Is this insulting to you?

[Wishing on a star]

People have told us that such outfits make them feel a certain way and I'm not going to tell them that they don't feel that way. I make a policy of not telling other people how they feel. YMMV.

True!!!
I don't get to tell others what to feel or how to feel.

But, IMHO, The huge huge HUGE thing is that: They, and their feelings, don't get to tell others what to wear/feel or how to dress/feel.
That is where the line is.

A person can 'feel how they feel' 24 hours a day... But, when people think that they can make demands of others and impose their feelings on others (Yes, this is happening here) That is what I have a huge problem with. I could decide to dress as any character/persona/thing for Halloween, and you know what, I could guarantee you that SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, can and will find something to judge and be all 'offended' about.

That is called 'falling on knives'. Using 'how you feel' to control others.
Creating offense and disrespect and injustice where none exists.. Simply because one might not be able to dictate that things go their way and are all about them and and 'respects' THEM. Using the act of becoming all mortally offended/wounded as a tool. And, a tool that only goes one way.

A kid can't be Disney's Pocohontas... Immediate offense.
A kid can't be Disney's Mulan... Immediate offense.
A kid can't be a Halloween Witch... Immediate offense.
Etc.. Etc... Etc...

 

[Wishing on a star]

The 'likelihood' or odds aren't the big factor.

Just as an example, let's say that even HALF of the people at some public gathering might be vegetarians....
If I want discuss the perfect pot-roast with another person who is interested, then that is what I will do.

I do not get to dictate their diet.
Their 'FEELINGS' do not get to dictate my normal and appropriate conversation in a public setting.

 

[smiths02]

I also don't think putting on the make-up from that one scene will make OPs DD look more like Mulan or be more likely to win the costume contest. In most of the movie and in the parks, Mulan does not wear that make-up.

 

[waltdisneymom]

This is really crazy!! Cannot believe anyone would get so worked up about this. So what if there is a stereotype about your culture (and the white make up isn't even a stereotype anyway, just a depiction of historical reality). What do you care? There are plenty of "negative" stereotypes about my culture and frankly most of them are true. But that doesn't mean they represent me. I do feel a backlash against political correctness coming. I think people are getting tired of being "silenced" by the p.c. police.

 

[JandD75]

This is really crazy!! Cannot believe anyone would get so worked up about this. So what if there is a stereotype about your culture (and the white make up isn't even a stereotype anyway, just a depiction of historical reality). What do you care? There are plenty of "negative" stereotypes about my culture and frankly most of them are true. But that doesn't mean they represent me. I do feel a backlash against political correctness coming. I think people are getting tired of being "silenced" by the p.c. police.

 

[jevs]

Has this been bumped because of the bikini thread?

 

[JandD75]

This is an old thread, and Halloween is long past, but I wanted to comment on the part I find offensive--the princess part. I hate that Disney finds it necessary to declare a character a 'princess'. A girl is a princess if she marries a prince or if her parent was a king or queen. Mulan was not a princess. She was courageous, saving her father's life, and helping the other soldiers. She was determined and skillful. She was a heroine, and that's more important than being a princess.

 

[jevs]

This is an old thread, and Halloween is long past, but I wanted to comment on the part I find offensive--the princess part. I hate that Disney finds it necessary to declare a character a 'princess'. A girl is a princess if she marries a prince or if her parent was a king or queen. Mulan was not a princess. She was courageous, saving her father's life, and helping the other soldiers. She was determined and skillful. She was a heroine, and that's more important than being a princess.

OK, righto.

 

[Hrhpd]

Has this been bumped because of the bikini thread?

Somebody has been busy with the search function this morning or is exploring all the old threads on the bottom

This is an old thread, and Halloween is long past, but I wanted to comment on the part I find offensive--the princess part. I hate that Disney finds it necessary to declare a character a 'princess'. A girl is a princess if she marries a prince or if her parent was a king or queen. Mulan was not a princess. She was courageous, saving her father's life, and helping the other soldiers. She was determined and skillful. She was a heroine, and that's more important than being a princess.

Isn't this the second or third thread you have bumped already, and it is still morning? (well, at least on my coast it is still morning)

It is fiction about a fictional character. If Disney wants people to be Princesses in their fictional make believe world, then that is part of the creativity of their fictional story.

(bolding mine)

fic·tion
ˈfikSH(ə)n/
noun

1. literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people.
   
   • invention or fabrication as opposed to fact.

 

[Princess Mulan]

This is an old thread, and Halloween is long past, but I wanted to comment on the part I find offensive--the princess part. I hate that Disney finds it necessary to declare a character a 'princess'. A girl is a princess if she marries a prince or if her parent was a king or queen. Mulan was not a princess. She was courageous, saving her father's life, and helping the other soldiers. She was determined and skillful. She was a heroine, and that's more important than being a princess.

 

[kamik86]

My personal opinion? There is no way that you could dress (or not dress) I child that I think I would have any reason what so ever to find offensive.

I might find and feel that some ways of dressing are inappropriate, impractical, or even negligent (sending your child out without a coat during winter for example) however I don't have any reason to be offended by anything you do.

I think people get offended by way to much.

 

[PunkPrincess]

Hmmm

The problem is painting her face white. You can have her be Mulan with out painting her face. Her face was only painted in the one scene where she met her match maker.

And Mulan didn't even like her face painted, If you recall. It just wasn't "her". It's probably different with me but I went as Mulan as Ping as a kid but I'm tomboyish. The best I'd say is to go as her when she sings Reflection. Copying some of the dolls might be the best way to go.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Absolutely no problem at all. It is the style of dress and make for the time and character......

AKK

 

[jrmasm]

Maybe your daughter should dress like Pikachu this year!

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

not to me, but im sure some miserable person will be pissed off somewhere

Yep, I'd think it's cute and another would be aghast.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Ok... I don't know why... (maybe because shes a miserable person...), but MIL told me tonight that dressing up my DD6 as Mulan, (costume from Disney Store) for Halloween, with geisha style make up... is insulting to the Chinese community and that I "can't paint her face white" (like a geisha)...

Now I'm kinda freaking out... DD just happens to like Mulan... and there is a parade at school with costume judging so of course we'd add makeup and hair...

Is this insulting? Or is it "just a halloween costume"?

Mulan herself. Probably OK if it is clearly Mulan. A generic Geisha? Not ok.

 

[kamik86]

Would you dress your child up as a hooker? Well that's essentially what you're doing. Considering geisha were raised and educated for the sole purpose of pleasing men as glorified prostitutes, it's incredibly demeaning to Chinese women.

Why? Now lets say someone dresses up as a white hooker... that isn't demeaning to me as a white woman that isn't a hooker. So why should dressing up a geisha which as you said is basically a historical Chinese hooker be demeaning to a modern Chinese woman that isn't a hooker?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Why? Now lets say someone dresses up as a white hooker... that isn't demeaning to me as a white woman that isn't a hooker. So why should dressing up a geisha which as you said is basically a historical Chinese hooker be demeaning to a modern Chinese woman that isn't a hooker?

Would you dress your grammar school aged child as a prostitute? I sure wouldn't. Watch any documentary on human trafficking and you might change your tune.

 

[kamik86]

Would you dress your grammar school aged child as a prostitute? I sure wouldn't. Watch any documentary on human trafficking and you might change your tune.

That part I understand. No I wouldn't. I think anyone that would dress as a modern day prostitute is an idiot (Geisha is a different story since that is actually quite modest dress by today's standards). But just because I think the way someone is dressed makes them an idiot doesn't mean its offensive. You said it was demeaning and that is what I don't understand.

 

[Alfredo68]

Ok... I don't know why... (maybe because shes a miserable person...), but MIL told me tonight that dressing up my DD6 as Mulan, (costume from Disney Store) for Halloween, with geisha style make up... is insulting to the Chinese community and that I "can't paint her face white" (like a geisha)...

Now I'm kinda freaking out... DD just happens to like Mulan... and there is a parade at school with costume judging so of course we'd add makeup and hair...

Is this insulting? Or is it "just a halloween costume"?

For one thing, Geishas were Japanese, not Chinese. If I remember correctly, The Lion King offended Christians because of its Pagan content, Pocahontas offended Native Americans, Aladdin offended the Arabs (they even had to recall the videos and edit the first song where it said "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face"). As far as I know, Mulan did not offend Chinese, but these days everyone seems to be offended by something, so I'd say do it and if anyone gets offended, as my mother always said, they have two burdens: getting offended and getting over it.