The Mikado controversy- Page 2

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 2:54pm

devonian.t said: "Surely any colour-blind casting is wrong if it is intended to disrespect a race.  The Mikado is not disrespecting Japan, only England."

Sure, but it's by way of disrespectful jokes about Japan, which are still offensive unless couched in some kind of critical framing device.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 9:02pm

ChairinMain said: "Gaveston - As far as the D'Oyly Carte goes, the "N Word" was removed from performance in the mid-1940s. It was replaced by "The Banjo Serenader", which of course is still hugely racist. Most productions today rewrite the entire song, anyway. 

 

"

Thank you, chair. I think taking offense to "banjo serenader" is really stretching matters. We have banjo players of all races and most Americans have grown up seeing mostly white people play the instrument in country music. I don't see how you get back to minstrelsy unless you are working to get there.

 

A Director, I have read all the links and have no idea why you thought I in particular needed to do so. I've already expressed my opposition to yellowface. The only unique idea in those links is a general objection to the appropriation of foreign cultures and the portrayal of them as exotic metaphors. I don't entirely disagree. But, as others have pointed out, THE MIKADO does its appropriation so badly, it can only be seen as a goof. Were we talking about TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON, or other realistic works of the mid-20th century, I'd be more inclined to agree.

Although I don't think political correctness is one of our great problems, it is possible to take identity politics to an absurd place. We are no more in need of protection from THE MIKADO than from MACBETH. Even most of the letter writers merely demanded that the MIKADO cast not be made up to appear to be realistically Japanese. I have already agreed with them.

Updated On: 9/20/15 at 09:02 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 8:01am

 

An intelligent historical overview of cultural appropriation and exoticism from The Atlantic, written a year ago when a similar controversy erupted around a Seattle production of The Mikado:  

 

 THE ATLANTIC: Opera's Old-Fashioned Race Problem: If the art form wants to stay alive today, it might do well to get rid of centuries-old ethnic stereotypes

 

 

[devonian.t]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 9:15am

Sorry, I ought to stress I am defending the original writers, not this production, which I have not seen.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 10:04am

It really is surprising to me that any companies now would even attempt a production of The Mikado in which... uh, "racially evocative" makeup is used, when the vast majority of productions seem to be just color blind casting (which is the only logical choice for this show now, I think).

[That Groovy Guy]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 7:50pm

According to reports the cast is NOT all white so all of the whiteblaming and whiteshaming is not only out of place but just a cheap shot at being racist in a manner which is deemed acceptable by many lately. Why just bash the white cast?  Why totally gloss over the people of color in the cast?  I'll tell you why....because it's convenient and whiteblaming and whiteshaming is a prevalent form of racism nowadays.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 7:54pm

No one has it harder than white people, that's for damn sure!

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 8:04pm

I don't know Groovy Guy's intent, Phyllis. Personally I'm more concerned with saving a great 19th century work than I am with discrimination against white people. It's not as if there are so many great comic operas in the repertoire.

 

And Guy does have a point: a multiracial (optimally black, yellow, brown, red and white) MIKADO is by far the best way to go.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 8:18pm

Liberal white guilt here?

 

 

the same board where people basically called some people out out as racist for questioning a black Mama Roae citing the wonders of color kind casting (or any other number of examples) have an issue with Caucasian players in The Mikado

not trying to start an argument but I really don't understand the difference

 

btw I have NO ISSUE with a black Mama Rose or person of color playing Hamilton. Non fact I live it.   I don't get the outage about The Mikado

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 9:55pm

 

 

Do you feel outrage that he inserted a character called "The Axe Coolie" into the show?

 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 1:08am

Make fun of me all you want, but why is "yellow face" and "black face" such a degrading, racist thing, but "white face" is considered hilarious? Like with the movie "White Chicks?" I don't understand reverse racism and reverse judgement. Call me a white bitch all you want, but it doesn't make sense to me. 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 1:43am

Because white people have power, doofus.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 1:49am

But why does that make it okay? I don't understand the idea of "you can't do this, but I can." 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 1:51am

Because it doesn't hurt white people, while black/yellowface hurts black people and Asians. It might hurt your feelings, which I guess kinda sucks for you, but it's not hurting white people on a systematic level. However, black/yellowface has, indeed, been used historically to engender harmful, violent stereotypes against black and Asian people.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 8:36am

Also: whiteface isn't widespread. Like, at all. And it has no roots in institutionalized racism. Racial caricature was a key element of Jim Crow, of anti-Chinese sentiment in the late 19th century, of anti-Japanese sentiment in the 40s, of anti-segregationists.  

"Reverse racism" and "whiteshaming" are terms cooked up by white people who ardently believe themselves to not be racist yet also feel that they are victimized based on their race and firmly believe the hurt they feel is historically equivalent to the institutionalized racism that supported America and continues to be deeply felt.