I am mexican and I m okay with the burrito stuff... we have fun of ourself a lot... I approve.

eh.... do you find stuff like this offensive?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_OIXfkXEj0

Muslims may not be acceptable targets of ridicule, but terrorists are.

And the "black faced" girl is actually making fun of Lil Wayne, not black people.

Terrorism is a culture?

Awesome!

This is great! I wish I could have contributed with a Romani (Gypsy) version. But here is a relevant video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJmcJ2vFros

One thing I am sick and tired of hearing is people who are people of color on message boards saying that “I am [insert underrepresented race/ethnicity] but I dressed up as [insert stereotypical costume], and it’s not a big deal to me, so lighten up!” I am sure that many, if not all of these people, have experienced so much racism in their actual everyday lives and have consumed so much mainstream racist pop culture so much to the point that they have internalized it all and are not even aware of how brainwashed they have become; that they cannot even see racism right in front of their face or even when they are wearing it on their own skin. They stereotype their own image– their own race/culture, people. That’s deeply internalized self-hate if I ever saw it. It’s pathetic, disturbing, and most of all just sad. What a sad world we live in that not only do we still have racists left and right but people of color who continue to internally hate and disrespect themselves because of these exact stereotypes that are becoming more and more accepted because they are being paraded around as “fun” or “costumes” and people are claiming “stereotypes are a normal fact of life” (WTF?).

Halloween is more and more becoming a subconscious self-expression of not only people’s racism and prejudice or ignorance of others, but also some people’s own self-hate because of the institionalized discrimination of people of color in mainstream media and culture that continually conditions mainstream American society to normalize racist stereotypes. It becomes a vicious cycle that will never end so long as people continue trivializing by saying “lighten up”, “get a life” when we are talking about cultures and real people. NO- I don’t need to lighten up because if I don’t take myself seriously nobody else will. No – I don’t need to lighten up because I am in the minority in America and I do get treated differently for my race/ethnicity. And I do have a life because I do care about these issues that affect many people. If you are ignoring people who are taking up this issue and not taking the time to educate yourself about cultural differences and the history of discrimination in america and how it’s evolved into it’s current state in 2011 because you prefer to be lazy and stay ignorant–THEN YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE. Life is NOT just about “lightening up” and partying and dressing up as whatever you want just because you don’t want to take the time to think about your actions and how it affects people. So to all you ignorant folks out there, YES leading a real life does mean USING YOUR BRAIN every once in a while. Stop demonizing political correctness just because YOU’RE OFFENDED that WE’RE OFFENDED. That is called blaming the victim and it’s a real sociological problem. So YOU get a life, and while you’re at it please also find where you lost your own sense of human decency and respect for others.

Also, I am also sick and tired of ignorant people saying that a geisha is not a culture and so this is not offensive...

1) this is still offensive. the geisha image has been used to represent asian femininity in mainstream media ever since Madame Butterfly was first produced in 1904. You rarely see Asian women as normal protagonists. Instead they are hypersexual or submissive geishas or geisha-like characters. it harkens back to old stereotypes and reinforces current ones (Madame Butterfly still gets produced from time to time and Miss Saigon is its more contemporary revival)

2) this PSA campaign shows a few EXAMPLES. Do you know an example is??? Okay good. Now go out on Halloween and look at all the other stereotypical Asian costumes out there in addition to the geisha and I guarantee you will find many white women dressed in sexy cheongsams (chinese dresses) or kimonos (korean dresses) or whatever asian cultural garb–even though this may not be a geisha outfit, it’s still offensive and the same Orientalist concept. I’d wear a cheongsam at my wedding reception and even in real life that’s a part of my culture as a chinese person. So why is it a costume to you??? Should I wear a yarmulke and pretend that I’m jewish for halloween?

3) also. Why do people keep saying that the terrorist poster doesn't make sense? It is a white man trying to dress up as a middle eastern man. He doesn't just have bombs strapped to him, he's trying to ridicule an entire race of people-- look again at the poster, are you blind!?!?

This so called "anti-racist" campiagn is a joke and is itself completely racist since it is seeking to protect only non-white cultures from stereotype.

What about the stereotyping of white southerners as Hillbillies?

The best "culture not a costume" posters are here : http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/zeitgeist/getting-funny-right/
And funniest one ever: http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/320097_169323956492052_16...

Where's the Irish-American kid is holding up a picture of some idiot dressed up as a leprechaun? That's offensive to my culture, too.

Expressing a cultural stereotype through a costume may not be the healthiest thing for a society, but categorical expressions of this sort are inevitable. These expressions are also part of our freedom to express ourselves as we like. Are we to limit people's options to dress up? Claim racism and not allow stores to sell these items? That is silly, impractical and a simple violation of reason and freedom.

If people want to protest these costumes they are welcome to, but they are wasting their time. All they are doing is further emphasizing a distinct line between minorities and non-minorities. That said, consider what is wrong with dressing as a crown prince from Saudi Arabia? Or a generic Native American? Yes, these costumes may not do justice to the culture's true image (if that image even exists). But surely there are elements of truth in these stereotypical expressions. What protects a culture from being ridiculed? Nothing. People are just dressing as a group of people they have seen. Ignorant as their interpretation may be, that doesn't mean they cannot be free to express this interpretation. Freedom of criticism (whether it be good, bad, silly) is not limited to a sphere that excludes cultures; it encompasses everything.

What we should be doing is educating people so that they are not so easily affected by these interpretations.

Greetings:

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Best Regards
Raymond Ladebo

There should be one of an Italian-American holding a poster of mustached pasta chef. That would be funny!

I think the little girl needs to chill out. Is me dressing like a baby for halloween an insult to babies? No. Me dressing as a obviously false sterotype of a people is not racist or anything of that nature. If you offended, frankly, too bad. Get over yourself, I'm not here to please your every whim. Frankly, the world is getting way to Politically correct for my taste, and I'm offended by that. Now, are you going to stop being so pc cuz im offended by it? No? Then why the hell is the road not a two way street. Im offended you dress like angels and mock religion (many religions have angels ppl). Will you stop dressing like that? No? Get over yourself.

The only costumes that shouldnt be allowed are ones done to clearly smear the people. For example, a terrorist that is OVERTLY muslim, or a black person costume that is OVERTLY racist. Yet these things are subject to the wearer. There is no set standard by which to judge it. If the person is dressing as such to be offensive or racist intentionally, thats wrong. Otherwise, get over it.

This is the white man's (the germanic peoples) doing. Making fun of other culture and commiting genocide. They should get murdered before they ruin this world with their filthy hands.

People Not Mascots' Logo
Artist : David Jakupca
Acrylic on Canvas 22" x 28" 1992 Signed Lower Right
Current Owner assumed to be Lake Erie Native American Council (LENAC)

The 'People Not Mascots' Logo is meant to be a Native American protest caricature of the Cleveland Indians Baseball team. It was originally painted by David Jakupca at the historic ARK in Berea incorporating elements of the Theory of Iceality on Environmental Arts, it has drawn criticism from some sportswriters, fans and local businessmen, but gained immediate acceptance among humanitarian, religious groups and Native Americans. It gained international popular attention when it was it exhibited by ICEA at the 1993 UN World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria and has become one of the most recognized anti-racists logo's in existence. It also caused repercussions for the groups connected with using the logo in protest demonstrations and this has been documented in the INTERNECINE MATRIX..
Reference Links:
INTERNECINE MATRIX http://theicea.com/page21
WIKIPEDIA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Wahoo

Halloween. Most kids ,if not all kids that dress up as certain 'race' or individuals are doing so out of admiration.When I was a kid,I'd dress up as Zorro. Did that several years. Zorro was the coolest in my mind as a child. I thought the Nazis' had the snappiest uniforms and dressed as a Nazi a couple times.And I did it not to glorify was or the Holocaust but for admiration for the sharp uniform. As adults,one would thing some of you could suck it up and see it for what it is on Halloween. And it's a one day affair.But instead of doing so,some wish to cry and whine like spoiled little brats,...as if they have nothing better to do than piss and moan about costumes...as if there aren't more pressing issues in this country that needs the energy and attention. Suck it up.Get over yourselves. As a former member of a total of 5 motorcycle clubs,I can tell you for a fact...that if you want to get along,and be treated like everyone else,you have to act like everyone else. You cant throw on a leather vest,wear colors and a beard and expected to be accepted into a dance club,or a high class social event without the whispers and odd looks.Thats part of being different.And rather that complain,I took pride in what I wore,and that I was different. And I accepted that in being different,I would run into the whispers and looks and comments. If you want to quit the being singled out as an individual or as a group or race,then be like the majority.Or suck it up and expect to be treated different. People want to be treated like everyone else....but dont want to act like everyone else.Not gonna happen,and it doest take a genius to understand this.Just an adult with common sense. So let the kids and the innocent mimic their heros and cultures they admire.And find something a little more pressing to bitch about...like that socialist in the White House that is,with his Gestapo party,slowly and not so covertly destroying this country.Put your brains,efforts and energy in action to oust him.

I noticed they didn't include any photos of people dressed up like Vikings or Leprachans. Why? Because white people aren't babies like some of the other represented people in the article. It's funny, but white people laugh more at minorities crying about everything than the stereotypes sometimes used to describe them. Which makes me wonder: is weakness why some groups always end up on the bottom?

Donny Brook, the fact that you think asking to be respected is whining and makes people weak makes you look like a clueless white supremicist. You probably already know the answer to why leprechauns and Vikings aren't on this campaign. Someone has to have explained to you why it is that disenfranchized groups are more likely to speak out about being stereotypes and groups that have priveledge and power do not. Your comment makes you sound like you aren't a critical thinker.