Oct 23, 2007

Camouflage Taken To The Absurd



Aya Tsukioka presented new clothing designs that address Japan’s growing fears of crime. If you look at the last vending machine on the right of the above picture, you'll see some tiny feet at the bottom. Yes, people it's getting this absurd.

Never mind the mace in the face. The idea here is if you are afraid you are being pursued, you whip out this folded camouflage and slip under it. This particular ensemble has an actual-size photo of a vending machine printed on the fabric.

To learn more about the insanity, which includes: the manhole bag, books for parents on "how-to dress your kid like a thug", and Kevlar school uniforms, check out the NY Times article by clicking here.

I suggest they recruit drag queens like the one in the video I posted (see "When Drag Queens Attack") to go out there and teach people how to grow a set and handle their shit.

ADDENDUM: I was once held up at gun point. May it never happen again. After this post I recalled that memory and realize how fear can make us do the craziest things. I also know that fight or flight is a very real thing.

What is disturbing to me is that there is a trend to let the unacceptable happen, and the reaction to these terrible things, are terrible ideas based on a fantasy of achieving absolute safety.

People do bad things to other people. It is human nature. Terrible things can happen at anytime, anyplace and for any reason. I favor an approach to addressing this by asking, why they happen. When you identify the why, you can then work on REAL solutions.

2 comments:

The Gringo's Wife, Ph.D. said...

"People do bad things to other people. It is human nature." -Allan

Now, if this is truly what you think, then it means you are part of the Realist school of thought, which I would think its a contradiction from what I would think you really were. Ok ok, so maybe I can't really judge you based on the very short time I shared with you, but, I really think you didn't really meant that.

Let me explain.

The realist school of thought began after WWI. It was a period where the atrociousness of WWI, and the incredibly poverty of the Great Depression (among other things) gave rise to the realist school of thought. This school is based on the belief that man is born bad, others say that man is born good, but society corrupts him. Its influences are Maquiavelo, T. Hobbes and Hans Morgenthau.

Now, where am I going with this? I'm telling you this because the way these people thought was a very strict, pessimistic, and negative way. For them, things were either black or white, and there weren't any exceptions to their rules. Now, if the world were really black and white, and human beings in general were bad, then, don't you think that the concept of family, peace, love, and tolerance among others, would be nonexistent in all societies in general?

Think about it. ;)

Hope you are doing great Allan. Cuidate!

Allan S. said...

Heidy you rock! I get where you are coming from. Let me elaborate on that statement. I think human nature is very complex and behaviors both good and bad are possible. I feel fear is often the trigger for bad behaviors. I also strongly believe that compassion, love and creativity are also part of human nature. Overall I see the potential for light and dark in humans.