Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/07/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I wasn't going to say anything because a) I consider Peter a friend, and b) the last time I even remotely mentioned the "R" word, I left the Saloon for 4 months. I am not a good debater, but lets just say that AFAIK, the play is not being held in high esteem in the Chinese/Japanese communities. On Sat, Jul 19, 2014 at 2:19 AM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote: > The issue is not how WE think about it but what the Asian people want. > If Asian people in what appears to be as in some kind of consensus are > giving the show it a thumbs down than its a play which is more that dated > it > should probably not be done. I'm wondering how many if any were in the > audience. > Flower Drum Song we all thought was a great show but we started to figure > it > out earlier on realize is was more than just benignly dated and its really > no longer done any more. I just checked. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_Drum_Song > I still have my LP somewhere. Its about worn out. I can sing the whole show > for you by heart every verse I'm pretty sure. But would be embarrassed to > do > it within earshot of an Asian friend. > " Chop suey, chop suey! > Good and bad, intelligent, mad, and screwy." that was me singing. > I'm going to have to stare at a whirling black cube. > As much as I hate to say or think it the same might happen with "The > Mikado" > which I have also loved for decades and have recently seen in a slick > production in Portland OR. And have often sung along to my CD's of it I > have > two different versions of much of it. And pretty much have all the lyrics > memorized. > "IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO WE AAARE" that was me singing just now. And is as > far as I'm going to go. > We just don't get to define other peoples identity issues. Only our own. I > should speak for myself. We might decide tomorrow that "white people" is > offensive to our ears and we want to be called the "evil beige people". I'm > sure it would catch on with no controversy. > > About decade or so ago black people decided in a kind of consensus that > they > didn't what to be called black people any more. The wanted to go with the > term "African Americans" Lots of white people had big opinions about it on > tv news shows but in the end everyone knew it was just now up to us. It > was > up to them. Turns out the term is still used but way less often. Whoopi > Goldberg said she was not going to change. Nobody wants to mess with her. > That could be it. > > > On 7/19/14 4:42 AM, "Peter A. Klein" <pklein at threshinc.com> wrote: > > > This pair was protesting and handing out leaflets in front of the > > Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society's production of "The Mikado," which > > they regard as "Yellowface" and racist. I accepted their leaflets, but > > when I took out my camera, they concealed their faces. > > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563 at N04/14689190055/> > > > > On Monday, a Seattle Times opinion page editor slammed the production, > > which she hadn't seen. This was followed by two radio interviews in > > which she repeated her charges of "Yellowface" and racism. An Internet > > flamefest followed, including calls for a boycott and shutting down the > > show. There were fears that the performance would be disrupted, but that > > didn't happen Friday night, and only these two showed up. > > > > If you're interested in reading more about what's going on, Google these > > words: seattle mikado gilbert sullivan. You'll find all the relevant > > stuff on the first two pages. > > > > Full disclosure: Yours truly is not unbiased. I love Gilbert and > > Sullivan, I love "The Mikado," and I played bassoon in the company back > > in the 1980s. If this were a realistic play with Asian characters being > > played by whites and/or mugging offensive stereotypes, I would be > > sympathetic to the concerns. But that's not what "The Mikado" is. It's > > Brits (or Americans) playing Brits playing dress-up, but mostly acting > > like caricatures of upper-class Brits of 130 years ago. Nobody wears > > Asian-style makeup, except for Katisha (the fearsome contralto > > character), who is made-up Kabuki-style. The G&S Society has a tradition > > of color-blind casting. No Asian-Americans auditioned for this show, > > there are 38 Caucasians and 2 Hispanics on stage. There are several > > Asian-Americans on the stage crew, one in the orchestra pit (a friend of > > mine), and one on the society's Board of Trustees. > > > > --Peter > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > -- > Mark William Rabiner > Photographer > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/ > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- // richard <http://www.richardmanphoto.com> // http://facebook.com/richardmanphoto