Another really interesting article from guest poster Benjamin for you and one of a series that he has supplied to this blog recently. In this one Benjamin points out the monstrous farce that identity politics has become. Now as someone who was once on the Left, I can see how back in the 1970’s or early 1980’s there probably was a need for people to form affinity groups to fight for equal treatment. But that was a long time ago and things have change markedly. Many of the things that these identity politics groups fought for, such as racial and gender equality of opportunity, have been won and in my opinion there should be little or no need for such groups today. Identity politics today has become nasty and shrill and has become much more divisive than it ever was to my own recollection. This article highlights the effects of the lunacy of an identity politics mindset that is doing more damage than it is doing good.
The Only Colour That Matters Is Green
Brooklyn – another whinge-fest over the colour of one’s skin. Burlesque is apparently being redefined by black women because they feel burlesque is the domain of the white woman and that blacks are ostracized or made to feel not welcome in that world. Dita Von Teese became this age’s most popular burlesque star not because of her beautiful porcelain light-reflecting skin, but because of her grace, beauty, costumes, and performance. But to hear POC tell it, talent should be replaced with colour. The whole ‘equality of outcome’ movement has now moved into burlesque (it’s already happened at the Oscars and Hollywood is the worst for it).
brASS (BrownRadicalAssBurlesque) is opening to rave reviews according to one journalist. The burlesque group also plan on holding events where trans and LGB (I refuse to include T into that alphabet vomit) can perform whilst feeling ‘safe’. And there I was thinking bouncers policed audiences in order to make patrons and performers alike feel safe regardless of the venue. As a performer who is essentially stripping off to next-to-nothing, why would you need to feel ‘safe’ on stage. Your performance should be edgy, exciting, unexpected. It should not be safe, staid and dull. No one wants to see a snowflake get naked in a boring and safe manner. Toss your panties into my drink, spit your champagne onto my face, motorboat me with your tits as part of the act. That’s what brings the crowds in. You don’t get to stand there and moronically unbutton your clothing just because you’re black and expect us all to be enthralled.
I’ve never in all my years known any talented person to be refused a gig because of the colour of their skin. If your act makes people laugh and gets people buying drinks at the bar, you’re hired. USA is a different conundrum in relation to colour, especially NYC and Brooklyn where Spanish is the 2nd most popular language after English and where huge pockets of land are inhabited by POC. Marsha P. Johnson was at the head of the gay civil rights’ movement, a black trans woman (the P. stands for ‘pay it no mind’). The vogue balls that came out of NYC were all black-led. Blacks in NYC are not marginalized. They have given us the best of disco, rap (if that’s your thing), hip-hop, dance, and other contemporary forms of art (Basquiat).
That’s not even the point. I can empathize with any non-white person who is living in a predominantly white land trying to break into a sitcom or TV show or get a movie role that isn’t flirting with racial stereotypes. It’d be difficult to place such a person. But it’s something else entirely to expect the majority to bow down to the minority, to turn Eastenders or Coronation Street into shows about Asian lesbians. It’s something else entirely when you want something just because of your skin tone and not your talent. And it’s absolutely shameful that you want segregation to be brought back into play. I would go and see a show where the world’s best black or Chinese performers were doing a world tour and showcasing their talents, but I wouldn’t patronize a venue that hosted only POC performers. I wouldn’t endorse or support segregation or racism.
White people don’t behave in this way. In entertainment, the only colour that matters is green.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/28/nyregion/burlesque-redefined.htm
