Bebe Taian

Japanese Arts + Culture, Explored - Some Posts NSFW

[kimono-hiko-deactivated20200212]

[bebetaian2]

I don't particularly like this coordination, but oh! That obi! <3 It's so perfect!

[bebetaian2]

Fellow Bloggers, I Need Your Help!

Fellow bloggers, I'm making changes to my culture blog next year. I have some questions:

- How can I make my blog more accessible for the visually-impaired? - How often should I be updating? I'm trying not to let depression and the world get in the way this year... - Particular to Japanese culture blogs, should I try to reign in my focus to traditional, Meiji-and-before Japan, or write about a mix of modern and historical data? - How can I better tag stuff, particularly using Blogger? How does SEO work on Blogger?

[flyhigherfirefly]

I don’t think Florida’s even a real place anymore.

[bebetaian2]

You know we hosted the RNC right? I think a lot of their folks got left behind, and all their bitching is releasing hot air into our area and getting stuck here.

[bebetaian2]

Racists and misogynists for Katy Perry: A photo series in 25 screencaps, Part 1 Every time I see ThisIsNotJapan or FeministInTheKitchen, or anyone else respond to the Katy Perry debacle, I’m astounded. The sheer fortitude and self-control they must have to try and combat this shit actively every freaking day without landing in jail is just amazing. Please read their blogs. Just STFU, don’t ask them anything, and read their blogs. After you have read their blogs, then start asking questions or using Google. This is how predominantly white men respond to white women calling out Katy’s racist-ass misogynistic bullshit. It ain’t pretty. I can’t even imagine what it must take for someone without white privilege to deal with this shit on an ongoing basis. It’s soul-crushing. Completely belittling. I’m used to it for other reasons, but that doesn’t lessen the impact of new shit any. How do people do this and stay sane? TW for pretty much every thing ever short of animal abuse and self-harm. And this isn’t even the side convos when men started PMing me demanding that I explain to them why they’re dead wrong and how they’re sexist… right before informing me that THEY have the right to decide what is sexist against myself and other women. Hint: an oppressor NEVER has the right to determine what is oppressive behavior. This means men don’t get to decide what harms non-men. Able-bodied people don’t get to decide what hurts disabled people. White people do not fucking get to decide what hurts non-white people. The amount of times a relatively wealthy, able-bodied, cisgendered, heterosexual white male gets to decide what harms others is exactly 0.

(In before men start PMing me here saying WE’RE NOT ALL LIKE THAT.)

[reductosshrinkgun]

First, props to you for even attempting to educate people who were so clearly unwilling to listen to anything other than themselves farting.

Second, were these people your friends?  Lemme share a piece of advice that was recently shared with me: anyone who dismisses issues pertaining to marginalized groups is not your friend. Have a implemented this advice yet? Not really, but that’s because I’m a bleeding heart who hopes that I’ll still be able to make people see reason and stop being racist/sexist/etc pieces of shit.

[bebetaian2]

<3 They are/were up until now friends of a friend. I'm the bright blue box; she's the purple. Many of those others are men, and even a few white women showed up to defend Katy. It only takes one conversation like this to see who your friends really are.

[bebetaian2]

Racists and Misogynists for Katy Perry: A Photo Series in 25 Screencaps, Part 3. Part 1, Part 2.

The second you compare someone who wants equal rights between genders, sexes, and races to a group of people who exterminated 14 million Jews, disabled people, and other "undesirables", I stop listening to you.

This is what men do to women when they think they can get away with it. Belittle, degrade, and demean in any way possible. And if they find out we won't take it, backpedal and call it a joke.

This is how hard it is for women with white privilege to call anyone out on their behaviour. You think it isn't harder for those who don't? Fucking christ.

[bebetaian2]

Racists and Misogynists for Katy Perry: A Photoseries in 25 Screencaps, Part 2. Part 1 is here.

Is this you? I hope not.

Did you compare the sheer amount of racism in Katy's performance to buying a pizza?

Did women calling her and you out on sexist performances that hurt and degrade women make you want to rage and scream that we're "sexist against men", or that we're "feminazis"?

Did you get butthurt when white male opinions that have nothing to do with either the conversation, or are so bigoted that the person should be fired into orbit from a cannon weren't welcomed and accepted with cheers and a parade?

A litmus test in progress.

[bebetaian2]

Racists and misogynists for Katy Perry: A photo series in 25 screencaps, Part 1 Every time I see ThisIsNotJapan or FeministInTheKitchen, or anyone else respond to the Katy Perry debacle, I'm astounded. The sheer fortitude and self-control they must have to try and combat this shit actively every freaking day without landing in jail is just amazing. Please read their blogs. Just STFU, don't ask them anything, and read their blogs. After you have read their blogs, then start asking questions or using Google. This is how predominantly white men respond to white women calling out Katy's racist-ass misogynistic bullshit. It ain't pretty. I can't even imagine what it must take for someone without white privilege to deal with this shit on an ongoing basis. It's soul-crushing. Completely belittling. I'm used to it for other reasons, but that doesn't lessen the impact of new shit any. How do people do this and stay sane? TW for pretty much every thing ever short of animal abuse and self-harm. And this isn't even the side convos when men started PMing me demanding that I explain to them why they're dead wrong and how they're sexist... right before informing me that THEY have the right to decide what is sexist against myself and other women. Hint: an oppressor NEVER has the right to determine what is oppressive behavior. This means men don't get to decide what harms non-men. Able-bodied people don't get to decide what hurts disabled people. White people do not fucking get to decide what hurts non-white people. The amount of times a relatively wealthy, able-bodied, cisgendered, heterosexual white male gets to decide what harms others is exactly 0.

(In before men start PMing me here saying WE'RE NOT ALL LIKE THAT.)

[ponzischemes]

my replies to some common responses to my post about Katy Perry’s racist AMAs performance:

"If Asian people thought this was offensive then maybe it was racist, but otherwise I think it was fine." I’m Asian (Japanese even!) and I thought it was racist. That’s why I wrote that post. Does that...

[bebetaian2]

I think I literally got all of these things when I said that this shit was racist... it's like there should be a Bingo card for it.

[veridian-dynamics]

[bebetaian2]

This is soooo relevant to the conversation I had today.

[bebetaian2]

More things going up for sale in the next 24 hours, and some already listed!

ETSY

[bebetaian2]

Selling off much of my private collection of kimono and more!

ETSY

Many items are vintage and antique, some nearly 100 years old. My bridal furisode from Taisho era (1912-1926) is the prize of my collection, but I can’t eat kimono, so… please let it find a good home.

[soredemonao]

I’d buy it, if I wasn’t in the process of selling off my own collection. The Furisode is beautiful. Although I don’t think it ever was a Uchikake? The colors are wrong for a wedding Kimono from that particular era as these things were trended consistently. It’s a beautiful Furisode. 

These are  typical Taisho examples.

Yours doesn’t appear to be lined in red, (Although it might be?) and for either a wedding Kimono or a Maiko it would have been especially in Taisho. The sleeves appear to be a bit too long as well. I think you are correct though, it has been modified and altered in some way?

[bebetaian2]

Late Taisho saw the transition to longer sleeves with the rise of wealth in the middle class. By the 30s, it seems more standard. In early Taisho, the trend was definitely still short-sleeved! I went according to examples from Ichiroya and a few other stores (some now defunct, unfortunately, like Chuu/KimonoLily). But yes, I think maybe at some point, it was sold to some maiko before the economic crash of the 1930s. It has the right pinholes in the sleeves and shoulders. A shame the Kyoto seller wouldn't tell me who the geisha was who sold it to him *supposedly*. I bought a black 1930s-early 1940s hikizuri from him at the same time.

[bebetaian2]

OMG. So much typing.

I transcribed another article tonight, this one a short story from the same magazine. By itself, seemingly harmless- an exercise in hypotheticals and dystopian nightmares... but considering the framing of the Japanese during WW2 and post-war, somewhat disturbing that *this* story should be the one they translate and print. You'll see what I mean.

[thekimonogallery]

Shimura Fukumi | weaver + writer + designer + dyer + teacher | b. Omihachirin, Shiga Prefecture, Japan 1924 | in 1955, began textile dyeing and weaving at the age of 32 | in 1990 was designated a Living National Treasure of Japan for her Tsumugi (kimono) plant-dyed silk fabrics

[bebetaian2]

If I knew how to weave like her, and had money and time for a loom, I could be happy. <3

[miyuyoshida-deactivated20161019]

Kawaii International Episode #16: New Generation Gyaru!  They started out with giving a over view of the Gyaru styles! ^ ^ 

[bebetaian2]

A Nagoya obi with Hannya Shingo woven into it. Photo from Ichiroya. Question: I've seen quite a few of these, but Ichiroya mentioned that they are for funerals. But Hannya Shingo is a central Buddhist mantra, regarding transcending life and illusion, of enlightenment. I can certainly see how it applies to the pain of losing someone, and indeed, of a person dying themselves transcending their own worldly feelings and self. Would it be inappropriate to wear it to shrines or other events?

[bebetaian2]

Natural Dyes for Fabrics

I'm experimenting with natural dyes tonight, primarily turmeric. The coffee and annatto will have to wait until the first dye process. I have some assorted fabrics like synthetics (a white bra; I hate white clothes on me), cottons, and some blends. I boiled a couple large spoonfuls of powdered turmeric and let the fabric sit. The bra sat in just-warmer-than-roomtemp water and turned light a dark highlighter yellow. The cotton wasn't in boiling water long at all and turned bright sari-ochre orange!

At this point, I think I'll be looking for my muslin fabric to dye, and save back the dye vat for the night. Then I can cut some fabric for haneri and make something bright and unique!

I wonder if waxed dental floss would work for shibori resist? I'd like to do a small shibori piece first in white, dyed yellow, then do more, dye the yellow brown with coffee. Take out all the threads once washed. Brown with yellow and white spots? We'll see!

[thisisnotjapan]

"うわははは、そのあいつ。それだけ？ホンマに基本的な日本語だけ使えたなぁ。つまんないよ。I’m assuming this is directed at me as the new mod. Because you know to these grey-faced anons, unless we speak broken English or post entirely in perfectly fluent Japanese, we can’t possibly be Japanese (as if that is the only defining quality of Japanese people). " The only defining quality of Japanese people is that they are a citizen of Japan, which none of the mods are.

a :  a native or inhabitant of Japan

b :  a person of Japanese descent

I mean the makers of merriam webster are old white dudes but even they disagree with you. 

[bebetaian2]

So, lemme get this straight- you're a Japanese girl if you're looked at as a sex object to these douchebags, but you're NOT Japanese if you're not a citizen when you call them out about their racist bullshit?