Privilege, art and asshattery

Warning, rant ahead!

I was going to do a nice post tonight with a couple of shout-outs and a picture or something but I've got something on my mind and I think I need to talk about that instead. Unbeknownst to me until today, there has been some sort of hate-in going on Heather Ross. Were you aware of it? The first I knew was on her blog today, which led me to True Up (which I also read but must have missed that post), and then, and I really wish I hadn't, on to the offending blog posts. I'm not going to link to them because I don't want it to up their numbers, you can get there through True Up! I think Kim at True Up said it really well, and I'm not going to rehash the whole argument, but if you have a few minutes and feel like reading up on it a little, then I'd love to hear your thoughts. My thoughts are this:

1. I'm obviously white and privileged because I'd never noticed most fabrics with people in them show white people. This bothers me and I'm really pleased that I've had my eyes opened to it. Not that I ever really buy fabrics with people in them, but obviously it's really important to other people to find themselves represented there and fair enough.
2. Why do they think that telling Heather Ross how to draw her pictures is in any way ok or even vaguely reasonable or sane, or that it's ok to call for a boycott of her products until she starts including other skin tones than white? 
3. Would they demand that other famous artists change the way they create art so that it suits them a bit better? Makes them feel more comfortable? Is prettier? Has more blue in it? Would they tell a black and white photographer to use colour because it's more realistic? 
4. Does having a privileged (as in, not a disadvantaged minority), white childhood mean that it's not acceptable to talk about or depict it? Isn't that also racism? Am I expected to disown my childhood?
5. Should we expect people to alter the past to fit in better with that is considered acceptable today? Does that mean we should stop looking at art created by people in the past? What about books?

I think that this topic, the one of inclusivity, should absolutely be talked about - and when I started reading the original posts I was actually feeling quite positive about it. But by the end of them, and the comments, I was so angry I had to walk away from the computer. Not because of the inclusivity issue, but because of #2 above, the general self-absorption of some of those commenters, and the always present fact that the internet is full of rude, nasty and angry people. Suggesting that someone shouldn't represent their childhood, or some version of it, because it doesn't resemble yours and you, personally, don't relate to it? I mean really? You said that in public? And thought it was a good thing? I mean, god forbid that people should take this issue to the people who really need to address it, that is the manufacturers who buy or commission the fabric lines from the artists, or to, I don't know, society as a whole? Why make Heather Ross responsible for the fucked up state of race relations around the world? And I think the thing that really made my brain hurt the most, was the fact that people have actually emailed her and told her she should be altering her designs and her style and that she's doing it wrong. I just...I mean...I...I'm not getting my head around the effrontery. Not that she's like, perfect or anything, but isn't the normal thing to just not buy the stuff? Or go and design your own fabric at Spoonflower? You know, put your money where your mouth is? And then, when the person you're lobbing great lumps of turd at gets mad at you, and leaves a grumpy comment or two, why would you then say things like "well, she's not nearly as nice and full of light and happiness as her drawings suggest!" No, she's not - she's a real person, with feelings and a brain. Do these people not realise how unpleasant they're being? I'm assuming they actually think they're being constructive, or helpful or something. And then there's the academics in there, being clever and snide, laughing at all the plebs and using big words. It's not a good look, and as an academic I bloody resent how it tars the rest of us with the same brush.

Sorry, I've gone all ranty here, but jeez I'm really mad at all those rude people. When I rule the world rude, self-absorbed people better watch out. And bad drivers...

Yeah, so how was your day? Before I got all mad and ranty I started making Hazel some togs! It might be a success or a  huge disaster. Only time will tell. I'm very nervous though!