- "Thoughts about Orientalism, Imperialism & Steampunking Asia" - Ay-Leen the Peacemaker
- "What is cultural appropriation" - Ardhra
- "An Introduction to Edward Said, Orientalism, and Postcolonial LiteraryStudies" - Amardeep Singh, linked in Ardhra's article above.
"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much." - Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
This blog of mine was originally intended as a space within which I could
explore the various facets of this thing called Steampunk, as I encountered and
explored them. So far, I've written mostly short bits on the superficial
aesthetic stuff - the clothes, the accessories, the events I've attended. The
deeper stuff, however, I find more difficult to write about in the confines of
a blog post, in part because of time constraints and in part because I'm used
to having 20 - 40 pages (typed, double-spaced, plus bibliography and notes) to
explore topics in depth.
One of my concerns when first delving into Steampunk was the perception
that this was yet another racial project by mostly white people, reifying an
era of the past that wasn't nearly as jolly as the people looking backwards
seem to think it was. Fortunately, while there is certainly a large amount of
uncritical Victoriana to be found, there is also a good bit of critical
analysis going on as well. I found Jaymee Goh's Silver Goggles blog fairly early on, along
with Ay-leen
the Peacemaker's Beyond Victoriana. Now that I've spent some time reading and digesting, I'm feeling a little more confident in my own
ability to critically examine my own hangups, blind spots, and problematic
opinions.
As a white male, it would be all too easy just to go along with the whole
neo-Victorian aesthetic, dress in khaki and pretend to be at least comfortably
upper-class without really thinking about what I already know from my
sophomore-level history survey classes - the entire Victorian system was built
on the notions of colonialism and empire, and has deep roots in a systematic treatment of colonies (and the
colonized people) as raw material for the industrialization that is almost
fetishised within Steampunk. Problem is, I'm one of those who has trouble just turning off the frontal lobes and
enjoying things mindlessly (unless I'm whacked out on cold medication). I
resent the anti-intellectualism that got me labeled a "nerd" back
when the term was still one of approbation rather than celebration. I believe,
along with Socrates, that “The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living.”
And so, with all this in mind, I'm trying to be very careful about my
upcoming trip to SteamCon in Seattle. See, they have an event known as the
Wayfarer's Brunch which is promoted as an opportunity for people to break out
of a purely Western perspective on Steampunk, and celebrate "wonderfully
colorful and diverse cultures" by donning "non-British steampunk
ensembles" while having Sunday brunch. “How is this problematic?”, you may
be asking yourself. After all, isn't this exactly the sort of thing I should be
happy about, that there is recognition of a world beyond the borders of Great
Britain, and even Europe as a whole within the alt-historical if not outright
fantastical world of Steampunk?
More on that in a bit...
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