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Author
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Topic: The Miss Landmine Angola pageant 2008
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Sineed
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11260
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posted 18 November 2007 06:43 PM
Here is a beauty contest for landmine survivors, created by Norwegian artist Morten Traavik. quote:
THE MISS LANDMINE MANIFESTO
(in no particular order) * Female pride and empowerment. * Disabled pride and empowerment. * Global and local landmine awareness and information. * Challenge inferiority and/or guilt complexes that hinder creativity-
historical, cultural, social, personal, African, European. * Question established concepts of physical perfection. * Challenge old and ingrown concepts of cultural cooperation. * Celebrate true beauty. * Replace the passive term 'Victim' with the active term 'Survivor'
Not quite sure what to make of this.
From: # 668 - neighbour of the beast | Registered: Dec 2005
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M.Gregus
babble intern
Babbler # 13402
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posted 20 November 2007 06:17 AM
I'm not sure what to think about this either. I don't think anyone would say they oppose female and disabled rights, or the raising of awareness about landmines. It's just that the mobilization of traditional ways of objectifying women doesn't seem like the best way to go about it. Also, because the creator is identified as an artist, it's unclear whether the enterprise is a semi-ironic art project or if it is a full honest-to-goodness beauty pageant, so it's hard to know how to respond to it.I don't like the artist's summing up the feminist response as being an "old-school" throwback. quote:
There are many old-school feminists of both sexes in leading positions of many aid agencies. Hearing the word “beauty pageant” they are time-warped back to the Seventies and the dialogue stops there, the Norwegian artist believes.
Rather than addressing their criticism, Traavik dismisses feminists as old-fashioned and stuck in the seventies. In doing so, he is just as readily stopping dialogue.
From: capital region | Registered: Oct 2006
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bigcitygal
Volunteer Moderator
Babbler # 8938
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posted 20 November 2007 07:26 AM
The more I read the more I'm not impressed. quote:
Dolled up in Luanda
In Angola disabled women are often isolated and looked down upon. Therefore, many of the women initially didn’t believe Morten Traavik, as he travelled around the country to sign up candidates for the pageant.- It was almost too good to be true that they were to do a fun assignment and be seen and heard. They received a fee of 200 USD per working day, free travel and accommodation, and got to keep the dresses, says Traavik, adding that there was a lot of laughter on the set.
Um, I'm not sure anyone who would turn down $200 a day with free accommodation. quote:
- I think it was a bit like winning in the grand lottery, to get to travel, be dolled up and catered for.
Yeah, this is what all women dream of.  Male gaze anyone? Exotification anyone? I'd like to hear from the women. Yeah, yeah I'm a broken record, always wanting to hear from people directly rather than someone like Mr. Traavik who is neither Angolan nor a woman.
From: It's difficult to work in a group when you're omnipotent - Q | Registered: Apr 2005
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