Swedish minister eats a "racist" cake

[redpaintednavi]

The Swedish minister of culture has been heavily critisiced for eating a cake that is a caricature of a black woman:

Minister in 'racist circumcision outrage'
Swedish minister of culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth's participation in a "racist spectacle" in which she carved up a cake depicting a naked black woman has sparked outrage and prompted calls for the minister's dismissal.

Minister in 'racist circumcision outrage' - The Local

Minister apologizes over 'racist' cake cutting
A public apology by Sweden's minister for culture on Wednesday didn't stop calls for her to resign after she carved up a cake depicting a naked black woman, sparking an onslaught of criticism.

Minister apologizes over 'racist' cake cutting - The Local

An African woman comments the spectacle:

What makes the cake episode so deeply offensive is the appropriation, by both artist and his audience, of African women’s bodies and experiences, while completely excluding real African women from the discourse. It is a pornography of violence.

Pambazuka - The missing ingredient in Sweden

What is your opinion about this spectacle?

[Isard]

Tasteless? Yes.


Racist? Not really... They weren't cutting it up because it was a black woman. They were trying to highlight something that is a real issue in Africa, which is female genital mutilation. They just did a terrible job.

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by Isard

Tasteless? Yes.


Racist? Not really... They weren't cutting it up because it was a black woman. They were trying to highlight something that is a real issue in Africa, which is female genital mutilation. They just did a terrible job.

Well said.

The way they go to such pains to point out it was a 'black woman' is massively telling in itself - is any specific race more deserving of sympathy, or deserving of some form of special treatment? No. Don't the numerous photos already show the visual element anyway?

Circumcision is a massive double standard anyway - there is such a huge outcry over mutilation of women, but mutilation of men is both legal and widely practiced without consent.

[Clarke]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Circumcision is a massive double standard anyway - there is such a huge outcry over mutilation of women, but mutilation of men is both legal and widely practiced without consent.

This isn't a double-standard. FGM involves a lot more damage to the body than circumcision does. (See Wikipedia: "Around 85 percent of women who undergo FGM experience Types I and II, and 15 percent Type III [full removal of the genitals] though Type III is the most common procedure in several countries, including Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti.")

Note, that link is only safe for the strong of stomach.

[Human No More]

Yet it's just as possible to go wrong for either gender, and only one is performed in civilised countries without the perpetrator being arrested.

[iron_jones]

Dear GOD that's in poor taste.