Stolen from the past (yum)? December 15, 2008

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All I can think, really, is “But, why?” When I first saw this commercial for Tilda’s basmati rice, it set off an alarm in my brain somewhere, and I still can’t figure out exactly why. At face value, I didn’t see anything wrong with it. 

The commercial starts with a couple in an Indian restaurant, and the man orders a side of basmati rice. The chef realizes there is no more, and dials a number to (presumably) Victorian England. Then, we are taken on a journey past the seas to India, where all the basmati rice is found. The tagline at the end of the commercial is “Tilda legendary rice: stolen from the past.” 

Certainly, it’s a well-done commercial, and is extremely visually appealing. That said, a lot of the imagery invoked is of India’s colonial past, and I don’t know why this was necessary. The line at the end is what bothers me the most. “Stolen From The Past” calls to mind the European explorers and spice merchants who ‘brought’ pieces of the ‘East’ to Europe, for the aristocracy to enjoy. (The East India Company, anyone?) European, and more specifically British, colonialism is romanticized. Yep, order yourselves a plate of Tilda basmati, and it will be just like the good old days?

Again, why? Please enlighten me if you can.

Video: Yellow Rage December 10, 2008

A friend of mine showed this to me last month, and I’ve been meaning to share it here.

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Canada: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women December 6, 2008

Today is December 6th, otherwise known in Canada as the anniversary of the Montréal Massacre in 1989, or the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. This day consistently gets me angry with the way it is taken up by mainstream media and some feminists, and I don’t want to take a moment of silence. I want to take a moment of non-silence, of speaking out, of yelling, of non-complacency about many forms of violence against many people.

I take a moment for the 14 women killed by Marc Lépine, who was not a ‘madman’, but an anti-feminist/misogynist who knew exactly what he was doing.

I take a moment for the hundreds of missing and murdered Native women across Canada who are ignored every day by the police, government, mainstream media, and many feminists.

I take a moment for the trans people who face wide amounts of violence, are murdered, beaten, intimidated, because of their gender identities.

I take a moment for the disabled women facing violence because they are seen as helpless and easily controlled.

I take a moment for non-status women in Canada who face all sorts of violence, systemic and otherwise, but have no reprieve or support because they are considered ‘illegal.’

I take a moment for the queer women who face violence (PDF) because they are queer, or from their partners, and have little support available to them because partner violence is seen as mainly heterosexual.

I take a moment for homeless women, who encounter gendered violence because they are invisible and not ‘real’ women.

I take a moment for all the women who have been raped or  sexually assaulted, and those who will never tell anyone, because they see it as their fault and responsibility.

I take a moment for the intersections of the above.

I take a moment for the people whose plight apparently isn’t enough to get a national day of remembrance from the State, and remember them today.