I was tagged by @ascheriit to write up a list of pet peeves; things that annoy me in my everyday human life. I'd consider myself quite tolerant, so I will have to exaggerate a few just to mock up a few.
1. People talking in the Cinema and staring at their phones
Admittedly, I don't really watch movies on my own, but when I do bring people along for a screening, I expect them to not be so chatty, as well as other people who are sharing the room. If you want to talk, talk at the end of the movie. It's really distracting, and it can really ruin my enjoyment of a flick. My other annoyance is with people who constantly stare at their phone screen every now and instead of you know, watching the damn movie! If you're going to commit to a movie, commit to it fully. And no, I don't want to hear your comedic thought out loud.
2. Fake spam emails from older relatives
They don't know any better, and everytime someone younger in my extended family has to remind them each time that the emails they're forwarding are fake. If I want advice on how to cure cancer, I'd google it. Alternatively, if I do subscribe to a site, that doesn't mean I want an email from them every freaking day.
3. Overreaction to political correctness in media or as I like to call it, patriotic correctness (This is a direct response to @filotasriza3's political correctness pet peeve)
I get it. You don't want to see Achilles played by a black person. Okay, but my argument to that is that what you're doing here is no different from the cries of cultural appropriation. Oversensitive people didn't want that girl to wear that Chinese dress, because it's "cultural appropriation" to them. Similarly, when a black man decides to play a mythological greek person, and you cry about it, you're essentially saying that a black man should never ever act like a greek because he's culturally appropriating greek culture. Furthermore, you have to remember that Achilles is a fictional character. He wasn't white or any other colour since the Achilles we know from the myths never existed. Mythologies cross borders all the time. Just take a look at how Jesus came to be represented in western countries nowadays. He's a tall white dude, with long hair and blue eyes. Jesus was middle eastern, and while we can't say exactly how he looked like, we do have some clues, and he certainly wouldn't look like the hippie we know today. Ultimately, I think what matters to an actor is his ability to portray Achilles, and really nothing else. Dwayne The Rock Johnson, a Samoan even portrayed Hercules/Heracles, who is also a mythological Greek / Roman hero and I honestly don't remember any outrage over that. Also, ask any greek person if they're actually offended over a black Achilles. I'm pretty sure they aren't. This is why I call that kind of behaviour patriotic correctness.
4. People and establishments who care too much about dress code
I just hate establishments that do so. I suppose this is less of a problem abroad, with the millennial culture kinda taking over, but here, people are still stuck on this traditional mindset that you NEED to respect dress codes. Look, smart clothing is generally ideal, but it shouldn't be enforced. Let people be who they want as long as they're not being indecent. Think about the clothes you had to wear at weddings, parties, business events etc. For me, it's the same selection of boring suits. If you're looking to stand out, then wearing a boring black suit ain't gonna help it. I remember that one time when the staff of a restaurant in a hotel nearly turned me away when I was a teenager because I wasn't wearing wear long trousers. How ridiculous is that? Ultimately, they let me eat because even the staff realised how silly was it for them to stop a teenager from eating because he was wearing a pair of pants instead of trousers. That would be immoral.
That's it for me. I suppose the last two are more than just pet peeves; they're mild annoyances. I tag @felipejoys, @veryspider, @ejgarcia, @vimukthi, @icytaff, @scrawly, @quekery to write something up as well, if they dare.
it's cultural appropriation if only white people do it apparently. Where do i begin. First of all i completely agree with the first one but let's go to the thing that you mentioned and tagged me.
To begin with not only it isn't similar, it's completely different to equate a dress with a human being. A dress that depending on the case and era could be easily being a part of a trade that was happened ages ago till now, so it could be very easily obtainable for many nationalities to have a Chinese dress or kimono or a Greek one.
Secondly, i am a Greek, i grew up learning the Greek mythology and it was mandatory in school. Not only did we learned the Greek mythology and history, based on our books but also based on foreign authors that are respectable to the worldwide community. You mentioned that this is mythology and it isn't stated what his color is and how he looked like
WRONG
in the Iliad made by the same person who created the Odyssey (Homer) it is specifically stated that : («ξανθῆς δὲ κόμης ἕλε Πηλεΐωνα» = "she (Athena) grabbed Achilles by his blonde hair"; Iliad, 1.197).
If you don't believe me that is ancient Greek and ξανθῆς δὲ κόμης literally translated to blond hair. Now i don't know many black people that were Greeks, fought against Troy forces, were well known and died their hair yellow.
My issue as i mentioned in my post too, is pushing an agenda that is wrong. The author HOMER specifically gave the characteristics so even if it's mythology you have to respect the Author and how he created his character, it's exactly the same with movies like fantastic four with a black Torch. Not only it's disrespectful towards the Author but for the millions of people who grew up learning and loving and even had as a role model each specific character.
Just imagine if Black Panther was played by a white blond actor, it would have been completely wrong. Or imagine if we make a movie about ancient China and Kung Gu and it's full of Black,Russians and Greek Kung Fu Masters. This would have been even worse as it's not only disrespectful to everyone, it's also historically inaccurate, like in the Netflix's Troy that was full of inaccuracies.*
My point is that you just can't change nationalities and gender of characters already established. Instead be unique create your own story with whatever you want in and if the crowd love it so be it. Another example is Men In Black. Will Smith is iconic to the movie franchise. The ask the Greeks is completely stupid cause actually i have done and share the same view because contrary to you they are obligated to know a bit of your history. You can even see comments of Greeks and other regarding that thing in Steemit, if you want let me know and i will give you the links. I believe you are the one that can't or never asked a Greek about it nor you have ever read the Iliad. Check also the reviews for that movie (Troy: Fall Of A City 3.8/10) via google and see yourself what they are saying both for black Achilles and historic facts
as per the rock that you mentioned in the role of Hercules. It was historically inaccurate but at least they tried to portray a bit Hercules as a very muscular brunette man with long hair. I never saw a bold Dwayne! Also fun fact, this is Hercules not Herakles. Hercules is the Roman name and representation for the Greek hero Heracles
I'm aware of the Heracles/Hercules difference. It was inaccurate, and it was also fun. Perhaps you're not really seeing my point. I dissociate culture from ethnicity rather strongly. Why? Because to actually contribute to a culture, you need to make an effort. Being born in an ethnicity is 0 effort. It's simply something you had from the beginning.
It would be therefore quite arrogant for me to claim that no one should wear a dress from the culture I was born in.
I'm not going to be as thorough with my response, but I'd first like to emphasize on my main pet peeve, is people being oversensitive to PC, I'm the last person to give a damn about PC culture. I say the things I want, and if people don't like it, so be it. That said, I equally don't like the opposite of PC culture, patriotic correctness culture, which is being offended on behalf of a nationality.
it's completely different to equate a dress with a human being.
One's attire shapes culture. Ethnicity also shapes culture to an extent, but you shouldn't dismiss it just because it's an object. From the viewpoint of culture, it has as much value. If it didn't, the outrage over a white person wearing a Chinese dress or a white dude wearing dreadlocks wouldn't exist. The fact that they do does make my point.
Secondly, i am a Greek
I take my point then that Greeks wouldn't be offended. I guess you guys are indeed a little touchy over your myths.
You mentioned that this is mythology and it isn't stated what his color is and how he looked like
That's not what I said. To clarify, I said he isn't white, because he's fictional. When I said white, I meant real white. Real ethnicity can only exist in the real world. Achilles is a fictitious character, therefore he has no real ethnicity.
My issue as i mentioned in my post too, is pushing an agenda that is wrong.
There's literally nothing wrong with the concept of pushing agendas through media. That's one of the main reasons why authors even bother at all. The good stories they write, all push an agenda of sorts. You may not like the agenda that's being pushed, sure, but there's nothing wrong with pushing agendas.
Not only it's disrespectful towards the Author but for the millions of people who grew up learning and loving and even had as a role model each specific character.
I don't know if you realise it, but what you're doing here is political correctness. You're putting fictional characters on a pedestal, and getting outraged over the fact that a character you worship isn't being portrayed in the way you like. The author is long dead. New authors re-invent existing characters all the time.
Just imagine if Black Panther was played by a white blond actor, it would have been completely wrong. Or imagine if we make a movie about ancient China and Kung Gu and it's full of Black,Russians and Greek Kung Fu Masters. This would have been even worse as it's not only disrespectful to everyone, it's also historically inaccurate, like in the Netflix's Troy that was full of inaccuracies.*
All of these ideas actually sound great to me. I'm Chinese by the way, and if they make a movie about Ancient China, and it's full other people from other ethnicities practicing Kung Fu, why would I be mad? Just before you accuse me of not caring for history, oh, I do love history. However, what we're talking about here is a movie, not a history book. If people want to know the real mythology or history, books exist for a reason.
Cultures don't belong to any group. When you're born a Greek or Chinese, you contribute to Greek or Chinese Culture, but you don't own it. This is a simple fact that people don't get. You as an individual, do not get to speak for the entirety of a culture. You only get to speak for part of the culture you experienced, which may have massive variations. And even if you get to speak about it, you don't own it.
Second, what you're doing here again is political correctness. Who cares if some bloke think it's disrespectful? I thought the main idea of political correctness was to be able to say and do things we want, and if people find it disrespectful or offensive, they should just grow a thicker skin and not be such a beta about it.
My point is that you just can't change nationalities and gender of characters already established
Did you know that the story of Aladdin was set in Ancient China, and that Aladdin himself was supposed to be Chinese? But nowadays, people think Aladdin is middle-eastern. And you know what, that's ok. I understand that stories evolve, and people adapt them to their own culture. So my answer to your point is that yes, you can, as proven several times by actual history.
bla is so brave about that whole jesus thing
.... and why you tagged me aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa :screaming emoji:
....
i dont make promises ok
also your no 1 is totally my pet peeve too
and i can relate to the other ones. yep. that dress code thing is so silly also i wish they'd let me sit cross legged on my office chair cuz i'm so comfortable that way. but no, has to be both legs down appropriately etc. as if sitting cross legged affect my respectability or sommit
gee golly
Yes haha I love going for the jugular. You can include the dresscode part when you write your pet peeves as well, with your own examples.
Dare Accepted. I am going to have to use that talking in the theater pet peeve in my post too.