Bamboozled: Miso Pretty by Blue Q
In the twenties, Vigny Paris presented Golliwog parfum to the world. The name and bottle was inspired by a popular series of books by Florence Upton, which themselves were inspired by the racist fun of minstrelsy.
Le Golliwog is highly valued by bottle collectors, who frequently seem to denote its whimsy.
Here’s Blue Q’s latest product line, Miso Pretty.
One could argue it’s whimsical, too. One could suggest that Japonaiserie isn’t new, and has been around for over a hundred years.
My view is not so benign. Miso Pretty capitalizes on xenophobic audio-lingual attitudes in name, and its manner of Japonaiserie has only but little to do with cultural appreciation.
One rub for me is that the packaging really is brightly colorful and cute, and moreover, the scent descriptors sound inviting. Yet I’ve never bought - held back by my serious reservations.
March sweetly sent me a sample of their body mist, knowing I would like it. And I do! Gentle peony petals, creamy and soft, wear beautifully. The spray also bears a touch of sweet green, subtle fruitiness, and laundry musk. It’s spring a’bloom personified. While it might make a great bargain for a casual fragrance, I still won’t be buying.
One of the arguments white folk use against other white folk when they object to racist details is, “I don’t see that personally, maybe you’re the one who’s being racist for even thinking it.” That pernicious line of reasoning can sometimes trip a person up and give them pause. The line’s twisted logic works because it deflects the racism back to the accuser, who may well be prone to self-examination. However… being aware and sensitive to racism issues is not the same thing as racism itself. Being racist is what is being racist.
Often an accuser is advised to “lighten up, have a sense of humor,” thus implying we’re all supposed to take this hackneyed stale humor on the chin with a shrug and a good-natured grin. Good jokes contain the element of surprise, and should catch the audience unaware. Relying upon decades- or even centuries-old stereotypes neither surprises nor provokes with novelty. That sort of humor is at best ignorant, and at worst isn’t humor at all.
Whimsy and racism: two great tastes that taste great together? I don’t think so, but of course we all must make that call for ourselves. I am going to leave comments open, because I think this ought to provide some interesting introspection and a great discussion since there will be a wide range of agreements and disagreements. However - commenters who flame, name call, or use racial/ethnic slurs, will find their comments deleted and will be banned from making future comments.
Top image of Vigny Golliwog from trocodero.com. Miso Pretty images from ulta.com