Dark Matter
Maureen Chao said after a long train ride she had turned 'dirty and dark like a Tamilian'. A joke, that hasn't gone down well.
It seems very obvious to me that she meant 'dirty' as a description of herself at that point in time and 'dark as a Tamilian' is part that is contentious. But many people have taken it to me she DID mean 'dirty as a Tamilian' too which I find befuddling.
Now is 'dark as a Tamilian' itself something to take offence to. Well, that depends.
a) 'dark as coffee' - hahah funny
b) 'dark as a chimney sweep' - haha..mmm well
c) 'dark as a Tamil' - edurA aruvaaLai
It could be meant as a simple descriptor of a fact - that Tamils on average are darker than the rest of the India. Watch Russel Peters pull this Lankan guy's leg about skin-color. Of course he's a stand-up, he's Indian etc. A sober vice-consul should know better.
I am less interested in the reality (as always) of what she did or did not mean, but more in the teasing apart what caused the outrage.
I think considerable part of the outrage comes from the existing popular opinion that pegs darkness as lower on the aesthetic scale and the associated hyper-sensitivity of us folk about it.
A diplomat should have known better before trying to joke about it.
Would she have joked about 'dark as an African'? If so, then she'd be my kinda girl, but unfortunately in the wrong line of work.
Had I been in the audience, I'd've found it funny though. That's perhaps because I am ..err..buffalo skinned.
PS: Comments with socioeconomic observations about fairness creams shall be disallowed.
PPS: Kamban about the dark hunk Rama:
It seems very obvious to me that she meant 'dirty' as a description of herself at that point in time and 'dark as a Tamilian' is part that is contentious. But many people have taken it to me she DID mean 'dirty as a Tamilian' too which I find befuddling.
Now is 'dark as a Tamilian' itself something to take offence to. Well, that depends.
a) 'dark as coffee' - hahah funny
b) 'dark as a chimney sweep' - haha..mmm well
c) 'dark as a Tamil' - edurA aruvaaLai
It could be meant as a simple descriptor of a fact - that Tamils on average are darker than the rest of the India. Watch Russel Peters pull this Lankan guy's leg about skin-color. Of course he's a stand-up, he's Indian etc. A sober vice-consul should know better.
I am less interested in the reality (as always) of what she did or did not mean, but more in the teasing apart what caused the outrage.
I think considerable part of the outrage comes from the existing popular opinion that pegs darkness as lower on the aesthetic scale and the associated hyper-sensitivity of us folk about it.
A diplomat should have known better before trying to joke about it.
Would she have joked about 'dark as an African'? If so, then she'd be my kinda girl, but unfortunately in the wrong line of work.
Had I been in the audience, I'd've found it funny though. That's perhaps because I am ..err..buffalo skinned.
PS: Comments with socioeconomic observations about fairness creams shall be disallowed.
PPS: Kamban about the dark hunk Rama:
வெய்யோன் ஒளி தன் மேனியின் விரி சோதியில் மறைய
பொய்யோ எனும் இடையாளொடும் இளையானொடும் போனான்
'மையோ, மரகதமோ, மறி கடலோ, மழை முகிலோ
ஐயோ! இவன் வடிவு' என்பதோர் அழியா அழகுடையான்
The Sun's luminous rays disappear on his dark form (so dark is he)
With the maiden who's waist is so thin that it is probably a lie to say it exists, and with his younger brother- he went
Kohl or emerald or the sea full of waves or the raincloud (what does one compare him with)
Aiyo! What a form!' is what can be said of He of endless beauty
'மையோ, மரகதமோ, மறி கடலோ, மழை முகிலோ
ReplyDeleteஐயோ! இவன் வடிவு' என்பதோர் அழியா அழகுடையான்'
Aaah. This is a translator's death. Something similar happens in Hiranyakashibu vadham, where describing Prahaladan's joy on seeing Narasimha, ".. seyavan, sirithalodum, aadinan, azhudhan, siram mel sengai soodinan, odinaan, gudhiththaan, ulagellam thugaithaan thulli'. How can you even try and translate that joy!!
At the very beginning of Kamba Ramayanam, Kamban describing Vishu, he says that Vishu was like the cloud, which was white earlier but dipped into the ocean and turned black !! The whole imagery is fantastic, with black carrying the waters of the ocean in them!!
Ofcourse, what I have written has nothing to do with the white / black divide but when we have Kamban, why worry about those things. *hides urgently*
இப்படித்தான் பாரதி பாடின சுந்தர பாஷை பேசற நண்பர் ஒருத்தர் தமிழ் பெண்கள்லாம் ஏன் பாக்க நல்லா இல்லேன்னார்.
ReplyDeleteகோவம் வரத்தான் செஞ்சது. நானும் எருமை மாடு மேல மழை பேஞ்ச கேஸ் தான்.
"You're not looking in the right place"ன்னு ரெட்டை அர்த்ததுல பதில் தான் சொல்ல முடிஞ்சுது.
கலி காலம் என்ன செயர்து.
தல, பாய்ன்ட் பக்கத்திலே வந்தீங்க. பிடிச்சிட்டீங்கன்னு தான் நினைக்கிறேன். "மையோ, மழை முகிலோ...->அழியா அழகுடையான்". கம்பன் சொன்ன order, செல்ல அன்பு ரெண்டும் அந்தம்மா சொன்னதில not "evident".
ReplyDeleteSureshs65, பெரியாழ்வார்
ReplyDeleteஓடுவார், விழுவார், உகந்து ஆலிப்பார்
about how the Yadava womenfolk when they hear of the arrival of the child KaNNan. The verve of their celebration is written into the rhtythm. Untranslatable. And her is our own Kamban on the Hanuman's rampage in Asokavanam:
முடிந்தன பிளந்தன முரிந்தன நெரிந்த
மடிந்தன பொடிந்தன மறிந்தன முறிந்த
இடிந்தன தகர்ந்தன எரிந்தன கரிந்த
ஒடிந்தன ஒசிந்தன உதிர்ந்தன பிதிர்ந்த
Feels like an action-block BGM, doesn't it? :D
Karadi, டப்ஸாக்கண் beholders இருக்கவரை, போட்டி கம்மி. நல்லது தானே.
கெக்கெபிக்குணி, மொரீனக்கா வாஞ்சையா 'கறுப்பு தான் எனக்கு புடிச்ச' கலர்னு சொன்னாங்கன்னு நான் சொல்லலை. "கறுத்துப்போய் உங்களை மாதிரி ஆயிட்டேன்" அப்படின்னு ஜோக்கடிக்கப் பாத்திருக்காங்க.
'கருவாயன்'னு சொல்லி நம்மளை எல்லாம் திட்டிட்டாங்கன்னு மக்கள் கொந்தளிக்கிறாய்ங்க. இதான் என் அவதானம்.
கம்பன் சும்மா ஒரு பிற்சேர்க்கை தான். கால ஓட்டத்தில் மாறிவிட்ட அழகியல் அளவுகோல்கள் பத்தி கட்டுரை எல்லாம் வேற யாராவது எகழுதட்டும்னு ச்சாய்ஸ்ல விட்டுட்டேன்.
The Kamban verse was dripping in beauty. I think I am making an understatement. I am falling in love with Kamban.
ReplyDeleteTailpiece: //While non-Tamil students at the SRM University applauded her remarks//
And we Indians call the Americans racist.
Indha "white clad (cloud?) Vishu (adhu oru Malayala pun-dig-AI allo?) turning black after a dip in the ocean" dhaan ba dark matter-a irukkudhu. (Under the guise of "Thamizhan outrage", a strong case seems to be cooking in favor of the Malayala athaan....) Hmmm.
ReplyDelete