Quote:
Originally posted by Arioso
First-of-****ing-all, you're equating cross-dressing to drag, and they're not the same thing. You don't seem to actually know what you're using to try to justify the disrespect and trivialization of cultures by people who cannot distinguish separate cultures. 
See, it would be one thing if you were defending a woman who actually knew and respected the culture(s) she was using in her performance. It would be one thing if your title actually said "drag" instead of cross-dressing. But neither of those are true. You're defending a pop star who mixed and matched Asian cultures for the aesthetic appeal of her performance and then copped not just a culture's elements, but a distinct other performer's style for her video, and you're attacking cross-dressing as well in order to defend that behavior. Cross-dressing is a method of exploring one's gender identity and gender expression: it harms nobody, as opposed to drag. Cross-dressing could actually be beneficial in encouraging people to do away with gender norms, unlike the improper utilization of cultures for quick entertainment. Drag, on the other hand, while not incredibly objectionable to be quite honest, emphasizes exaggeration and stereotyping.
And let me be clear here in saying I'm not against using other cultures for inspiration and performance - I'm against using them when you don't understand them enough to utilize them properly and respectfully, or when there's no artistic merit to the work and it's a ripoff of another specific performer. |
Under the strictest definition, a drag queen is simply a subset of a cross-dresser
A cross-dresser is anyone who wears clothing typically deemed solely for the opposite sex. If you think I am talking about transexuals or future transexuals, then you are wrong
People are very supportive of cross dressing, which in the entertainment realm means drag queens.
I am
positive that most people, even in art, do not understand 100% the cultural significance of everything they are inspired by or utilize
Photographers don't have to know the history of every plant/building/person they capture to have a beautiful artistic photo. Musicians don't have to know the very original Mozart or Beethoven origins of their melodies to put it into their work. Wearing a Kimono shouldn't be any different. Just like I am sure the Asian artists that wear suits and ties don't blink an eye at the Western significance of wearing sports jackets, ties, jeans, etc.
