rang hollow for Sabuni.

"It's extremely insulting for the minister to claim that we've somehow 'misunderstood' racism," he said.

According to Sabuni, the incident is "strange" but "not unexpected" in the Swedish context.

"Sweden thinks of itself as a place where racism is not a problem," he said.

"That just provides cover for not discussing the issue which leads to incidents like this."

While a museum is certainly allowed to do what it wants as long as the laws are followed, Sabuni argued that a minister needs to be held to "higher standards".

"To participate in a racist manifestation masquerading as art is totally over the line and can only be interpreted as the culture minister supporting the Moderna Museet's racist prank," he said.
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source: http://www.thelocal.se/40312/20120417/
 
I

itsgreen

Member
Focus people.

This is about cutting out pieces of vagina's. This happens in Africa as part of tradition.

They made a cake to symbolize this and give attention to these inhumane habits.

The story goes beyond what you see. It is ignorant to call racism just based on the picture.
 
M

Manos: The Hans of Fate

Banned
itsgreen said:
Focus people.

This is about cutting out pieces of vagina's. This happens in Africa as part of tradition.

They made a cake to symbolize this and give attention to these inhumane habits.

The story goes beyond what you see. It is ignorant to call racism just based on the picture.
Click to expand...
And it was done in the worst possible manner, short of the minister and crowd wearing blackface.
 
J

jaxword

Member
itsgreen said:
Focus people.

This is about cutting out pieces of vagina's. This happens in Africa as part of tradition.

They made a cake to symbolize this and give attention to these inhumane habits.

The story goes beyond what you see. It is ignorant to call racism just based on the picture.
Click to expand...

No one is going to do this, you already see how the thread's filling with aghast one-liners.

It really depends on the OP and how they present the material--most of the time, people barely read the actual articles to the end. Hell, they barely read past the thread title. One pic's all that's needed to shape the thread.
 
S

SmokyDave

Member
itsgreen said:
Focus people.

This is about cutting out pieces of vagina's. This happens in Africa as part of tradition.

They made a cake to symbolize this and give attention to these inhumane habits.

The story goes beyond what you see. It is ignorant to call racism just based on the picture.
Click to expand...

The second they 'blackfaced' that cake (well, the head at the end of it), all other dialogue disappeared into a hole from which light cannot escape.
 
M

Manos: The Hans of Fate

Banned
jaxword said:
No one is going to do this, you already see how the thread's filling with aghast one-liners.

It really depends on the OP and how they present the material--most of the time, people barely read the actual articles to the end. Hell, they barely read past the thread title.
Click to expand...
It doesn't change anything in this case.
 
F

Foxy Fox 39

Banned
itsgreen said:
Focus people.

This is about cutting out pieces of vagina's. This happens in Africa as part of tradition.

They made a cake to symbolize this and give attention to these inhumane habits.

The story goes beyond what you see. It is ignorant to call racism just based on the picture.
Click to expand...

Great idea. Bad execution.
 
T

totowhoa

Banned
jaxword said:
No one is going to do this, you already see how the thread's filling with aghast one-liners.

It really depends on the OP and how they present the material--most of the time, people barely read the actual articles to the end. Hell, they barely read past the thread title.
Click to expand...

I read the article. There's a racist depiction of black people in the photo and video, and it's full of a bunch of white people laughing about it. The actual video is a little disturbing. This was a racist and insensitive way to address a very serious issue. I find it hard to believe that the artist and those attending were too ignorant to see how this just looks bad
 
B

Binabik15

Member
As part of the installation, which was reportedly meant to highlight the issue of female circumcision, the culture minister began cutting a large cake shaped like a black woman, symbolically starting at the clitoris.

Makode Aj Linde, the artist who created the installation and whose head is part of the cake cut by the minister, wrote about the "genital mutilation cake" on his Facebook page.
Click to expand...

Would it be better if the (black) artist didn't paint his face in a way that is considered offensive by many?


Or would people cry about sexism (a man representing a mutilated woman as if women couldn't draw attention to this on their own) and/or cultural relativism?

Arjen said:
Now to find a way to include tipping in this story.
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Do you tip the cake? I mean it's self-service, but he's providing entertainment as well as delivering your food, in a way.
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
Cake whispering is creepy too.
 
J

jaxword

Member
Sklorenz said:
I read the article. There's a racist depiction of black people in the photo and video, and it's full of a bunch of white people laughing about it. The actual video is a little disturbing. This was a racist and insensitive way to address a very serious issue. I find it hard to believe that the artist and those attending were too ignorant to see how this just looks bad
Click to expand...

They probably WERE ignorant, in that "I've never been a victim of racism, I'm not a racist, so what I'm do is OBVIOUSLY can't be racist" middle/upper-class WASP background way. That's not a defense, however, just a lament.

You'd be surprised how many people will think they're doing the right thing and "helping" when being completely unaware of the harm they're doing.
 
I

itsgreen

Member
jaxword said:
They probably WERE ignorant, in that "I've never been a victim of racism, I'm not a racist, so what I'm do is OBVIOUSLY can't be racist" middle/upper-class WASP background way. That's not a defense, however, just a lament.

You'd be surprised how many people will think they're doing the right thing and "helping" when being completely unaware of the harm they're doing.
Click to expand...

I don't know but aren't there tribes looking like this that cut pieces of vagina's?

So isn't that just calling the thing by the name and not being racist?

This was to address traditions from Africa. There are people from Africa that look like that and do that. So when does that turn racist?
 
MightyKAC

MightyKAC

Member
Art exhibit pulls drawing after Jewish protests (17 Mar 12)
'Racism' ruins Iranians' Sweden dog sled jaunt (1 Mar 12)
Swedish town gives 'Negro Village' new name (13 Feb 12)
Click to expand...

And all this happened in the space of a month?

That's some impressive racism, even by American standards.
 
T

Tacitus_

Member
So, uhh.. the artist is black.

E: Here he is posing with some of his pieces:

n2MsE.jpg
 
J

jaxword

Member
itsgreen said:
I don't know but aren't there tribes looking like this that cut pieces of vagina's?

So isn't that just calling the thing by the name and not being racist?

This was to address traditions from Africa. There are people from Africa that look like that and do that. So when does that turn racist?
Click to expand...

I wasn't saying it was or wasn't racist or that this was the best way to approach the issue; my original lament was about how threads tend to go on hot topic issues like this. It's all about how the original topic is presented, title and content.

Tacitus_ said:
So, uhh.. the artist is black.
Click to expand...

Haha, a perfect example of something that, if put in the OP, would've changed the tone of the thread quite a bit.
 
R

Rootbeer

Banned
Tacitus_ said:
So, uhh.. the artist is black.

E: Here he is posing with some of his pieces:

n2MsE.jpg
Click to expand...
can I buy the one that looks like a crow? That's sufficiently creepy for my mancave.
jaxword said:
Haha, a perfect example of something that, if put in the OP, would've changed the tone of the thread quite a bit.
Click to expand...
Well you can tell he is black if you look at the picture in the OP closely. But yes it is not totally clear.
 
MightyKAC

MightyKAC

Member
Tacitus_ said:
So, uhh.. the artist is black.

E: Here he is posing with some of his pieces:
Click to expand...


As a black man I gotta say, even if he's trying to call attention to the issue, it's a vulgar and tasteless way to do it. I'm not sure what good he hopes to accomplish from all this, but shock and revulsion as an activist tactic rarely (read: pretty much never) ends up positively affecting the cause in question.
 
T

Tacitus_

Member
MightyKAC said:
As a black man I gotta say, even if he's trying to call attention to the issue, it's a vulgar and tasteless way to do it. I'm not sure what good he hopes to accomplish from all this, but shock and revulsion as an activist tactic rarely (read: pretty much never) ends up positively affecting the cause in question.
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That video certainly shocked me. I think he's doing a good job since female
and male
circumcision is a barbaric procedure.
The photo doesn't work since everyone is laughing at the minister feeding the cake to the artist.
 
N

nyong

Banned
That cake is gross...

The racism cry is dumb, though. Figures they'd position the artist off-camera so that it looks like a room full of cackling white people laughing and pointing at a cake in the shape of a black woman. The cake 1) was created by a black artist, 2) uses the black artist's actual head (i.e. "black-face" wtf?...black is now a caricature of black?), 3) had absolutely no ill-intent behind it or the event.

If she had refused to attend the event until the black artist changed the black art to be more palatable to her white tastes, what then?

The cake might be tasteless and gross, but racist it is most definitely not. Whoever wrote that article should be fired.
 
A

Aske

Member
nyong said:
If she had refused to attend the event until the black artist changed the black art to be more palatable to her white tastes, what then?

The cake might be tasteless and gross, but racist it is most definitely not. Whoever wrote that article should be fired.
Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly.

The bolded part is so important.
 
A

akira28

Member
The artist is black, but it still looks like hell. It almost doesn't change it, it sort of becomes a footnote. Makes you wonder what he was thinking.

And are the neckbands white chocolate? Anyway, this was tone deaf in the extreme. And I can only hope someone doesn't take that picture and give it a 'White People' caption because that would be bad.

nyong: he is wearing 'blacked up' makeup. Maybe that's his thing, but the giant red lips and coal black skin is the traditional "blackface". He uses it to make a statement in his art, I can see. But what statement is being made here? I mean shit..if they wanted to talk about the issue of the barbarism of cutting a little girl's clitoris off, I don't think acts of dessert cannibalsm over wine and sparkling water quite approach the subject. Except in the most ivory tower sort of way.

edit: in essence, this would be the National Afro-Swedish Association group saying to the artist, 'fool. you are crazy.'
 
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