Is this Offensive??

Ok so what do people think about these pictures below? I have asked a couple people about these and I think that they raise some interesting questions. The questions are mostly only interesting to hyper sensitive asian american studies scholars or racists though. Oh and I guess people that like to take really small things and turn them into big arguments might find this discussion interesting. First off let me tell you who made these prints and ask whether or not who created these has anything to do with how you percieve them. These are a series of prints from Simon Legno. Simon is an itallian graphic designer and the owner of the Tokidoki label and its aesthic. He illustartes the characters, places them on le sportsac purses and renders them in designer vinyl figs and people eat this shit up.






















































Obviously he is very much influenced by Asian art his style blending anime girls and the japanimation look with an urban youth type vibe. Now does his portrayl of Asian women perpetuate the stereotypes of them being sexually charged and submissive. Is it insulting that a non-asian is drawing chinky eyed scantily clad women in revealing outfits almost fetishsizing them? Is the equivalent of this me drawing african americans with gigantic lips sitting on a fence eating watermellon? Or Mexicans wearing sombreros sweating in a field? Probably not, but does the race of the creator limit what they can draw and how they draw subjects? This is where I think it gets tricky. Of course you can't limit what an artist draws or say that only asians can draw asians or be influenced by asian art. I agree, and I feel like I have little to support any other view than this. But at the same time the argument about this exists. Can I as an Asian American male write a novel where the main character is an African American and not be seen as perpetuating stereotypes and broad characterizations? I guess if I am good enough and aware enough I could. But what do i really know about african american life, why should i even be weighing in on this. Any portrait that i paint must be influenced by who I am. Or am I worng, does literature and art have a way of reaching across the boundries and the process of creation is colorblind. In truth, Simon might actually know more about Asian culture than I do, does me being Asian give me an automatic pass, when I write about Asians? I guess it would kind of have to but can you kind of see what I am talking about?

I know that Simon loves asian culture and the people in Japan and the asians here in the states jock his shit. There is respect from both sides, but I am purely approcahing this as an antagonistic thin skinned, race card playing person. The devil's advocate, the political asian that organizes the boycott of abercrombie and fitch and the ray fong shoe. I just wonder if this is something that would be taken on as a cause of these people. The slanty eyes can be seen as pretty bad in my opinion, can you draw asians and have them be seen as asians without just thick ass black lines representing eye slits?

I guess that they are not overtly sexual. I only may be seeing them that way because of my own stereotypes. I have to admit I see an asian woman and I either think slut or dragon lady. Oh those Asian whores, always doing whatever the white man wants, can't even understand their broken engrish, something about me love u long time. I can feel their long silky hair right now, oooh and their small feet , I love small asian feet. Sorry I got carried away. Anyways I think that you could argue that the women in these pictures are supposed to be objects of desire and portrayed as being sexy and or attractive. One of them is holding a diamond, and diamonds in my book equal desire, sex, and severed limbs. But that's another story. Seriously though I think you could make an argument that these could be seen as offensive, yakuza tattooed Japanese chicks in short skirts bending over while barely able to see through their thick black eye slashes. Is this a better representation of asian

This was done by Yumiko Kayukawa. She is Japanese does this make her work less offensive? Well yeah kinda, first off because this picture isn't offensive, she is just lifting up her shirt so that she can sew it easier and second she has eyes. She still has the yakuza tatts but I think in reality all Japanese people have if not full, then at least half sleeves. You just never see them because they are wearing their long sleeve office clothes. You know Japanese people always work so hard, they are very dependable people.

I think the one above might be the most offensive but if a white guy can write memoirs of a geisha then Simon should be able to make this right? What about the one below is that offensive? Who really cares right? Most art is offensive to somebody and I think that if the underlying message is not intended to offend then there should be no problem. I am sure that the picture below could be explained as taking the stereotype of the submissive asian on her hands and knees and flipping it by giving her stylish clothes and floating cherries. Also, is being subserviant to your baby tiger wrong? The answer to this question is a resounding no. The real question is, is not being subserviant to a muddy pawed baby tiger wrong? I think you know the answer, muddy baby tiger gets what muddy baby tiger wants, thats how it has always been and thats how it should always be.


Well this has sure dissolved into a rambling mess. Let me see if I can sumarize what my point was. Does race factor into what an artist can create and whether or not it is seen as offensive. I like Simon's prints and i would consider getting some, but I think that I might feel better if they were done by an asian. That's just me though people can obviously look past who created it and I think that in reality they should. I just have this jumbled idea that somehow someone could argue against his art and his representations of asian women, but I don't know if they wold have the same reactions if he was asian. Do you think this is true or is it just me tryin to think like an angry asian american studies professor? Did any of this make sense or was it all as mashed up and jumbled together as it felt for me as I wrote it. I didn't proofread it either so that could add to it, I think I said the same thing 5 times but who's counting right? Was this even close to an interesting issue or just pure madness that makes no sense at all.