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I am often times amazed by the cosmic happenstance that occurs in the blogsphere.
Yesterday, Matt-Man wrote a piece on Kwanzaa in only the way that Matt-Man can. I laughed so hard Ipee'd my pants cried, then kept reading the comments all day waiting for the shit to hit the fan thoughtful and caring words of wisdom from his many enlightened readers.
As fate would have it (here's where that cosmic happenstance comes in), I was minding my own business on Twitter, when one of the crafters I follow (don't act so surprised) tweeted this series of 140 character or less thoughts:
OK, so maybe I *do* stereotype people a little bit, but I certainly didn't expect to see a craft blogger posting about racism ... even the "casual" variety. We all know that crafters are far more into knitting pouches to hold all of their Christmas gifts than they are about world peace ... or racism ... right?? Curiosity got the best of me and off I clicked.
What I found was Alexis of One Grand Home and her views on a group who call themselves "Knitta, please." Without going into too much detail, "Knitta, please" is a knit graffiti crew. They "tag" parking meters, buses, bike racks, lamp posts, car antennas, columns, statues, exposed plumbing, etc. with - you guessed it - granny squares. Alexis takes issue with what she calls the "casual racism" of the Knitta, please name. Her post, Racism Is Not Crafty, got me thinking on several levels.
First, who knew? My obvious stereotyping slapped me right up along side the head. I couldn't imagine there was an undercurrent of heavy subjects like racism in the knitting/crafting world. How does one find the time to consider such lofty topics when they are knitting one and pearling two?
Second, why hasn't Knitta, please come to Chicago to warm our parking meters? Heaven knows the parking meters in Austin Texas stay warm all winter. They don't need a cozy!
Then I pictured Matt-Man wrapped up in a crocheted afghan, and Alexis with a bottle of Wild Irish Rose, and realized they are really both doing the same thing, just in very different ways.
My guess is that Alexis would find Matt-Man's Kwanzaa post beyond "casual" racism, ranking right up there with overt racism, and that Matt-Man still hasn't stopped kicking himself in the ass for not copyrighting the term Knitta, please before those crafty Texans did.
But beyond that, they both got people talking about a topic we don't like to talk about. One that remains far more of an issue in this country than many of us are aware of. Matt-Man tends to do this by taking the power out of the words through satire where Alexis does it by encouraging people to be more aware of how little bits of racism innocently creep into our lives.
Which way do you lean? Will you drink from the Wild Irish Rose bottle or are you working on a granny square?
**EDIT**
I've continued following the discussion thread over at Racism Is Not Crafty and I have to tell you that I am truly amazed at some of the comments - from using the acronym POC (for People of Color, rather than using a human descriptor) and then calling everyone who supports "Knitta, please" racist, to implying that if one is tired of being PC (and let's be honest, who isn't no matter if you are a "POC" or a "P w/o C") they are "too lazy/scared/uninterested in educating" themselves makes me realize that we have even farther to go in this plight than I imagined ... and it's the people who are so vocal in claiming they AREN'T racist who are the greatest hurdle!
Unfortunately, this discussion on race at Racism Is Not Crafty ended as so many do ... with shutting down the comments of those who dared find nothing wrong with the moniker "Knitta, please" I find that unfortunate.
In her follow-up post she gave kudos to those willing to do something about "Knitta, please" - to somehow shut them down - and gave credit only to commenters who agreed with her position. Again, terribly unfortunate.
Alexis, in her final reply to my comments wrote:
Way to keep those lines of communication open! She is definitely not interested in the Wild Irish Rose method and much prefers her comfortable, safe granny squares where all can be predicted and controlled. It's too bad ... really ...
If anyone is interested, earlier this month CNN published a GREAT article titled Urban knitters spin yarn into graffiti that talks about Knitta, please and their "gorilla street art". If you'd like to see how a genuine artistic effort is being manipulated into what Alexis refers to as "casual racism" read the article and judge for yourself.
Mountain out of a mole hill anyone?
Yesterday, Matt-Man wrote a piece on Kwanzaa in only the way that Matt-Man can. I laughed so hard I
As fate would have it (here's where that cosmic happenstance comes in), I was minding my own business on Twitter, when one of the crafters I follow (don't act so surprised) tweeted this series of 140 character or less thoughts:
OK, so maybe I *do* stereotype people a little bit, but I certainly didn't expect to see a craft blogger posting about racism ... even the "casual" variety. We all know that crafters are far more into knitting pouches to hold all of their Christmas gifts than they are about world peace ... or racism ... right?? Curiosity got the best of me and off I clicked.
What I found was Alexis of One Grand Home and her views on a group who call themselves "Knitta, please." Without going into too much detail, "Knitta, please" is a knit graffiti crew. They "tag" parking meters, buses, bike racks, lamp posts, car antennas, columns, statues, exposed plumbing, etc. with - you guessed it - granny squares. Alexis takes issue with what she calls the "casual racism" of the Knitta, please name. Her post, Racism Is Not Crafty, got me thinking on several levels.
First, who knew? My obvious stereotyping slapped me right up along side the head. I couldn't imagine there was an undercurrent of heavy subjects like racism in the knitting/crafting world. How does one find the time to consider such lofty topics when they are knitting one and pearling two?
Second, why hasn't Knitta, please come to Chicago to warm our parking meters? Heaven knows the parking meters in Austin Texas stay warm all winter. They don't need a cozy!
Then I pictured Matt-Man wrapped up in a crocheted afghan, and Alexis with a bottle of Wild Irish Rose, and realized they are really both doing the same thing, just in very different ways.
My guess is that Alexis would find Matt-Man's Kwanzaa post beyond "casual" racism, ranking right up there with overt racism, and that Matt-Man still hasn't stopped kicking himself in the ass for not copyrighting the term Knitta, please before those crafty Texans did.
But beyond that, they both got people talking about a topic we don't like to talk about. One that remains far more of an issue in this country than many of us are aware of. Matt-Man tends to do this by taking the power out of the words through satire where Alexis does it by encouraging people to be more aware of how little bits of racism innocently creep into our lives.
Which way do you lean? Will you drink from the Wild Irish Rose bottle or are you working on a granny square?
**EDIT**
I've continued following the discussion thread over at Racism Is Not Crafty and I have to tell you that I am truly amazed at some of the comments - from using the acronym POC (for People of Color, rather than using a human descriptor) and then calling everyone who supports "Knitta, please" racist, to implying that if one is tired of being PC (and let's be honest, who isn't no matter if you are a "POC" or a "P w/o C") they are "too lazy/scared/uninterested in educating" themselves makes me realize that we have even farther to go in this plight than I imagined ... and it's the people who are so vocal in claiming they AREN'T racist who are the greatest hurdle!
Unfortunately, this discussion on race at Racism Is Not Crafty ended as so many do ... with shutting down the comments of those who dared find nothing wrong with the moniker "Knitta, please" I find that unfortunate.
In her follow-up post she gave kudos to those willing to do something about "Knitta, please" - to somehow shut them down - and gave credit only to commenters who agreed with her position. Again, terribly unfortunate.
Alexis, in her final reply to my comments wrote:
... and then a general comment to all of her readers:Dana,
I’m going to respond to you one last time and then you can have the final word because I don’t think dialog with you is going to be productive. If you are offended by the abbreviation POC, it is probably because you don’t spend any substantial time conversing about race online. The abbreviations POC, WOC, AfAm, AA, COC, EA, SA and on and on are all used in various contexts to speed communication about various groups of people just like DH, DS, DD are used in online conversations about family structure. That’s all.
As for your chuckles at the n-word and hearty enjoyment of racist caricatures about African American holidays, I leave you to it.
Moderation warning: If you create different aliases to manufacture a fiction of agreement with your perspective, your posts will be deleted and you will be banned.
Way to keep those lines of communication open! She is definitely not interested in the Wild Irish Rose method and much prefers her comfortable, safe granny squares where all can be predicted and controlled. It's too bad ... really ...
If anyone is interested, earlier this month CNN published a GREAT article titled Urban knitters spin yarn into graffiti that talks about Knitta, please and their "gorilla street art". If you'd like to see how a genuine artistic effort is being manipulated into what Alexis refers to as "casual racism" read the article and judge for yourself.
Mountain out of a mole hill anyone?
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24 comments:
Well now...this post has me thinking. I think I will blog my two cents...I am going to read Matt-Man's post first however...I want a clear perspective.
I just typed an incredibly long comment and wasn't happy with it. I guess since I am off today, I'll crack open a bottle of Rose and re-visit here shortly. In the meantime...
Word to your mutha, and peace out. Cheers Dana!!
I have seen the knitting graffiti in NYC and I thought it was clever installation street art. I never found it offensive, though prior to today I didn't know the name of the group. And still I think is more clever than racist.
As for Matt-Man, he is awesome. I don't visit him as much as I should because he was blocked from my office and I had to take a few blocked blogs out of my feed reader so I could keep my job. That means I have to remember to check it manually and that doesn't always happen. But he is smart and funny and respectful in his own way.
...I thought I was a pretty hip guy, with my finger on the pulse of what's happening, and such, but I don't know what a granny square is...
Well, I sure hope that a group of white people can get together and solve this racism problem. Oh, and I hope in doing so, those white people make sure to let black people know when they can and can't be offended. I always find that enjoyable.
Okay, here's my take. I of course, lean to the drinking the Rose way of dealing with the differences between people, and not just race. It can be ethnicity, religion, politcs, etc.
Hyperbole and stereotypes are funny. Many times people find stereotypes funny because they are ridiculous (or as a Chink would say, Ree-Dick-Er Russ) and of course, ridiculousness is an agent of not only comedy, but thought as well.
In this case (which is how I approached it) of exposing feelings about racism I used blatant stereotyping about Kwanzaa and black people. My post made fun of, drug down, and pissed all over the black people and this relatively new Holiday...until the end.
What did my post really say?
If you read to the end, you'll see that my post is really a diatribe against the commercialization of Christmas and Hanukkah. Not of Kwanzaa.
But here's the thing and this goes to the point of Alexis' post about casual racism. I am quite certain that anyone who was offneded by my post yesterday, never drew the connection of what I was truly saying.
They were too worried about PC and someone hearing a giggle over something that I wrote.
Those folks are the one's who have issues with race. I'm not saying that they are racists, but they will never be comfortable talking about race because a "non-PC" feeling may slip out.
And the funniest thing is...
If Chris Rock had written or performed what I wrote yesterday, the people who did get offended by what I wrote would have laughed at it.
Does that I mean that I and others have the race issues or that those people do?
Now if you'll excuse me...I need to put in my new Christmas CD.
David Duke and the Strom Thurmond Choir Present...White Christmas, Live From Bethlehem.
I apologize for my dissertation. Cheers Dana!!
Joker_SATX, oh ... you'll *heart* Matt-Man. The two of you were made for each other ... in a purely platonic way!
Matt-Man, the real question is will you be wrapped up in that crocheted afghan?
Karen, ny position on the use of Knitta rather than n-gga is that if we take the power out of the word it becomes nothing more than a word ... like Popsicle or pomegranate. I think humor is a wonderful way to accomplish that!
Phfrankie Bondo, [THIS] is a granny square. I knew I'd have the opportunity to enlighten at least one person today!
Jay, that aspect of the discussion always cracks me up. OK now ... all you white folks get together and decide just how you can solve this racism issue the black folks have!
Matt-Man, I'll be the first to admit that I often have to read your posts more than once to get past those initial reactions I have to some of what you say. It's taken me a while to realize that what gets a reaction out of me (when reading you) is *NEVER* what the post is actually about. And that is what I love about you!
Quite frankly, I think if we had a little more fun and took ourselves a little less seriously (yes, you've been the poster child for that too) we'd discover that we have far more in common than we ever imagined!
Wow! Deep post here and over on the OneGrandhome blog... Sometimes I agree with Jay and think that what are a bunch of white people doing getting all outraged at what we percieve as racist and want to butt out.. but as a member of a mixed race family and having expiereinced overt racial threats as a child I do tend to be very sensitive about the subject. I see the juxtoposition. Matt Man in my opinion is an equal opportunity offender who doesn't pull punches just because it's not PC but his deal is humor and satire... Yes he can make me laugh and yes he has offended me at times but I know what I am in for when I click on and link to his blog from mine... I mean does anyone really think that he swills the WIR daily? (other than my blogging partner Mt. Cat who of course tried to look up 'Bagwine Ohio' on Google Earth)
As far as these Knitters.. is it racist? Sure it is but I'm not sure it's my place to judge them or their motives either...
Nobody has to celebrate or bash anything.. If you don't like the Holiday- don't observe it.
Are you teasing me about my knitted gift card cozy? LOL!!! ;-)
...oh, THOSE are granny squares...well, sign me up!...knitta, please is a phfantastic play on words, and as you say, disarming due to the humor.
Humor rules!...
Wow. Alexis seems to be intolerant of others thoughts and perspectives.
I am a Liberal not an uber-Liberal nut like Olbermann or Maddow that appear on TV, but a Liberal nonetheless. I have often heard the following from people on the Right side of the political spectrum:
"People on the left are less tolerant than those of us on the right. They love ya if you agree with their beliefs but if you don't, they want to hear from you."
To me, Liberalism includes allowing those with differing opinions to be heard and discussed. Evidently, in this instance, Alexis does not believe that. That's a shame.
And what is really a shame is that she broached the subject of racism and yet, only wants to hear one side.
Not one side in the sense of pro and con, but in the sense as to what thinking people constitute as racism.
Oh well...if she is referencing me as far as one who speaks in racial caricatures at times, she's right, but as I mentioned in my earlier comment she is one of those who cannot see the forest for the trees as far as the ultimate message goes.
It's myopic and narrow thinking like that that causes problems in society which include meaningful discussions about race, or health care, or national debt, or human nature.
Thanks for brimging this up, Dana. And perhaps Alexis should follow our lead.
After all, while you and I agree on many things, there are many things political and societal that we don't agree upon and yet, we still talk and don't shut off the comments of one and other.
Cheers Dana!!
Oh my. As for me, after all this, I think I'll go for the shot (or 10) of Jack Daniels.
Here's where my fat lilly white ass lands on the subject. I honestly don't think there are too many people--just people--who really need or want anybody else taking up their "cause" or speaking for them. That's not to say that there are not many people--just people--who can use and appreciate some occasional support. Me included. But as for all those good, caring folks who want to take care of everybody and be the boss of what can and cannot be said? Eff 'em. Who died and elected them boss anyway.
I only know of Matt-Man through your comments and as your friend; I'd probably think he was funny. But then, ya know, I'm fat. And we're always jolly. BWAHAHAHAHA! All I care about is that if anyone is gonna be un-PC, that they be equal opportunity un-PC. Skewer everybody! Again with the BWAs.
I think what's-her-puss, Alexis or whatever it is, needs to not worry and be happy. It's almost Festivus.
;)
I guess I don't know shit about anything. I too thought I was hip with this, that, and the other thing --but I learned a bunch of new stuff today.
I saved this so I could comment but I don't remember what I was going to say, so I'll just respond to the edit...
FWIW, in the bloggy circles that I read, POC is a fairly commonly used term by POC and in reference to POC. But those are primarily feminist circles as well, so maybe that is primarily feminist WOC shorthand?
can't believe I missed all this...going over to bagwine....I'll be back.
I just don't understand people anymore. Having a child who is of African-American and a grandbaby of the same (who passed away in June) I find this ridiculous.
Next they will come out with the "Cracker Cookers" a cooking group who feeds people on the street. Maybe you have a good purpose, but to name it as such is stupid!
I was having a very similar discussion with my girls this week. I wish I had read Matt-Man's comment and had the phrase:
"Hyperbole and stereotypes are funny. Many times people find stereotypes funny because they are ridiculous."
If someone gets offended by a joke playing off a stereotype, I think they are too sensitive: Female drive jokes aren't sexist; Pedophile priest jokes aren't religiousist; Chinese Jokes aren't racist.
"Knitta Please" is funny because of the juxtaposition of the stereotype ("mostly poor, mostly black, mostly young" males) and it being "by mostly wealthy, mostly white, mostly young, mostly self-styled artists" females. They are not the butt of a joke, the words are the joke. The words carry no malice and aren't used maliciously.
Almost every joke will denigrate someone or some group. That is why it funny. If you cannot denigrate any one without and "ism" being called, the only humor left is people falling down on America's Funniest Home Videos.
What can I say? I'm just addicted to a good trainwreck. The worst of them that I've observed have come from crafters and subs. I can see the crafters, I mean, knitting needles are a bit like weapons, but submissives fighting? Then their Doms always join in.
But this is a new twist alright.
Strange.
Doc, I think Matt-Man has offended everyone at least once and what is that you say? He doesn't swill the WIR daily??
I've always felt that (generally) we place too much responsibility on other people to consider how we might take something they say than we do being accountable for our own reactions. We just give the power of words to the speaker when we do that.
buffalodick, but we want those freedoms ... and then we want to tell other people they shouldn't have any that are different from ours!
Evil Twin's Wife, I adored your cozy and laughed out load when I saw that post on the same day as this one!
Phfrankie Bondo, apparently those us us who are able to look at it and shrug are in the minority. Must find a cause. Must stop the evil knittas!
Matt-Man, it really was interesting to watch how that discussion played out. As often happens, the name calling (i.e. uneducated, illogical, scared, etc) ensued ... on both sides. I understand that people feel strongly on this topic, but shutting down discussions of opposing views by attempting to minimizing the person saying it? Just doesn't work ... AT.All
kim-d, Jack Daniels is sounding pretty good! I'm thinking if I am offended I have an obligation to speak to that person and/or organization. Getting everyone riled up - trying to stroke your ego allowing only those you agree with a say - that's just plain wrong! And how do I know that? Yeah ... been there ... done that!
rage, I did too!!
NY Diva, that could be. The women who commented on the post seemed to have a bit of a liberal bend to them (that sounded kind of dirty). I guess I need to get around to more blogs. Although I've seen this type of abbreviating on email lists (usually when defining family members - DH, SS, SD, etc) I've honestly never seen it in blog comments. And I guess the whole "person of color" thing just irritates me because it seems to imply I have no color.
katherine, you didn't miss it! Here you are!!
cat, see now, I actually think it's a funny play on words. I don't see it as making fun of anyone other than the "urban" culture.
Professor Fate, the funniest thing about stereotypes is they are often true. If we can't laugh at ourselves ... and others ... what's the use?
T - Another Geek Girl, I just had no idea the weight of the world and desire to end racism was resting on the shoulders of a few knitters. What's even more ironic is that "Knitta, please" has a book coming out soon and my guess is that all of the controversy will do little more than INCREASE sales!
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