1 post tagged “cultural observations”
Ok y'all, without pretense February is always rough for me. Its the one part of the year that seems to get sucked up into a vortex controlled by anything but me. That said I seem to also reserve all my going out and acting my age for the week between 2/13 and 2/20. At least thats been the trend the last two years.
And what separated the two years is the fact that last years festivities began with an outing to a dance club populated primarily by Filipinos and their friends, dancing to hip-hop, soul and funk. This year it was, without our knowledge a "black valentine's day masquerade ball" where the djs would spin the best in "zombie music" aka drum and base.
Here are some observations:
2008: Average height in the club was 5'7''.
2009: Average height was 5' 10''. (This is even if you include the 3 Filipino guys who had no idea the theme night would eff up their game)
2008: I was not, nor would I ever be one of the fly girls in the club.
2009: With the exception of my crew, I think it was good the lights were off.
2008: We were all carved from the same "genre" of fashion. Variations were present but not too much.
2009: No holds bar fashion.
– Best Facial Piercing: PORCUPINE NEEDLE THROUGH NOSE
– Best Fit: one dude in full on army fatigues circa WWI.
– Best Ladies Accessory (Tie): Feathered masquerade mask in shape of butterfly & LARGE stuffed panda bear head as hat
– Others: Honorary mentions to the 4 people sporting top hats (must have been in honor of Lincoln's bday).
Make no mistake, it was fun and BOY did I feel FLY. It was for my homegirl's bday whom I adore, but at 12:30 I was ready to go. Why?
My cultural observation. White people dance almost exclusively with wild arm jestures. They swing, they punch they throw elbows. Its true of many of my extremely racially segregated dance experiences. While I love it when people feel music I must make a point to note that this is not and should never be accepted in exceptionally crowded spaces where moshing is not mandatory.
Most other cultures dance with their hips, their feet, they use their arms but do not look like they are batting away flies or airing out their arm pits.
I like to get down– get funky. But there comes a point, in a sea of peachy toned skins when I've received one too many elbows to the head (Note: I was a founding memeber of the 5' 2'' and under club at my high school). And while this may seem remarkably similar to my rant on busses I feel there are a few differences.
When some lady shoves her Marc by Marc Jacobs bag in my face, I can only hope it has a face smug, or I can just give her a smug look.
When some 6 foot tall guy wearing a tank top and small top hat with feathers elbows me in the temple, and then the eye because he's feeling the beat, I am left with few dignified otions, no maybe none.
Option 1: Get mad. Get in face. Get told I'm being a typical angry brown girl. (Maybe not by him, but someone). Note: This is why I don't drink tequila.
Option 2: Get mad. Start Taibo style kicking and karate chopping (a move originally coined to get away from creepy guys who don't understand that you don't want to dance with them). End up being joined by tall guy who thinks you've got great moves and looking straight up like Chun Li.
Option 3: Get mad. Move. Have different 6 something white guy, or girl do the same.
Option 4: Leave.
Please understand, I adore when people FEEL the music. I love catching a glance of someone in the car really dancing like no one is there. But WHEN did feeling the groove mean THROWING ELBOWS. I know in this individualist mess of America people have no respect for personal space, but once a brown person throws an elbow they're getting violent. When someone with less melanin does, they're just feeling the music. Eff that.
Get with it or go home.
