tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post3409322504773941756..comments2024-02-22T05:31:50.072-08:00Comments on Autumn Ward: Why I Can't Stand Petty Snark Pretending to Be Social CommentaryAutumn Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00550844077789474032noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-52695606731126357922019-10-28T01:33:43.693-07:002019-10-28T01:33:43.693-07:00I'm little late to the comment party but just...I'm little late to the comment party but just had to say Kudos to you and your article. Randa Jarrar needs to grow up and move on to the real problems of the world, because belly dancing has never been a problem. It is dancing, which to those of us who participate in this healthy act, is nothing but pure joy. Someone always has to rain on the proverbial parade...making something out of nothing. To call it appropriation is a joke, and a bad one at that. I eat pizza and sushi and I am not Italian. or Japanese. In Japan, it has become a custom to eat KFC at Christmastime. Should we be offended? :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-24007683971979576422018-07-31T16:44:01.221-07:002018-07-31T16:44:01.221-07:00Most of the current sports in existence today that...Most of the current sports in existence today that receive lots of money were not created by black or brown people are "exploited" by black or brown people appropriating another culture if I were to go by Miss Randa Jarrar's attitude. I could go further and express how cultural appropriation of music, architecture, art, performance arts, etc are done against white people and various other races if I wanted to get technical and follow Miss Randa Jarrar's line of thinking. Granted cultural appropriation does happen and bothers me, but it's usually people who know nothing about it and exploit it such as white people of non Native American descent performing a Powwow or Sundance or a healing ritual is exploitation. Sharing a culture especially in today's melting pot global society is altogether different and frankly it's becoming disturbing how many people seem to be interested in racial and cultural segregation. We are supposed to be enlightened, moving on from such behavior, and excited to share and evolve as humans. I loved how you stated and expressed your disagreement with those articles. I wish more people understood that we are a global society and more interested in integration rather than segregation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11862367546822525048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-49580052796702242622017-05-18T07:09:44.562-07:002017-05-18T07:09:44.562-07:00I can understand why that might seem like it's...I can understand why that might seem like it's a good response, but it's actually not. Cultural appropriation and exotifying of an entire people never played into the inclusion of classical music into asian culture, and whenever asians conform to western standards, that is still a leftover from colonialism and making an entire people feel inferior to the marks of "whiteness".buddycal1https://www.blogger.com/profile/07417332734959561959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-77931928781367085842015-08-27T04:46:42.270-07:002015-08-27T04:46:42.270-07:00Just a correction. Tahia Carioca. Carioca is a nam...Just a correction. Tahia Carioca. Carioca is a name given to the people born in Rio de Janeiro. I am a carioca for example, as I was born in Rio. So, basically Tahia is not an Arab but Brazilian. I wonder if Randa knows that... Possibly not. How ironic that one of her favourite dancers "appropriated" a name which is 1) indigenous from the Tupi Guarani language of the native indians of Brasil. 2) Very probably has Brazilian ancestry. Oh dear... Sacrilege! Michelle Araujohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16334297515945390132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-8996170207498412022014-07-19T23:38:33.495-07:002014-07-19T23:38:33.495-07:00Wow! I didn't think anyone was THAT racist any...Wow! I didn't think anyone was THAT racist anymore. I really thought she was just being satirical. Apparently not. Oh well, she's still wet behind the ears.Mariam Jarrarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-1493324586943907762014-03-21T21:06:38.266-07:002014-03-21T21:06:38.266-07:00Thank you for a well written response to Randa'...Thank you for a well written response to Randa's first article. article....could be "body hatred" ...it might even be dancer hatred or "sharmuta" bashing!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10323283336068954695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-65994369966411619472014-03-15T20:41:25.751-07:002014-03-15T20:41:25.751-07:00It makes me very happy that the belly dance commun...It makes me very happy that the belly dance community that Randa seems so offended by have had much more thoughtful and well researched responses to her "article" than the general public she wants attention from.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-12791217625200100502014-03-14T23:35:28.160-07:002014-03-14T23:35:28.160-07:00Thank you for such a long and thoughtful reply to ...Thank you for such a long and thoughtful reply to my comment. It was silly of me to think age/gender should be stumbling blocks to this dance. I guess I wouldn't be opposed to trying it - though I didn't have that much success with any dance lessons I did. Just two left feet. Probably goes back to never having done much sports as a kid. The last years I did start playing softball on a regular basis, so maybe I should revisit some kind of dance as well :-)Indeterminacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112417911577798263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-75623496901935811582014-03-14T09:03:35.552-07:002014-03-14T09:03:35.552-07:00Wonderful response, wonderful blog writing. Thank ...Wonderful response, wonderful blog writing. Thank You!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-48709163773900589522014-03-11T10:06:11.680-07:002014-03-11T10:06:11.680-07:00Any age and gender is the right age and gender. I...Any age and gender is the right age and gender. If you want to dance, dance! ♥ And for anyone who feels hesitant about trying out a class, don't worry about whether or not you look like a professional performer. The youth and femaleness (as well as the conventionally-defined beauty) of professional performers reflects commercial pressures, not anything at all about what is required to dance beautifully, or for that matter, to just enjoy dancing. Belly dance requires basic mobility and some level of physical fitness, and those who are more fit have more tools for expression in their artistic toolkit, but truly masterful belly dance is characterized primarily by grace, coordination, musicality, and charismatic stage presence. Elite levels of strength, flexibility, power, or cardio endurance are absolutely not pre-requisites.<br /><br />The social dance of Egypt and many other parts of the Middle East falls under the umbrella of what many English speakers call “belly dance.” As Randa Jarrar rightly points out, social dance is done by women of “all shapes and sizes.” In fact, it's done by everyone – women, men, kids, old folks. Some people who are only familiar with professional performance are surprised by the idea of men doing belly dance, and tend to assume that male dancers are not very masculine. Sometimes they are not. Men who express themselves in an effeminate way tend to dance in an effeminate way. But “macho” men are quite macho in their dance expression. The vocabulary of the dance in some ways does seem “feminine” because of its curvilinearity, but the expressivity and styling of the performer (as well as the prejudice of the audience) are the dominant factors that flavor an individual's dance. Ballet, for instance is dominated by “masculine” straight lines, but ballerinas are usually regarded as quite feminine. The energy of much contemporary flamenco is quite aggressive, with women frequently using movements that were historically traditional only for men. But as with ballerinas, most female flamenco artists are not perceived as challenging gender norms.<br /><br />In the commercial sphere, one primarily sees young women, but the wider world of belly dance artistry is blessed with beautiful diversity. Not only are all kinds of people dancing, they are doing all kinds of dances – folk, social, and performance dances authentic to Middle Eastern traditions; the fusion “American Tribal” style and other further-fused tribal and tribal fusion styles; work in a variety of fantasy and contextual-transposition genres, ranging from Goddess to Goth to Steampunk; and theatrical work that depicts belly dance in both traditional and nontraditional ways.<br /><br />And there are also those who do belly dance simply for the joy it brings, and for its health benefits to both body and spirit. These dancers have no intention to ever perform or to dance socially in a Middle Eastern context. They just dance.<br /><br />So no matter who you are, if you want to dance, you should dance too! <br /><br />Thank you to Indeterminacy both for your comment and for giving me the opportunity to express these additional ideas. Autumn Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550844077789474032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-11213042781636676932014-03-10T20:32:30.833-07:002014-03-10T20:32:30.833-07:00You countered a perfectly horrid article with eleg...You countered a perfectly horrid article with elegance, charm and humor. I wish I were younger and the right gender to participate in one of your classes.Indeterminacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112417911577798263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-30914879387760360942014-03-09T03:19:20.060-07:002014-03-09T03:19:20.060-07:00Soooo much more interesting that the original arti...Soooo much more interesting that the original article. Feel really sorry for the sad cow that has to write rubbish like that to make herself feel better while the rest of us dance and feel fabulous!Earthy Delightshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01220196347405778803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-87999486095836612202014-03-08T11:13:49.615-08:002014-03-08T11:13:49.615-08:00Nailed it!!! Nailed it!!! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-2490030595208825102014-03-08T05:39:56.648-08:002014-03-08T05:39:56.648-08:00This is also an excellent response to the Salon ar...This is also an excellent response to the Salon article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/03/06/what-would-salon-think-of-an-article-called-why-i-cant-stand-asian-musicians-who-play-beethoven/<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-21870235477891645052014-03-07T16:42:14.150-08:002014-03-07T16:42:14.150-08:00Well said! let's hope as many folk read itWell said! let's hope as many folk read it Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-87264245148972237802014-03-07T14:55:19.041-08:002014-03-07T14:55:19.041-08:00My favorite comeback set on the Salon site (where ...My favorite comeback set on the Salon site (where everyone is calling her out on her nonsense) is<br /><br /><br />Save Us Jeebus 1 hour ago<br />Okay, Randa, I hope you're not wearing jeans or wearing tennis shoes or using an American made computer or driving a Chevy or anything. Wouldn't want you to be seen "appropriating" my culture.<br /><br />LikeReply<br />MWyatt 1 hour ago<br />@Save Us Jeebus I'm pretty sure writing a whiny article complaining about first world problems is already appropriating white culture.<br />Isn't that priceless??<br /><br />Now I'm going to go look up black and Asian opera singers and send them nasty notes. Surely we Italians have a lock on opera, right?<br /><br />Germans. We can share with Germans...eugeniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05791789974840443546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-40330826348866213722014-03-07T14:04:50.637-08:002014-03-07T14:04:50.637-08:00Thanks Ewa! Yeah, I didn't think there was an...Thanks Ewa! Yeah, I didn't think there was any point in bothering with comment on all that stuff on the end, because the confusion just speaks for itself.Autumn Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550844077789474032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-5233575826719772872014-03-07T13:54:44.642-08:002014-03-07T13:54:44.642-08:00Bravo Autumn! I can't agree more. One thing th...Bravo Autumn! I can't agree more. One thing that I just can't get my head round in the original article is this: "These women [white people who have been dancing for years on end] are more interested in their investment in belly dancing than in questioning and examining how their appropriation of the art causes others harm." Eh? How on Earth are "these women" causing anyone harm, exactly? I mean, this article is not just racist, it's incredibly poorly structured. Ah, well.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02682961567179129476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-41723676373812773352014-03-07T13:03:31.686-08:002014-03-07T13:03:31.686-08:00Hey thanks, Anonymous dude!Hey thanks, Anonymous dude!Autumn Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550844077789474032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-21378194101934413222014-03-07T12:25:07.942-08:002014-03-07T12:25:07.942-08:00A Washington Post response:
http://www.washingtonp...A Washington Post response:<br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/03/06/what-would-salon-think-of-an-article-called-why-i-cant-stand-asian-musicians-who-play-beethoven/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14768317530110224887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-29774403961570389832014-03-07T12:22:00.307-08:002014-03-07T12:22:00.307-08:00I'm just a dude that doesn't know anything...I'm just a dude that doesn't know anything about belly dancing but I was really shocked by the Salon article, so I googled it to learn more and came across your response. Really thoughtful and well done and hey I even learned something about belly dance. I tried to link to your response in the Salon comments but you have to register and I don't want to. I recommend you send this Salon's 'curator of feminist culture' or whoever was responsible for posting the original tripe, and ask them to let you publish a rebuttal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-37416081252511415582014-03-07T09:36:04.843-08:002014-03-07T09:36:04.843-08:00She would do well to cultivate some gratitude that...She would do well to cultivate some gratitude that anyone dedicates so much time and energy to perpetuating "her" culture...<br />Also, racism is so last century.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00103853640533117522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-57672438001511555982014-03-07T09:07:06.874-08:002014-03-07T09:07:06.874-08:00:-) thank you for your thoughts and words. This is...:-) thank you for your thoughts and words. This is perfect!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13114028687545554609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-4584397778757148512014-03-07T07:58:19.648-08:002014-03-07T07:58:19.648-08:00Wonderful response to that horrible essay. Thanks ...Wonderful response to that horrible essay. Thanks from your fellow "white" dancers. Leigh / SnakeChaarmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11893964159698238613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299296166185074239.post-10116884493445533282014-03-06T20:55:02.648-08:002014-03-06T20:55:02.648-08:00Well said!Well said!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com