Jun 5, 2020
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Ask Responses: Polunin
Thank you for your post about Polunin. The problem I have with arguments about separating the artist from the man is that this is a case where the man is indicative of his “art”. Everything I’ve seen from him in the last few years has been nothing but pretentious, self-indulgent tripe performed in a half assed manner. Just a bunch of leaps in btwn angsting w/out a shirt. I feel bad for his die hards because he clearly gives 0 fucks when he performs.
You’re welcome. I’m just incredibly tired of people defending him and making excuses for him. He’s a grown man and he is, by his own admission, making a choice to behave in a destructive way. There are so many things wrong with what he’s doing and saying that I honestly don’t know where to start. All I can say is that men like Polunin are the reason we now have the #MeToo movement. His attitude is the root of the problem.
I appreciate you taking the initiative to speak out on Polunin. More than that, I appreciate your - as a man - acknowledgment of the role that toxic masculinity plays in his persona (and in the larger world) and how damaging it is. One can even argue that it's the root of many evils. It's exactly right that he's no victim; he's an adult who chooses to channel his disgruntledness into ignorance and some hysterical perceived threat to "masculinity" he imagines is posed by social progress. Eyeroll.
Thank you, but - and this is a bit awkward - I am not a man (to avoid any confusion, please have a look and this and this for some clarification about me and this blog).
Toxic masculinity is a huge issue and is extremely damaging for both women and men. What’s truly awful about this situation is that Polunin is a role model for boys. He is featured in children's books ffs! I can’t find the link now but I saw him featured in a book that aimed to challenge constructs around masculinity and femininity and show little boys all the different things they could be (i.e. a ballet dancer). The irony isn’t lost on me.
@chapperslaw What is the relevance of your reference to Polunin’s skin colour? (copied over from notes to the original post)
Polunin’s skin colour is relevant because it’s part of his privilege. It protects him. It’s one of the reasons he is allowed to get away with so much. It is especially relevant because of Polunin’s global reach and international recognition.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a group of people more inherently privileged as straight cisgender white men. You will also find that this very same group spawned the rhetoric Polunin is pushing. And let me say it louder for the people in the back: IT. IS. TOXIC.
I don’t like throwing terms like “white privilege”, “patriarchy” and “toxic masculinity” around because, to some degree, they have become buzzwords, but this is such a textbook example of all three that I can’t help it.
d i s c l a i m e r
"First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season." - Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Black people were not the primary beneficiaries
Contrary to popular belief, Black people were not the primary beneficiaries
With all the financial investment, time and attention put into advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in corporations, it is crucia
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become a major focal point in corporate America, educational institutions, and gover
Who Benefits the Most? The Surprising Answer
DEI policies are often framed as tools to uplift people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups. However, data reveals that the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action, diversity hiring, and corporate DEI initiatives have been white women.
1. White Women in Leadership
While women as a whole have made significant strides in leadership, the largest gains have been among white women. A Forbes report states that white women hold nearly 19% of all C-suite positions, while women of color hold just 4%.
2. Chief Diversity Officers: Majority White
Ironically, many DEI leadership roles are occupied by white individuals. According to a Medium report, 76.1% of chief diversity officers are white, while Black or African Americans represent just 3.8%.
3. Affirmative Action and White Women
Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research indicates that white women have been the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action in education and the workplace. While affirmative action was designed to level the playing field for racial minorities, white women have received a larger share of new job opportunities in previously male-dominated fields.
Loud in our laughter, silent in our suffering
Privileged Hoodie. Not as loud as our logo hoodie. Same great message and quality.
Should it not be be life?
red herring much?