The title of this post probably makes it sound like it will be more substantial. No, this a Random Thoughts from Satan post, and not that deep. I was just looking at the search “Hayden Christensen Movie Trailer” on youtube for laughs, and laugh I did. But it occurred to me that in “Little Italy” he was essentially doing brownface.
As many people have pointed out, across the world there are varying definitions of white. To a Persian guy in Iran, he’s white. To a Berber in Egypt, she’s white. It’s defined by having somebody darker than you, and usually further south. So to some Germans, I expect, Italians are not white. And by that definition, a Scandinavian Canadian with his hair darkened rocking a tan to flip pizzas would be doing brownface… Although I found out he’s like 1/4 Italian, so *chef’s kiss* mama mia! Uncancelled.
In all this I caught myself being amused at the cute ethnic stereotypes of the world, which is, I expect, not SJW kosher. And yet, how can you not automatically be charmed by people with funny accents? So cute. One time I was in a basic English class at the community college, while I was reading aloud some depressing stuff I wrote, it prompted my teacher to say “My God man, are you a drinka?”
It was one of the highlights of my life, honestly. He was so Jewish his name was Murray and he was from Brooklyn, where in the summers it was like a foinace, oy vay. Freaking delightful. I wonder, in places less mainstream blando Anglo-American, would my accent charm and amuse?
As an exemplar of the most over-represented culture on the planet, I kinda doubt it. C’est lavie. I’ll have to be cute in some other way. Maybe my taste in shoes…
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