Before we go any further...Yes, I am
that darkblack.
One, many or all are free to grant favor or excoriate as desired...But I am under no obligation to change for
you, as you are not obligated to do so for
me.Some may find an offensive proposition in the fact that although I do not live in the United States, I comment on America (or more pointedly the current Executive branch of American politics) through my pictorial works.
To those 'digital isolationists' I would say that last time I bothered to look, America occupied the planet that
we all share, and felt free to inflict itself globally upon others in myriad ways.
I am merely returning the favor in an insignificant measure.
Accusations have been levied that distasteful stereotypes are used in my work. Complaints against style and of tone that awaken unwelcome feelings, subjective criticisms regarding finished appearance, on and on 'round the maypole... Rarely if ever do
any of these arguments broach the topic of
context, but emotion
is the enemy of logic.
One such diatribe insinuated that I am using some type of legendary African-American hobo in a demeaning way against people of color.
Let us examine the work.Raggedy ManMr. Joe's WrangledLook closely at the neck, ears, and eyes. No attempt is made to conceal the true skin tone of the subject.
As to the makeup...
Emmett Kelly, Sr. was the source, in the guise of 'Weary Willie'.
Thus, the above accusations are shown to be utterly without merit.
Now, if one wishes to use the
pole vault of political correctness to attach rancor to a
dead white clown, well...
hop to it.;>)
Also, the 'feminising' of certain characters apparently causes some easily aroused members of the public alarm...A
theatrical tradition older than ancient soil suddenly ablaze in the white hot light of oh-so-modern rigidities regarding gender roles.
'Woe that humanity are such tender eggs that the slightest tap cracks the shell to reveal contents that requires drying or frying'Yes, I use such devices. Not for you? No hard feelings, and feel free to
change the channel.That said, there are
contra examples that appear to be overlooked regularily:
CondalfSo you see that in
this instance, one has masculinized the female, rather than the obverse. I doubt this will change the minds of those who have marked me as problematic, however.
Away from that, I would point to works that attempt to celebrate
giants of culture in as
respectful a way as possible:Star TimeJazzAs for using demeaning stereotypes for some type of 'comedic value', I take pains to avoid that, due to the utter lack of comedic value inherent in such applications for
me. As always, the mileage of the casual observer may vary, depending on their personal predilections.
However, I will no longer use
one in particular, as dimensions of its lingering hurtfulness that I was not previously aware of were revealed to me quite clearly by those affected.
Pax