Frustrated: The Idiots in Our World

WARNING: this post jumps around a lot. Try to not have your brain implode while reading. Also, it addresses sensitive topics. Well, one sensitive topic and a whole LOT of stupid people.

So.....I was hanging around YouTube today checking out cosplay videos when I quite accidentally stumbled upon something horrifying. I don't know how many ways I can be synonymous with the word "pathetic", but I think the following rant shall cover it.

Anywhoo, there was this series of channels, under names such as "PureJapanese", etc. etc. posting videos about how (and I quote) "racist westerners" should not be permitted to cosplay.

To this, I say: bull CRAP!

Unfortunately, this person's (or these people's) videos are just another example of the racism and stupidity that constantly happens on this planet. As a firm believer in equality of all people of all ANYTHING, I cannot help but be completely outraged by such a blatant ignorance from someone claiming to be protecting the purity of their race, or some similar silliness.

Humanity is considered one species for a reason. That is because we are all HUMANS, we are all the same. Regardless of colour, eye shape, body size, facial structure, and whatever else, we still have the same basic structure. All of us are either male or female, we all have the same anatomies (barring male-to-female differences) and we all live on the same planet. To go around spouting nonsense about other races is just a waste of your time.

So, to all of you who feel like this "PureJapanese" person, I say: why? Why do you feel the need to put down other races? Why does it MATTER to you so very much?

Culture is definitely a beautiful thing. It adds diversity and wonder to the human race. I agree with you on one single front: culture is something to preserve. However, I disagree in the sense that it is not something to preserve to the exclusion and discrimination of and to all else.

I don't care if you're American, Canadian, Russian, British, Egyptian, Japanese, Korean, Indian, or anything else. You will never be able to justify your hatred towards any other race. This is a battle that you will FUNDAMENTALLY LOSE. I don't understand this need of yours. I never will. I hope that it brings you some sort of sick pleasure, because if you were doing it without deriving any sort of enjoyment from it, I'd wonder what's wrong with you. Not that I'm not already wondering that, because your issues are obvious and too many to name.

However, I wish to address the specific topic of "western cosplay". I do this particularly because I, myself, am one of these "western racists" that is apparently sullying Japanese culture by showing appreciation for a beautiful form of art that I've loved since childhood. Oh, yes.

Now. I would just like to make a point of saying that, though there are many awful cosplays on the net, "westerners" are not the only ones to produce them. In fact, I've seen many "western people" produce wonderful and accurate cosplays. Where do these people fit in this category of "awful non-Asian cosplayers"?

Even better, why does the "okay" group encompass all Asian cultures when anime and manga are specific to Japan? I hate to break it to you, but no Asian cultures are the same. Chinese people are not Japanese any more than Koreans are Vietnamese or Japanese or Chinese. (Insert other various cultures that are considered "Asian"). Following this ridiculous logic, wouldn't the argument only make sense if it said that only Japanese people should be allowed to cosplay, as it was created by Japanese people? Where is the line to be drawn?

Now, to delve deeper into this entire concept of racism: I think it's actually amusing that these groups have decided that all white people have to be racist. I GET that there have been issues between cultures, but they are between ALL cultures, not just one fighting everyone else. Racism is really, by definition, a hateful judgment against another based on race (loosely put). Thus, how are western people that adore anime and manga culture being racist? They are showing LOVE for something.

I was nine or ten when I started to get into anime. Honestly, I wasn't even old enough to understand or care about racism when I started to like that stuff. It wasn't until I started buying the anime DVDs that I even realized that anime/manga were of Japanese origin. Even after I found out, I didn't really care. I mean, to be stupid, am I racist because I like the French language? It comes from France, doesn't it? Am I a "racist westerner" because I take French classes in school? I'm a North American learning the language of a European culture, after all. Does that make me racist?

No. It does not.

If Japan didn't want anime or manga to be appreciated by people outside of Japan, the companies that create the various animes and mangas wouldn't market them in other countries. I mean, that's just ASKING for non-Japanese people to start liking it. How awful - that people will come to love a small part of Japanese culture. Man, I hate when that happens.

I actually read through the comments of this video (as I only saw one and was not interested in watching other videos filled with similarly bigoted stupidity) and was horrified equally by the people who responded to this anti-white racism in kind. Why, oh why, do people think that 'eye for an eye' works? If you say that: "oh, well then Japanese people are racist because they wear clothes that were made in America. Stupid racist Asian people," then you're being JUST AS BAD. This is not a competition of who is being the biggest idiot. By saying things like this, you are only enforcing the other's negative opinion. This entire situation is a vicious circle, one that too many people are dumb enough to keep going.

So that's all. I just wanted to address something completely asinine that has me utterly flabbergasted.

Please, if you are guilty of any of the above stuff, take my words into consideration and pull your head out of your rear end. Don't promote hatred of other cultures. It only reflects badly upon your person. Just because some people are stupid enough to agree with your views does not make your views righteous or good. You're a child if you think that.

Do as the hippies did, people. Spread the love.

~ Ze NeRd