#or known how often he’s been the subject of arguments between the emperor and fan jian as it is

[mira-likes]

When I first watched s2, I mentioned how I expected the emperor to have Thoughts about Fan Xian entering the Fan ancestral hall. I just didn’t see the emperor loving the idea of Fan Xian declaring himself as part of the Fan family after the emperor had very deliberately revealed his real parentage. I'd forgotten that the emperor actually brings up the subject in episode 10!

Right after Fan Xian stages that excellent show in the Imperial Court and gets the Censorate to investigate the Second Prince, the main dad council convenes. The emperor muses on how Fan Xian's scheming is deep for his young age, and segues from that to saying, offhand: “Is Fan Xian registered in the Fan ancestral hall? It’s better that he isn’t. His personality will bring a lot of trouble to the Fan family in the future.”

And because the emperor is very hard to read, there could be different options here!

Maybe the emperor means to emphasize the trouble part. In the discussion that follows soon after, he indicates he's miffed that the Second Prince is being so publicly investigated, and intends to protect him as his son. So he could be straight up saying: it may be better for the Fan family if you're not inextricably linked to Fan Xian and all of his future fuckery.

Or then the emperor is issuing Fan Jian a warning of a very different kind. Given that the emperor brings up the ancestral hall topic right on the heels of talking about Fan Xian's plotting acumen in an impressed tone, he could also be saying: hm, that kid just got more interesting… so let’s all remember that he is my kid, fellas, and not get ideas about registering him officially as yours.

To Fan Jian’s credit, he immediately and pointedly chortles that Fan Xian’s last name is Fan, ancestral hall or no, and Fan Jian is ready to take responsibility for all of his chaos. Like, in any case that man wants to stand his ground as the Main Dad. It’s no surprise that later in the season he’s touched by Fan Xian’s decision to enter the Fan ancestral hall and is fully onboard with the idea. But I do wonder if this little moment foreshadows an eventual conflict there...

[theexcogitativelibrarium]

Woke Wednesday: What’s a Word to You?

I’ve seen a lot of posts where Black K-Pop fans are asked to explain why there is so much controversy over non-Blacks saying “nigga” especially in the Hip Hop/K-Hip Hop world. And it can be quite discouraging to be told that this “isn’t a big deal”, “they don’t understand” or “it’s not our job to educate them.” In a sense it isn’t our job to educate them. They should research these things for themselves but if WE don’t put it out there what is there for them to research? And how can they truly try to understand how we feel unless we tell them? So this Black K-Pop fan is going to give them, idols and fans alike, some research material. So sit back and enjoy an etymology, anthropology and historiology lesson by Professor Aqua on the last Woke Wednesday of Black History Month.

If you took Beginner Spanish you know that in “negro” means “black” in Spanish. Many people deem this to be the origin of the words “nigger” (Not to be confused with “niggard” or niggardly” which comes from Middle English meaning : a meanly covetous and stingy person”.) gets its roots. This could very well be where this word comes from. Or even the Latin “niger” which seems more likely. But how did this word gets its label as an “ethnic slur”?

Well…

“The Oxford English Dictionary traces the first English use to 1577, "the Nigers of Aethiop", translated from the Spanish los negros in Ethiopia. Other early spellings attested include "nigor" and "Nigre"; the first spelling of "nigger" is in 1608. The OED offers as its first definition "Used by people who are not black as a relatively neutral (or occasionally positive) term, with no specifically hostile intent" and notes that early citations "expressing patronizing views, reflect underlying attitudes rather than a hostile use of the word itself". The second meaning, of "a hostile term of abuse or contempt" from whites to blacks is first attested in print in 1775. Its use by black people both "as a neutral or favourable term" and "as a depreciatory term" go back to 1831 and 1834 respectively.”

(Hmmmmm “[t]he second meaning…” was added in 1775. What an interesting year……)

“In the colonial America of 1619, John Rolfe used negars in describing the African slaves shipped to the Virginia colony. Later American English spellings, neger and neggar, prevailed in a northern colony, New York under the Dutch, and in metropolitan Philadelphia's Moravian and Pennsylvania Dutch communities; the African Burial Ground in New York City originally was known by the Dutch name Begraafplaats van de Neger (Cemetery of the Negro); an early occurrence of neger in Rhode Island dates from 1625. Lexicographer Noah Webster, whose eponymous dictionary did much to solidify the distinctive spelling of American English, suggested the neger spelling in place of negro in 1806. The dialect spoken in the Southern United States changes the pronunciation of negro to nigra.”

“The term "colored" became a respectful alternative. In 1851 the Boston Vigilance Committee, an Abolitionist organization, posted warnings to the Colored People of Boston and vicinity. Writing in 1904, journalist Clifton Johnson documented the "opprobrious" character of the word nigger, emphasizing that it was chosen in the South precisely because it was more offensive than "colored."”

And for those who said that it’s original definition was “an ignorant person,” my good friend Merriam-Webster can clear that up for you.

“There is a widespread belief that the original meaning of nigger, as defined in dictionaries, was "an ignorant person," and a related belief that current dictionary definitions describing its use as a hateful, racist epithet are a recent change. We do not know the source of those beliefs, but they are not accurate. The word was first included in a Merriam-Webster dictionary in 1864, at which time it was defined as a synonym of Negro, with a note indicating that it was used "in derision or depreciation." There has never been a definition like "an ignorant person" for this word in any subsequent dictionary published by this company. Nor do we know of such a definition in any earlier dictionary.”

Yeah, no such luck, sorry.

And what about the argument of “Well Black people say it. Why can’t I.” See, that’s still up for debate within the Black community. There are those who believe that any form of the word whether spelled “-er” or “-a” should not be used as it disparages the race. Which is where you get the school of thought that no one should use the word and usage especially by those of non-Black origins should be deemed as it has been historically, as an ethnic slur. The other school of thought believes that by changing the “-er” to an “-a” and using it as a “term of endearment” within the race that we are “reclaiming” the word from its prior perjetory meaning.

In speaking of that last line of reasoning, there is also a slightly more twisted theory of the origins of “nigger” that make the Black struggle to “reclaim” the word as “nigga” more powerful. “Negus” is “used as a title of the sovereign of Ethiopia.” The Emperor of Ethiopia is called “Negusa Nagast” which means “King of Kings” while one Empress has was known as “Nigiste Nigist” which means “Queen of Kings”.

“A Negus (Ge'ez: ንጉሥ nəgus, "king") was a hereditary ruler of one of Ethiopia's larger provinces, over whom collectively the monarch ruled, thus justifying his imperial title. The title of Negus was awarded at the discretion of the Emperor to those who ruled important provinces, although it was often used hereditarily during and after the Zemene Mesafint.”

And how is this word pronounced? Using the International Phonetic Alphabet (My classical vocal performance major is showing. Diction 101) it is pronounced [ni-ˈgüs] and for the layman [nee-goo-hsh]. If this is true then the push to reclaim the word is indeed warranted. To turn a word that in its native tongue is a title of royalty and exalts its bearer into a derogatory, racial slur to demean a group of people is sick.

But back to “reclaiming” the it as a “term of endearment,” when hearing young Blacks say “my nigga” in media platforms whether it be film, music, etc. the phrase puts one in the mind that the meaning is “my friend” or another AAVE “my homie”. This was such the case last year when GOT7’s BamBam got in trouble for saying “my nigga” on Snapchat in calling another member. His response was that he was told that the phrase meant “my friend” and he did offer an unofficial apology. It’s sad that he was misinformed. And what was the knee-jerk reaction of fans of color? “Did he just……..?” Now those that were sending him death threats and telling him to kill himself went too far but why did a “slip up” cause such an international reaction?

When “nigga” is used by a non-Black person the Black hearer is not hearing the word as simply “a word”, the speaker’s mindset and intention are questioned. Since this discussion is focused on K-Pop idols, what is being questioned is “How does this idol feel about Black people?” That is what is always at the heart of the reaction from Blacks when non-Blacks say “nigga”. Thus what is truly in question is “How do you feel about me?” And if some of the videos posted from last week ( Sam Okyere  + Asian Boss Video) are any indication there is  prejudice and discrimination towards Black people in Korea. Is it just the otherness or is there a deeper reason?

“We live today with the legacy of the European colonization of almost all of Africa, the Americas, and much of Asia that took place between the late 1400s and the early 1900s. Just a century ago, some 84% of the world's territory was under some form of colonial domination.”

“Colonialism has taken many forms, and has been described in numerous ways. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a colony as "[a] settlement in a new country; a body of people who settle in a new locality, forming a community subject to or connected with their parent state."”

“As European colonialism extended into Africa, Asia, and the Americas, "race" emerged as a shifting political and social construct that incorporated the notion of more and less civilized peoples and provided markers of the "difference" relied upon by colonizing powers to justify their ventures." Race had the added benefit, from the colonizers' perspective, of being considered a "scientific" descriptor of physical characteristics, serving to perpetuate the "dynamic of difference" by linking cultural traits-real or imagined-to relatively immutable biological factors."”

Yes, I tooting that horn. It goes back to colonialism but there were some colorist beliefs before these areas were colonized.

“Critics of this mental colonization don't always acknowledge in the same breath that many North African and Asian cultures had placed a premium on light skin PRIOR to European exposure. Indian folk songs praised the beautiful woman who has "the color of butter" (Indian butter is white, not yellow). Pre-colonial Indonesian women used plant-based skin treatments to make their complexion pale.”

But that doesn’t negate the effect colonialism had on these areas.

“However, the fact that pre-colonial colorism exists does NOT absolve Europeans of their responsibility for indoctrinating non-European populations with harmful racial ideologies. Pre-colonial colorism in many cultures is fundamentally different from modern Western racism; the vocabulary and assumptions used in the discussion of modern racism are not necessarily helpful or relevant in understanding pre-European-contact attitudes towards complexion.”

“Pre-European-contact colorism occurs in the context of members of the same "race" (quotes being used because "race" is a modern Western concept we are applying anachronistically). Wealthy people did not have to work in the sun, and thus were lighter-complexioned than poor workers and peasants. Light skin became a symbol of wealth and class. Fatness, another physical characteristic associated with a lifestyle of prestige and plenty, was also deemed attractive. ”

“When Europeans started exporting their ideas of the white European master race to colonized lands, the toxic reaction between old lifestyle-based colorism and new Western racism produced a harmful new compound which associated European features with power, wealth and beauty.”

“Firstly, the fact that other indigenous preferences that accompanied traditional colorism - such as the preference for fatness, black hair, black eyes and round flat faces - have declined demonstrates that the new Eurocentric standards of beauty are based on assumptions different from those of traditional colorism.”

“Secondly, the modern concept of 'race' itself is a Western import. This new racial 'colorism' is no longer framed in the old context of "lifestyle/social circumstance determines appearance", i.e. "if you are wealthy, you will have certain physical characteristics as a result of your lifestyle". Post-colonial racism is in fact based on the opposite concept: that one's genotype, and by extension, its phenotypic expression, determines one's circumstance in life, i.e. "if you are white, you will have certain privileges as a result of your biological heritage". This idea of "biology=destiny" is what undergirds modern Western racism.”

“Some non-black people of color even speak of their "instinctive" fear of black people. Even without interacting with black people, some brown and yellow individuals have unthinkingly internalized European colonialist attitudes of a racial hierarchy with white at the top and black at the bottom.” (**this is a direct quote from the article. None of the language here is intended to be offensive in regards to description of skin tones. Thank you for your understanding.)

“In other cases, some Asians who assume that individual blacks are poor or uneducated may be possibly acting on traditional colorism. These Asians make the same assumptions about darker persons of their own 'race'.”

“Ok, but we’re in a post-colonial society now, this has nothing to do with your topic.” Oh really? I wonder what Post-Colonial Theorist have to say about that...

“Postcolonial scholars have sought to understand the effects centuries of colonial rule and exploitation have had on colonial subjects and their cultures, ultimately for the purpose of combating the harmful consequences of colonial oppression that have been carried over into the new, postcolonial environment.”

“Like critical race scholars, postcolonial theorists contend that oppression and racism are reproduced by social structures and cultural meanings that are bigger than any one individual and outlast any one historical period. Postcolonial theorists study institutions and archives, as well as literary texts and films, to understand how these structures and meanings are produced in everyday life, and how they often shape powerful countries’ views...”

Oh so these views carry over.... But what does that have to do with them “a word”? As I said before, it’s the mindset and intention behind the word. Looking at these “assumptions” that are still made about Blacks in that Asian Boss video is what gives one pause when an idol says “nigga”. These are mindsets that are ingrained from years and years of internalizing the views stated above. When you have members laughing and joking about another member OF THEIR OWN RACE being dark how else are we supposed to feel and what else are we supposed to think when “nigga” comes out of your mouth?

Pisces: If I may interject for just a moment Aqua, because as you said, we are talking about K-Pop artists and the K-Pop world....you will also see fans making the valid statement that K-Pop is entertainment created by Korean artists for a Korean artist. And while that is certainly true all of the research discussed here still applies. It is not so much international Black K-Pop fans interjecting their perspectives about how societies should run elsewhere and view Black people. We have highlighted time and again in our Tunesday posts how often we are seeing South Korean artists and other members of the South East and East Asian community reaching out to international Black artists for artistic input and perspective. Are we still not allowed to comment? Are we really supposed to believe that you can vicariously experience Black Pop culture and benefit from its influence simply because it is on YouTube or other social media but you don’t have to be responsible for inappropriate/misinformed comments or even have any knowledge of the plethora of information Admin Aqua has eloquently discussed above? To me that is very lazy. And maybe we are all lazy. We can’t possibly accept the notion of interacting on such a superficial level and not question the deeper impact of our global conversation (otherwise we’ll all be out here looking like Timbaland and Eric Nam at MAMAs last year where we’re making music side by side but nothing real is connecting.) We would all do well to remember that many of the styles present in K-Pop were influenced by Black Pop culture happening in America around the same time and a little bit after the eras had passed. We have talked about that in the past and I remember that discussion being had on EXO 90:2014 between EXO and their sunbaenims. If they could acknowledge it....then what’s up with everyone else? Do you really truly mean to tell us that we should just be there for the music only and not the deeper cultural, historical conversation that needs to be had to have respect and true understanding of both sides of this cultural exchange...? It’s not enough to say that “oh we all have our own awful jokes about each other...lay off...” It’s not enough to think “well if it works for them and it’s cool for them then I can <insert whatever stereotypical Black phrase, dance move, style, etc etc so on until infinity that you feel is appropriate to try here>” That’s irresponsible and lazy for you to participate in a culture you don’t give a damn enough about to learn about. We need to move forward and speak to each other about the facts. Please take us to the next stage of this important discussion Aqua. 

Aqua: So true Pisces. But guys, note that I mentioned discrimination and prejudice. I didn’t immediately call them racist for using the word. Yes, I did say that there are colorist views that have been ingrained within their culture from past economic stereotypes. Colorism and racism are not interchangeable. Colorism is “[p]rejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.” Racism is “1 Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. 1.1 The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.” and “1:  a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. 2a:  a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles. 2b:  a political or social system founded on racism. 3:  racial prejudice or discrimination.” As I stated previously, there have been instances in various K-Pop groups of members making jokes about another member’s skin tone, that is colorism. You can be colorist and not racist. It’s possible. Can you be racist and not colorist? Maybe. You definitely can be both though. But what does all of this have to do with K-Pop artist saying “nigga”?

As Black K-Pop fans we listen to this music because we like it and enjoy these idols then see all these incidents, hear them make colorist statements and jokes about each other, see other problematic behavior, hear someone say “nigga” and your heart drops. Why? Because you feel unwelcomed. Why? Because this seems to be another space where who I am  is only something to use for entertainment. The product of your Blackness is celebrated and emulated but your Blackness in and of itself is deemed less than desirable. That is the message that is sent. So, yes, it is insensitive to say “nigga” as a non-Black person. And as K-Pop artist is this really the message you want to send to your fans?

**Quotes are linked from the source