urge to kill... rising...

[rone]

Just got e-mail from the CEO:

In true Macromedia spirit, we want to make sure that we're taking some time out to have fun in the midst of driving 'business as unusual' and integration planning.

Please join us for drinks, appetizers and informal Q&A at 4pm at 601T in the Town Hall on...

• Thursday, July 7 is Mexican Fiesta (don't forget your Sombrero)
• Thursday, August 18 is Hawaiian Luau (don't forget your Luau gear)
• Thursday, September 15 is Irish Pub night (please forget your leprechaun outfit and just stick to green)

I'm sure all of my Mexican, Hawaiian, and Irish coworkers are just pleased as punch to be pigeonholed by some Canadian jarhead who just sold us out a couple of months ago.

Comments

[mskala.livejournal.com]

when you're going to wear toques and get drunk on Molson for Canadian Stereotype Unity Friday

The thing is, though, that idea doesn't seem offensive to me. It just sounds like a fun theme party; and although I know I'm risking flamage here, I don't see anything terribly offensive about the examples in rone's email either. On the other hand, your black and Jewish stereotype examples do seem offensive. I think the difference is that fiestas, luaus, pubs, toques, and Molson are all parts of the respective cultures that I think most members of those cultures would have no objection to acknowledging. (Okay... maybe we're not so happy about Molson, but.) The black and Jewish stereotypes you're flagging, though, aren't things that I'd expect black people and Jews to be happy about. Now, any of these themes could be realised in a way that would be offensive, if there are stereotypes and insults attached to them; but I don't see that going on in the quote rone posted.

[dawn-guy.livejournal.com]

I can see some sensitive types getting their noses out of joint for attaching Mexican to Fiesta, Hawaiian to Luau and Irish to Pub, but I'm with Matt on this one: the themes themselves aren't offensive, nor is the email. The mentions of sombreros, "luau gear" and green seem to me to have an intention of fostering team spirit and fun.

That doesn't mean the boss isn't a jarhead. It's just not something this particular piece of email points out with flashing neon and way-turned-up bass (to the Canadians in the audience).

[glitter-ninja.livejournal.com]

I think Luau Night would be fine. Hawaiian Luau Night adds an element of ethnicity to it that is unnecessary. Especially given that people are encouraged to dress stereotypically Hawaiian.

It reminds me of when Eddie and I were in high school. One of the theme days was "Dress Like Your Ancestors" and it was assumed that everyone would dress like a white settler, bonnets and cowboy hats and everything. Eddie dressed like his ancesors -- he wore his kimono. Caused quite a stir. The implication was the key problem in that instance; people were upset that Eddie hadn't played the game and dressed like a white settler from the 1800s. I wonder if someone from the Hawaiian islands feels the same way Eddie did, when they see their boss tell everyone to go to Hawaiian night and dress like a Hawaiian.

[mskala.livejournal.com]

Except maybe in the most rural parts of Canada, I can't imagine that anyone here would expect a classroom full of kids told "dress like your ancestors" to dress like 1800s European settlers if, in fact, that wasn't their ancestry. Why would the default be for it to mean "Dress like someone else's ancestors"? I wonder if that may be a Canada/USA cultural difference - the "mosaic" versus the "melting pot". It may be as simple as there being a shorter history of European settlement here; tomorrow we're celebrating the 137th Canada Day, whereas on the 4th the Americans are planning to celebrate the 229th Independence Day; that's almost 100 years difference.

[tritone.livejournal.com]

I just think that everyone (in this area, anyway) knows "Hawaiian Luau Night" doesn't mean "We actually think Hawaiians dress this way"; it means "Americans have a dumb tradition of dressing up in flowery shirts and drinking tropical drinks because of the way the Hawaiian tourist industry has evolved, and dumb things are kind of fun to do once in awhile even if you know they're dumb."

All that said, I actually think smart things are more fun to do than dumb things, so it's not like I particularly appreciate these "ethnic-themed" activities. I just think comparing a Hawaiian-themed party to actual ethnic insensitivity is overreacting.