Hooray for New Yarn!

[crysthewolf]

So for the first time in evar and evar, I ACTUALLY have a bit of extra cash. I decided I want to spend a teeeeeeensy bit of it, on this site: http://www.knitpicks.com . The self-striping sock yarn makes me go oooo and aaaaaaaah. I’m so excited. I haven’t decided what I want to get yet tho. Here’s the self-striping sock-yarn section… any suggestions?

For the time being I’ve been working on the ever-elusive afghan project (no, it’s not a suicide bomber.  Elana already beat you to that joke, sorry.)  I picked a color, picked a pattern from “Beginner’s Guide - Knit Stitches and Easy Projects“, and this is what I’ve got so far:

From knitting

It makes me happy. I like the horshoe stitch in particular…

From knitting

it just feels very, flow-ey. Is that a word? And if so, am I butchering it? =)

Been mostly working it while Chris and I get caught up on Battlestar Galactica (DO NOT spoil me. I’m only just starting season 3. If you aren’t sure what you’ve seen in which season, JUST DON’T TALK ABOUT IT. I am SERIOUSLY sick of being spoiled on this show, and I WILL eat you.) I’m hoping to be caught up by the finale… and I’m equally hopeful that someone will throw a finale party.

It’s nice to be making an afghan but it’s definitely an exercise in patience. The therapist suggests DO NOT PULL OUT THE PROJECT AND START OVER.

So NOW the question becomes… do I stick with a solid color, or do I vary??? Hmmmm, decisions decisions…

Love,
Crystal

Originally published at Crystal Knits. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

At the same time, we can't rake ourselves over the coals too much - our brains are hard-wired to create heuristics for reacting to and dealing with the world based on available information. Stereotyping is normal, and even, often, helpful. Stereotypes help us hone our instincts and make rapid decisions of vital importance. So I feel like the answer isn't to deny that it's happening, but to be extra aware of it in ourselves so we can effectively combat it with other means of decision-making when our subconscious, knee-jerk reactions are inappropriate to the circumstances.

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

Which is again why I wouldn't call it racism. Stereotyping I might accept, by a very, very basic definition. But I still find it important to draw a distinction. I don't know that I really think "racist" is a word that should be treated casually.

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

I disagree - I think it needs to become much less of a hot-button word. People are so terrified of getting labeled as "racist" that it's actually preventing us as a society from having meaningful discussions about race. If we're terrified of being "racist," we can't even begin to look at ourselves as we really are, and to honestly and productively deal with those issues and feelings. The *desire* to not be racist, while admirable, is not at all the same as actually not being racist. I can't just rid myself of racism and be done with it; it's a continuous process within myself. But if I'm so terrified of this extraordinarily loaded term, I can't even begin.

I think it's much more fruitful if people are able to say, "Yup, I'm racist. And so are you. Let's talk about it."

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

Mmmm... I don't think the problem is that it's a hot-button word, I think the problem is that it's too broadly defined. People SHOULD be concerned if they can define themselves as racist. However, people should also be concerned with knowing what racism is and isn't, and not consider themselves racist simply because they notice differences between cultures.

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

I would argue that you can't separate thoughts and behaviors into neat categories of "racist" and "not racist."

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

For example, a lot of the time you'll hear black people or gay people who have done a lot of work on themselves talk about their own internalized, subconscious racism or homophobia - and how its continuous effect on them, along with their struggle with it, is just a fact of their lives.

I even have a bit of internalized antisemitism, truth be told.

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

I tend to consider that "reverse racism"... the belief that someone ELSE'S culture is superior. And I can understand it (hell, I've dealt with it.) It definitely exists. However noticing that your culture is DIFFERENT doesn't by default make you racist or reverse-racist. It's the "superiority" or "inferiority" question that, to me (and to most dictionaries... ;) ), defines racism

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

But it's impossible to have any sort of values system for ourselves without having, at one point, deciding to view this belief or behavior as "superior," relative to that one, which is "inferior." Our value are based on what we find superior and inferior.

The only way to avoid any sort of judgment, and, hence, racism, is to subscribe to a position of pure moral relativism. This is 1) logically impossible, because by doing so you're inherently judging people who believe certain things are right and wrong as "inferior," and 2) obviously problematic. While I certainly don't agree with the right-wing view that the term "moral relativism" is gross and evil, and I think that a large dose of moral relativism is essential in understanding the world and treating people fairly, we'd be in for some major trouble if we allowed it to exist in pure form.

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

Sorry - my stupid brain won't stop running.

Anyway, another point on using superiority vs. inferiority as a litmus test for racism: Asian women are highly sexualized and even fetishized by a lot of people. And it's racist. Even though being viewed as attractive is a positive thing, and even if white men are viewing them as "superior" to white women, it's still racist.

On the other hand, it's not racist for people to express appreciation at the contributions that African-Americans have made to music, or that Asians have made to technology, or whatever.

Well, it can be.

But depends on how it's done.

There's a lot of gray area, and the potential for a slide into racism always exists, for everyone.

STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

Another thought: a great deal of our humor consists of racially-or-ethnically-based jokes. Howard and Rajesh's parents on "Big Bang Theory," for example, or just about all of Harold and Kumar. Whenever we poke fun at an ethnic group's quirks, however gently, the mere fact that we find them mock-able means that we're placing a value judgment on their behavior. But at the same time, laughing together at ourselves and each other, and recognizing reality for what it is, can be tremendously cathartic. And at its best, racially-infused can do a tremendous amount to open up dialogue.

For example, your "Tyrone! What's yo' daddy's name?!" story (which I think is HILARIOUS) is at least partially making fun of AAVE - which means that there's an implicit judgment that standard English is superior. So, yeah, it's racist. Not super-racist. Not dangerously racist, or damagingly racist. But racist.

And still funny.

And it's also an example of why we ought to de-charge the word just a bit. That way, we can call a spade a spade without the spade, y'know, rising up and stabbing us through the eye, or whatever.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

What's AAVE?

I've always thought that the joke in that story was that the whole situation was entirely preposterous... not anything to do with the race of the woman in question. For all I know she was a blonde-haired blue-eyed anglo lady. Hell, for all I know Tyrone's British. Frankly, whether the story's funny or not, if it's being taken as a slam against African-American culture then I'm going to quit telling it (note my social ignorance. ;) )

I do think that there's a fine line when it comes to racially or ethnically based humor. I think that when it comes to the place where a person is actually made to look down upon themselves because of their own culture due to comments or humor, this is racism, and it's bad. And yes, the line is fuzzy and I get that. But I do still think it exists in there somewhere.

What you said earlier about Asian women I think I don't call racism outright because I think that there is a more approrpiate word for that which ISN'T so charged... Stereotyping. Stereotyping can be a problem or it can be very useful. It becomes racism or not dependant upon how it's used.

I do get where you're coming from and I think you have a valid point. I'm just really hung up on this idea that if we begin to broaden the definition of racism so that it includes anything at all that regards one culture as DIFFERENT than another culture (instead of one culture being superior) or even something that simply makes an ASSUMPTION about another person based on the culture that they come from... I think that it doesn't take power AWAY from racism.. it gives power TO it. It gives us an excuse to keep being racist (all of us, not just majorities) and it brings progress in regards to equality to a screeching halt. While it's a noble idea to diminish the power of the word "racist", I don't think we're doing it by broadening the definition.

I kinda tend to think that calling every instance of stereotyping racism, spits in the face of people who have suffered racial discrimination (like, say, being told they could only sit in the back of the bus.) And I'm not saying "Stereotyping is okay and racism is bad". I'm simply saying that they're not the same thing, and that if we want a less charged term for what we tend to call "racism", then we ought to call these things what they really are instead of stretching racism to cover them.

Am I making sense? I'm really tired this evening and I wanted to say something before you had the entire conversation all by yourself, LOL. =D

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

African American Vernacular English (i.e. Ebonics).

And c'mon ... you have to admit that the story wouldn't be half as funny if it wasn't for *how* you tell it, and not just the words she said. It's not a slam against African-American culture, but it *is* racially-based humor.

I actually think it's important to broaden the classical definition of racism, sexism, and bigotry in general. It's because we have racism so narrowly defined that people are under the delusion that it's over now that we've elected a black president. It's because sexism is viewed so narrowly that so many people seem to think that it stopped entirely now that women have the right to vote and often work outside the home - and why so many people who are *obviously* sexist can't see it in themselves. We may have a lot of the big things taken care of, but to narrowly define racism to those big things means that cease to acknowledge or fight the countless small, subtle things that, taken together, are just about as pernicious and damaging to the spirit of a people.

I'm not saying that we need to see *everything* as racism. Just that we need to acknowledge the deceptive ease with which things can slide towards that place. If we only acknowledge big, obvious things as racism, then racism becomes something that's only other peoples problem, and not something we bear any responsibility for in ourselves. We allow ourselves to become complacent under the assumption that racism is a thing of the past, or endemic to only a few super-backward types. But it's not It's everywhere. It's so everywhere that we can't even see it. And it effects everything in our society. People are still hurting - but the problem is, if racism is narrowly defined, they don't know how or why. It's like when the term "abuse" just covered physical or sexual abuse, and totally ignored emotional and psychological abuse. People who talked about them were pretty much looked at whiners. Emotional abuse is often very, very subtle, and trying to form a comprehensive definition of it that leaves no room for error is nearly impossible. But denying its existence allows it to flourish - and allows people like my parents to feel comfortable in the knowledge that they're not doing anything wrong - because after all, it's not like they *hit* thei kids or anything, right? And their victims believe that too, because after all, they haven't had anything *really* all that bad happen to them, right? They've only had their souls nibbled away almost imperceptibly over time. It's just a fact of life for everyone involved, so they don't notice.

I also think we need to keep broadening our definitions because we need to continually reach for a more perect, more just society. Before the Civil War, racism equalled slavery. Full citizenship for blacks was almost inconceivable. Forty-five years ago, rape was something violent that strangers did to you - what Joan's fiance did to her on 'Mad Men' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6zZYCb-hyQ, if you haven't seen it) was called a "bad date," something pretty much all women had, and they were viewed as something to be brushed off and forgotten. But, thank God, we broadened our definitions. And in broadening our definitions, we broadened our thinking. And by acknowledging that treating blacks as second-class citizens was racism, it didn't take anything away from what their ancestors had endured as slaves. Just as by acknowledging date rape for the horror and abomination that it is, we aren't diminishing the suffering of the women of Darfur.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

I think that people who think racism and sexism don't exist anymore are woefully (and sometimes intentionally) ignorant... but that's because true racism and sexism DO still exist... and if folks think it doesn't, I can introduce them to my mother, who really believes (somehow) that all black people are stupid and lazy and bashes them behind their backs (and sometimes to their faces), that all Mexicans are dirty liars who are trying to steal American jobs, and that women are incapable of holding public office without their periods getting in the way.

To me, if a joke I'm telling is adding to a negative-stereotype of a particular culture, then I don't want to tell it because it's destructive. And it may well be (and I'd be lying if I'd said that idea had never crossed my mind.)

I think, though, that because of my background, I don't tend to think of a particular vernacular being the sole property of a particular race.

LOL, but you haven't met Roger, have you? ;)

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

This is a far heavier subject than I ever expected to have on knitting blog!!!

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

But the thing is, a lot of stereotypes do come from *somewhere* - even if the reasons behind them are more complex than just "they're weird" or "they just inherently suck." And I think it's really important to be able to acknowledge that these dynamics exist, otherwise we just shut down the conversation and paralyze everybody. We all *know* that certain cultures have certain tendencies. We can't force ourselves to deny our own perceptions of reality. Jokes, if told mindfully, are a vital way of keeping the dialogue open.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

*nods* to me, I think it depends on what effect they're having. The joke keeps a dialogue open. However, I would prefer that dialogue be about our culture, even poverty, in general at least as much as it is African American culture (because, like I said, the woman could have been from any background. What I knew about her was that she had a lot of children who were making a lot of noise and that she couldn't remember the name of the father of one of them.) However, if it becomes a point where the joke becomes fuel for a person to think that "all black people are poor" and "all black women have too many kids by too many different babies' fathers," I don't think it stops at being offensive... I think it breaks into territory where you're suddenly dealing with what people think of as a good excuse to put other people down.

One of the reasons I emphasize that I really DON'T know the culture of this woman, is that I believe that her problem goes beyond culture. The depth of complacency about her own situation that this woman was dealing with is a societal issue... and we all know that it isn't just an issue in the African American community.

I also think that where I end up with this whole thing is that I draw a sharp distinction between "racist" and "racial".

I draw a distinction between the two because I think one of the reasons people DO get up in arms is because they think that everything "racial" is automatically "racist". If I'm noticing a difference between my culture and yours, I must be putting you down, and that's not always the case.

I'll tell you something that usually pisses people off when I say it... race is a social construct. It doesn't mean it's bad, it doesn't mean it's good, and it CERTAINLY doesn't mean that racism doesn't exist... or that people shouldn't be proud of their heritage. It means that race isn't where the discussion should end, and it often does. When it comes to the ills of society, they're really only about one race... and that's humanity.

Which sounds completely cheesy I know... but it's true.

Does race, heritage, history, culture, play IN? Of course. Does that make us all a bunch of racists? Mm, no, not really.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

Just want to say that to me, it wasn't a story making fun of black people - it was just that the way she spoke added a lot of "flavor" to it all. (In other words, don't stop telling the story, cuz it's awesome.)

I agree with you that not everything racial is racist, but I just think that there's a lot of gray area in between the two.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

*nods* very true.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

You have these discussions on a pretty regular basis. Where on EARTH do you get the energy to keep going with them?

Maybe it's just that my current job kinda wears me out, but damn girl, I gotta sleep sometime, LOL.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

Eh, I don't have them all that often.

I think my energy comes from the fact that I'm often doing this when I *should* be doing my job. And my job is boring, so this actually *gives* me energy - it's a way for me to stay connected to the world, I guess.

Re: STUPID BRAIN ... LET ME GET SOME WORK DONE!

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

*nods* sometimes I feel like my work is draining the life out of me because I'm not really DOing anything. Just having arbitrary arguments about things that the people who SHOULD be having, aren't. =P

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

Off topic... oh the random shit that inspires a social-commentary discussion on this blog. ;)

[mycybertuffet.livejournal.com]

LOL - I know. I made a joke, you made a joke, and now, somehow, an enormous amount of time in which I should have been working has been mysteriously sucked away.

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

Bwaaaaa ha ha ha ha... it's our way. ;)

unfortunately I had to set all my livejournal-response messages to auto-archive in Gmail so that I would actually GET some work done... but that's because I can't stand to see an "unread message" count in my inbox. ;)