Guest guest Posted June 10, 2005 Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has made some last-minute changes to its June 4 Fashion Cares gala, dubbed Bollywood Cowboy: East Meets Western, after taking some heat for its ad campaign (http://www.fashioncares.com/index.html). The fundraiser has been promoted as a blend of spicy Indian films and dusty western flicks, but the cowboys-and-Indians theme has raised the ire of many in the city's ethnic community who feel ACT should have consulted them before "appropriating" their culture. "The reaction I've been getting from everyone is complete shock," says Seema Opal, executive director of the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAP), one of two dozen ethno-cultural and community groups backing the Fashion Cares protest. Asian Community Services, Support Group for Queer Muslims, South Asian Legal Clinic, and the Chinese Canadian National Council are among the others. At issue are posters, billboards and print ads showing fair-skinned models wrapped in traditional Indian textiles with henna designs on their skin. In one, a white model portrays the black goddess Kali with her four arms. At the April 13 launch party for Fashion Cares, guests were stunned to see models portraying goddesses and go-go dancers painted in Krishna blue serving drinks. Says Opal, "It was incredibly disturbing, because we had no opportunity to say, 'Stop!' This is incredibly bad to be perpetuating these types of stereotypes." Toronto fashion designer Bina Duranni, a Pakistani Canadian, says she has re-evaluated her support for ACT since the campaign began. "I really wanted to go [to Fashion Cares], but I feel really left out," she says. "Bollywood is not a representation of the South Asian community. It's a commercial representation very far removed from reality." Duranni says she sent an e-mail to ACT expressing her disappointment and anger but has not received a response. She says ACT should know better. "It's exploiting a whole culture." Save for a formal statement issued last Thursday, May 26, ACT reps have offered little by way of explanation themselves. Executive director Lori Lucier did not respond to a request for an interview. The board member whom ACT's communications coordinator, Tyler Stiem, promised would speak to NOW on the issue also failed to make contact. In its statement, ACT apologizes for not consulting with members of the South Asian community but stops short of issuing a formal apology to the offended communities or making the commitment to the anti-racism training for staff that the aggrieved parties are calling for. "The Fashion Cares steering committee made a number of changes to the marketing materials and the show in response to the helpful input received [from] members of Toronto's South Asian communities," reads the statement. "ACT is also committed to developing a broader consultative process for the planning and development of similar fundraising activities in the future." Opal says after meeting with representatives of the South Asian community, ACT agreed to remove some of the Fashion Cares imagery from its website and promised to make some changes to the content of the show. "They have removed all references to gods and goddesses at the actual event," says Opal. "They've also taken out any references to cowboys and Indians fighting. They've removed turbans and such from various actors." Opal and two directors on the ASAP board plan to attend Fashion Cares to see if ACT delivers on its pledge to tone down the stereotypes. "We're going to be there to make sure they aren't objectifying South Asians." Opal says ASAP has received about $10,000 a year from ACT for the last seven or eight years. This is not the first time ACT has courted controversy. In 2001, it launched a $400,000 safer sex campaign called Welcome To Condom Country that borrowed from the iconic Marlboro ads featuring handsome cowboys. Critics blasted ACT for modelling a campaign about making healthy choices after one that promoted smoking. (Both original Marlboro men, Wayne McLaren and David McLean, died of lung cancer.) The tobacco company that owns the Marlboro brand threatened legal action. SOURCE: NOW Magazine, Toronto. "Bollywood blow-up," by JOHN KENNEDY URL: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-06-02/news_feature2.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2005 Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 Gee, who'd of thunk that Hindus take their religion so seriously? The ACT just picked a humorless religion. If they had dressed models up as Catholic priests and nuns, serving drinks and go-go dancing, the good-natured Pope and his religious cohorts would've seen it all as the light-hearted joke it was meant to be. Wouldn't they? (I blush to admit that I've already mined the "cowboys and Indians" image. At a parody Wiccan ritual, I appeared wearing a kurta and a borrowed ten-gallon hat, in the persona of Haudhi Padma, a seeker who merges East and West.) -- Len/ Kalipadma --- devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote: > The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has made some > last-minute > changes to its June 4 Fashion Cares gala, dubbed > Bollywood Cowboy: > East Meets Western, after taking some heat for its > ad campaign > (http://www.fashioncares.com/index.html). > > The fundraiser has been promoted as a blend of spicy > Indian films > and dusty western flicks, but the > cowboys-and-Indians theme has > raised the ire of many in the city's ethnic > community who feel ACT > should have consulted them before "appropriating" > their culture. > > "The reaction I've been getting from everyone is > complete shock," > says Seema Opal, executive director of the Alliance > for South Asian > AIDS Prevention (ASAP), one of two dozen > ethno-cultural and > community groups backing the Fashion Cares protest. > Asian Community > Services, Support Group for Queer Muslims, South > Asian Legal Clinic, > and the Chinese Canadian National Council are among > the others. > > At issue are posters, billboards and print ads > showing fair-skinned > models wrapped in traditional Indian textiles with > henna designs on > their skin. In one, a white model portrays the black > goddess Kali > with her four arms. > > At the April 13 launch party for Fashion Cares, > guests were stunned > to see models portraying goddesses and go-go dancers > painted in > Krishna blue serving drinks. > > Says Opal, "It was incredibly disturbing, because we > had no > opportunity to say, 'Stop!' This is incredibly bad > to be > perpetuating these types of stereotypes." > > Toronto fashion designer Bina Duranni, a Pakistani > Canadian, says > she has re-evaluated her support for ACT since the > campaign > began. "I really wanted to go [to Fashion Cares], > but I feel really > left out," she says. "Bollywood is not a > representation of the South > Asian community. It's a commercial representation > very far removed > from reality." > > Duranni says she sent an e-mail to ACT expressing > her disappointment > and anger but has not received a response. She says > ACT should know > better. "It's exploiting a whole culture." > > Save for a formal statement issued last Thursday, > May 26, ACT reps > have offered little by way of explanation > themselves. Executive > director Lori Lucier did not respond to a request > for an interview. > The board member whom ACT's communications > coordinator, Tyler Stiem, > promised would speak to NOW on the issue also failed > to make > contact. > > In its statement, ACT apologizes for not consulting > with members of > the South Asian community but stops short of issuing > a formal > apology to the offended communities or making the > commitment to the > anti-racism training for staff that the aggrieved > parties are > calling for. > > "The Fashion Cares steering committee made a number > of changes to > the marketing materials and the show in response to > the helpful > input received [from] members of Toronto's South > Asian communities," > reads the statement. "ACT is also committed to > developing a broader > consultative process for the planning and > development of similar > fundraising activities in the future." > > Opal says after meeting with representatives of the > South Asian > community, ACT agreed to remove some of the Fashion > Cares imagery > from its website and promised to make some changes > to the content of > the show. > > "They have removed all references to gods and > goddesses at the > actual event," says Opal. "They've also taken out > any references to > cowboys and Indians fighting. They've removed > turbans and such from > various actors." > > Opal and two directors on the ASAP board plan to > attend Fashion > Cares to see if ACT delivers on its pledge to tone > down the > stereotypes. > > "We're going to be there to make sure they aren't > objectifying South > Asians." Opal says ASAP has received about $10,000 a > year from ACT > for the last seven or eight years. > > This is not the first time ACT has courted > controversy. In 2001, it > launched a $400,000 safer sex campaign called > Welcome To Condom > Country that borrowed from the iconic Marlboro ads > featuring > handsome cowboys. Critics blasted ACT for modelling > a campaign about > making healthy choices after one that promoted > smoking. (Both > original Marlboro men, Wayne McLaren and David > McLean, died of lung > cancer.) The tobacco company that owns the Marlboro > brand threatened > legal action. > > SOURCE: NOW Magazine, Toronto. "Bollywood blow-up," > by JOHN KENNEDY > URL: > http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-06-02/news_feature2.php > > > Discover Get on-the-go sports scores, stock quotes, news and more. Check it out! http://discover./mobile.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 This and other campaignsin France; Italy etc.are, I feel, part of the Catholic church's covert campaign against hinduism. Why this sudden increae? This is the only possible answer devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote: The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has made some last-minute changes to its June 4 Fashion Cares gala, dubbed Bollywood Cowboy: East Meets Western, after taking some heat for its ad campaign (http://www.fashioncares.com/index.html). The fundraiser has been promoted as a blend of spicy Indian films and dusty western flicks, but the cowboys-and-Indians theme has raised the ire of many in the city's ethnic community who feel ACT should have consulted them before "appropriating" their culture. "The reaction I've been getting from everyone is complete shock," says Seema Opal, executive director of the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAP), one of two dozen ethno-cultural and community groups backing the Fashion Cares protest. Asian Community Services, Support Group for Queer Muslims, South Asian Legal Clinic, and the Chinese Canadian National Council are among the others. At issue are posters, billboards and print ads showing fair-skinned models wrapped in traditional Indian textiles with henna designs on their skin. In one, a white model portrays the black goddess Kali with her four arms. At the April 13 launch party for Fashion Cares, guests were stunned to see models portraying goddesses and go-go dancers painted in Krishna blue serving drinks. Says Opal, "It was incredibly disturbing, because we had no opportunity to say, 'Stop!' This is incredibly bad to be perpetuating these types of stereotypes." Toronto fashion designer Bina Duranni, a Pakistani Canadian, says she has re-evaluated her support for ACT since the campaign began. "I really wanted to go [to Fashion Cares], but I feel really left out," she says. "Bollywood is not a representation of the South Asian community. It's a commercial representation very far removed from reality." Duranni says she sent an e-mail to ACT expressing her disappointment and anger but has not received a response. She says ACT should know better. "It's exploiting a whole culture." Save for a formal statement issued last Thursday, May 26, ACT reps have offered little by way of explanation themselves. Executive director Lori Lucier did not respond to a request for an interview. The board member whom ACT's communications coordinator, Tyler Stiem, promised would speak to NOW on the issue also failed to make contact. In its statement, ACT apologizes for not consulting with members of the South Asian community but stops short of issuing a formal apology to the offended communities or making the commitment to the anti-racism training for staff that the aggrieved parties are calling for. "The Fashion Cares steering committee made a number of changes to the marketing materials and the show in response to the helpful input received [from] members of Toronto's South Asian communities," reads the statement. "ACT is also committed to developing a broader consultative process for the planning and development of similar fundraising activities in the future." Opal says after meeting with representatives of the South Asian community, ACT agreed to remove some of the Fashion Cares imagery from its website and promised to make some changes to the content of the show. "They have removed all references to gods and goddesses at the actual event," says Opal. "They've also taken out any references to cowboys and Indians fighting. They've removed turbans and such from various actors." Opal and two directors on the ASAP board plan to attend Fashion Cares to see if ACT delivers on its pledge to tone down the stereotypes. "We're going to be there to make sure they aren't objectifying South Asians." Opal says ASAP has received about $10,000 a year from ACT for the last seven or eight years. This is not the first time ACT has courted controversy. In 2001, it launched a $400,000 safer sex campaign called Welcome To Condom Country that borrowed from the iconic Marlboro ads featuring handsome cowboys. Critics blasted ACT for modelling a campaign about making healthy choices after one that promoted smoking. (Both original Marlboro men, Wayne McLaren and David McLean, died of lung cancer.) The tobacco company that owns the Marlboro brand threatened legal action. SOURCE: NOW Magazine, Toronto. "Bollywood blow-up," by JOHN KENNEDY URL: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-06-02/news_feature2.php / Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 Well, I certainly don't wish to find myself perceived as being in the philosophically awkward position of seeming to defend the Catholic church but..... Could it possibly be that this is the clumsy response of the dominant culture to the increased exposure to Hindu culture? I went to India 6 years ago because of business, then and more and more, India is a powerful influence, particularly because of the tech industry which is helping to increase India's wealth and power. Most people 'til recently had never heard of Bollywood, now within the last month I saw a huge article in the "Living" section of a local Sunday paper about Bollywood. Anyone in any major U.S. city in a large enough business is working with people who are from India, or their parents were. Perhaps in the U.S. hispanics are the fastest growing minority, but Indians have to be the second fastest and this is a culture with which most people are not familiar. It's entirely new and the new is always more interesting. As for the "racism" of this "fashion gala" well, I just think that the fashion industry has always been exaggerated, over the top. The hyperbolic use of iconography in fashion or art isn't new or surprising. Paper dresses, bubble wrap, day glow orange furs, and these days women are actually having surgery to remove toes to fit into those heinously pointed shoes. The fashion industry is about exaggeration. This isn't a financial industry convention, this is a fashion show put on by an organization that is primarily gay. Are we really protesting the abuse of Hindu symbolism, or are we protesting the irreverent exuberance of gay culture? While it is true that Christians have a long and ugly history of labeling everybody else's faith and practices as laughable at best and evil most of the time, I don't see any fundamental Christian influence in a bunch of gay guys going gaa gaa over the brilliant beauty of Hindu aesthetic and deciding that it MUST go into their next show. In fact, it was only a matter of time. namaste, prainbow , sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote: > This and other campaignsin France; Italy etc.are, I feel, part of the Catholic church's covert campaign against hinduism. > > Why this sudden increae? This is the only possible answer > > devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta> wrote: > The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has made some last-minute > changes to its June 4 Fashion Cares gala, dubbed Bollywood Cowboy: > East Meets Western, after taking some heat for its ad campaign > (http://www.fashioncares.com/index.html). > > The fundraiser has been promoted as a blend of spicy Indian films > and dusty western flicks, but the cowboys-and-Indians theme has > raised the ire of many in the city's ethnic community who feel ACT > should have consulted them before "appropriating" their culture. > > "The reaction I've been getting from everyone is complete shock," > says Seema Opal, executive director of the Alliance for South Asian > AIDS Prevention (ASAP), one of two dozen ethno-cultural and > community groups backing the Fashion Cares protest. Asian Community > Services, Support Group for Queer Muslims, South Asian Legal Clinic, > and the Chinese Canadian National Council are among the others. > > At issue are posters, billboards and print ads showing fair-skinned > models wrapped in traditional Indian textiles with henna designs on > their skin. In one, a white model portrays the black goddess Kali > with her four arms. > > At the April 13 launch party for Fashion Cares, guests were stunned > to see models portraying goddesses and go-go dancers painted in > Krishna blue serving drinks. > > Says Opal, "It was incredibly disturbing, because we had no > opportunity to say, 'Stop!' This is incredibly bad to be > perpetuating these types of stereotypes." > > Toronto fashion designer Bina Duranni, a Pakistani Canadian, says > she has re-evaluated her support for ACT since the campaign > began. "I really wanted to go [to Fashion Cares], but I feel really > left out," she says. "Bollywood is not a representation of the South > Asian community. It's a commercial representation very far removed > from reality." > > Duranni says she sent an e-mail to ACT expressing her disappointment > and anger but has not received a response. She says ACT should know > better. "It's exploiting a whole culture." > > Save for a formal statement issued last Thursday, May 26, ACT reps > have offered little by way of explanation themselves. Executive > director Lori Lucier did not respond to a request for an interview. > The board member whom ACT's communications coordinator, Tyler Stiem, > promised would speak to NOW on the issue also failed to make > contact. > > In its statement, ACT apologizes for not consulting with members of > the South Asian community but stops short of issuing a formal > apology to the offended communities or making the commitment to the > anti-racism training for staff that the aggrieved parties are > calling for. > > "The Fashion Cares steering committee made a number of changes to > the marketing materials and the show in response to the helpful > input received [from] members of Toronto's South Asian communities," > reads the statement. "ACT is also committed to developing a broader > consultative process for the planning and development of similar > fundraising activities in the future." > > Opal says after meeting with representatives of the South Asian > community, ACT agreed to remove some of the Fashion Cares imagery > from its website and promised to make some changes to the content of > the show. > > "They have removed all references to gods and goddesses at the > actual event," says Opal. "They've also taken out any references to > cowboys and Indians fighting. They've removed turbans and such from > various actors." > > Opal and two directors on the ASAP board plan to attend Fashion > Cares to see if ACT delivers on its pledge to tone down the > stereotypes. > > "We're going to be there to make sure they aren't objectifying South > Asians." Opal says ASAP has received about $10,000 a year from ACT > for the last seven or eight years. > > This is not the first time ACT has courted controversy. In 2001, it > launched a $400,000 safer sex campaign called Welcome To Condom > Country that borrowed from the iconic Marlboro ads featuring > handsome cowboys. Critics blasted ACT for modelling a campaign about > making healthy choices after one that promoted smoking. (Both > original Marlboro men, Wayne McLaren and David McLean, died of lung > cancer.) The tobacco company that owns the Marlboro brand threatened > legal action. > > SOURCE: NOW Magazine, Toronto. "Bollywood blow-up," by JOHN KENNEDY > URL: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-06-02/news_feature2.php > > > > > > Links > > > / > > > > > > > > > > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 I was just thinking that the mix between Norse and Goddess traditions are like heterosexual drag. Even the strict party line of compulsory heterosexuality in the teachings of the Catholic church and other Christian and non- Christian religious establishments are that: amplification of roles, of play-acting. , "prainbow61" <paulie- rainbow@u...> wrote: > Well, I certainly don't wish to find myself perceived as being in the philosophically > awkward position of seeming to defend the Catholic church but..... > > Could it possibly be that this is the clumsy response of the dominant culture to the > increased exposure to Hindu culture? > > I went to India 6 years ago because of business, then and more and more, India is a > powerful influence, particularly because of the tech industry which is helping to increase > India's wealth and power. Most people 'til recently had never heard of Bollywood, now > within the last month I saw a huge article in the "Living" section of a local Sunday paper > about Bollywood. Anyone in any major U.S. city in a large enough business is working with > people who are from India, or their parents were. > > Perhaps in the U.S. hispanics are the fastest growing minority, but Indians have to be the > second fastest and this is a culture with which most people are not familiar. It's entirely > new and the new is always more interesting. > > As for the "racism" of this "fashion gala" well, I just think that the fashion industry has > always been exaggerated, over the top. The hyperbolic use of iconography in fashion or > art isn't new or surprising. Paper dresses, bubble wrap, day glow orange furs, and these > days women are actually having surgery to remove toes to fit into those heinously pointed > shoes. The fashion industry is about exaggeration. This isn't a financial industry > convention, this is a fashion show put on by an organization that is primarily gay. Are we > really protesting the abuse of Hindu symbolism, or are we protesting the irreverent > exuberance of gay culture? > > While it is true that Christians have a long and ugly history of labeling everybody else's > faith and practices as laughable at best and evil most of the time, I don't see any > fundamental Christian influence in a bunch of gay guys going gaa gaa over the brilliant > beauty of Hindu aesthetic and deciding that it MUST go into their next show. > > In fact, it was only a matter of time. > > namaste, > > prainbow > > , sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote: > > This and other campaignsin France; Italy etc.are, I feel, part of the Catholic church's > covert campaign against hinduism. > > > > Why this sudden increae? This is the only possible answer > > > > devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has made some last-minute > > changes to its June 4 Fashion Cares gala, dubbed Bollywood Cowboy: > > East Meets Western, after taking some heat for its ad campaign > > (http://www.fashioncares.com/index.html). > > > > The fundraiser has been promoted as a blend of spicy Indian films > > and dusty western flicks, but the cowboys-and-Indians theme has > > raised the ire of many in the city's ethnic community who feel ACT > > should have consulted them before "appropriating" their culture. > > > > "The reaction I've been getting from everyone is complete shock," > > says Seema Opal, executive director of the Alliance for South Asian > > AIDS Prevention (ASAP), one of two dozen ethno-cultural and > > community groups backing the Fashion Cares protest. Asian Community > > Services, Support Group for Queer Muslims, South Asian Legal Clinic, > > and the Chinese Canadian National Council are among the others. > > > > At issue are posters, billboards and print ads showing fair- skinned > > models wrapped in traditional Indian textiles with henna designs on > > their skin. In one, a white model portrays the black goddess Kali > > with her four arms. > > > > At the April 13 launch party for Fashion Cares, guests were stunned > > to see models portraying goddesses and go-go dancers painted in > > Krishna blue serving drinks. > > > > Says Opal, "It was incredibly disturbing, because we had no > > opportunity to say, 'Stop!' This is incredibly bad to be > > perpetuating these types of stereotypes." > > > > Toronto fashion designer Bina Duranni, a Pakistani Canadian, says > > she has re-evaluated her support for ACT since the campaign > > began. "I really wanted to go [to Fashion Cares], but I feel really > > left out," she says. "Bollywood is not a representation of the South > > Asian community. It's a commercial representation very far removed > > from reality." > > > > Duranni says she sent an e-mail to ACT expressing her disappointment > > and anger but has not received a response. She says ACT should know > > better. "It's exploiting a whole culture." > > > > Save for a formal statement issued last Thursday, May 26, ACT reps > > have offered little by way of explanation themselves. Executive > > director Lori Lucier did not respond to a request for an interview. > > The board member whom ACT's communications coordinator, Tyler Stiem, > > promised would speak to NOW on the issue also failed to make > > contact. > > > > In its statement, ACT apologizes for not consulting with members of > > the South Asian community but stops short of issuing a formal > > apology to the offended communities or making the commitment to the > > anti-racism training for staff that the aggrieved parties are > > calling for. > > > > "The Fashion Cares steering committee made a number of changes to > > the marketing materials and the show in response to the helpful > > input received [from] members of Toronto's South Asian communities," > > reads the statement. "ACT is also committed to developing a broader > > consultative process for the planning and development of similar > > fundraising activities in the future." > > > > Opal says after meeting with representatives of the South Asian > > community, ACT agreed to remove some of the Fashion Cares imagery > > from its website and promised to make some changes to the content of > > the show. > > > > "They have removed all references to gods and goddesses at the > > actual event," says Opal. "They've also taken out any references to > > cowboys and Indians fighting. They've removed turbans and such from > > various actors." > > > > Opal and two directors on the ASAP board plan to attend Fashion > > Cares to see if ACT delivers on its pledge to tone down the > > stereotypes. > > > > "We're going to be there to make sure they aren't objectifying South > > Asians." Opal says ASAP has received about $10,000 a year from ACT > > for the last seven or eight years. > > > > This is not the first time ACT has courted controversy. In 2001, it > > launched a $400,000 safer sex campaign called Welcome To Condom > > Country that borrowed from the iconic Marlboro ads featuring > > handsome cowboys. Critics blasted ACT for modelling a campaign about > > making healthy choices after one that promoted smoking. (Both > > original Marlboro men, Wayne McLaren and David McLean, died of lung > > cancer.) The tobacco company that owns the Marlboro brand threatened > > legal action. > > > > SOURCE: NOW Magazine, Toronto. "Bollywood blow-up," by JOHN KENNEDY > > URL: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-06- 02/news_feature2.php > > > > > > > > > > > > Links > > > > > > / > > > > > > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > > > > > > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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