Read on Twitter
I think I need to work on not apologising for talking about someone who profits off the choicest bits of a culture that isn't theirs. That's a very important thing to work on, especially because in danmei fandom it's quite often that the original authors don't get credit/money.
We work so hard to support the original work and this white guy comes swanning in reading not for profit fan translations on live stream, receiving money donations for his casual objectification and conflation of East Asian cultures. Him and his 129 year old dog spirit form.
Sooooo. I got blocked, it looks like these tweets are doing the numbers - let's go on a nice trip with receipts cause it's a good teachable moment, okay?
1. Here's your carrd. https://cuchallain.carrd.co/
大家好(dàjiāhǎo) is not translated as "Everyone, good?", the closest would actually be "How is everyone?". I'm sure you'd argue semantics, as would a lot of people, but the first translation is clunky and the second flows better -
大家好(dàjiāhǎo) is not translated as "Everyone, good?", the closest would actually be "How is everyone?". I'm sure you'd argue semantics, as would a lot of people, but the first translation is clunky and the second flows better -
- Dogs hold some taboo in Chinese culture as they are sometimes seen to be dirty etc. If a Chinese person wanted to curse you, they'd call you a dog - in MDZS the Wens are called 温狗 (wēngǒu), literally Wen dog. So for you to say you have a dog spirit form, on one hand it's -
- not so good for the dog, and there's no such thing as a spirit form in any part of CN culture, so that's also not so good for you. Were you trying to say you have a spirit animal, but in a "politically correct" way?
If I went to a restaurant, and it was called 铜犬楼 -
If I went to a restaurant, and it was called 铜犬楼 -
(tóngquánlóu) translated here as House of Copper Hounds, I'd probably walk out, that doesn't seem super sanitary etc and again there are customs and cultural nuance to take into account when a place is named in Chinese.
2. Here's another tweet which I found was interesting: https://twitter.com/cuchallain/status/1287614099900309505?s=19
I won't comment on the conversation going on, but I'll note on your use of "heavily entranced" here - what does that mean? I was inclined to give the benefit of the doubt initially but in light -
I won't comment on the conversation going on, but I'll note on your use of "heavily entranced" here - what does that mean? I was inclined to give the benefit of the doubt initially but in light -
- of other things that have happened... Look, I get being interested in a different culture nearly to the point of obsession (we've all done it to varying degrees), but "heavily entranced" to my English speaking self is heavily reminiscent of being told someone has yellow fever.
3. Here's yet another tweet, the last one I promise:
https://twitter.com/cristalmarie/status/1347394036085252096?s=19
You have 15k followers, and this follower of yours has 30k followers - on your stream it looks like you made a joke incorporating "watashi" in Japanese (just read the tweet). -
https://twitter.com/cristalmarie/status/1347394036085252096?s=19
You have 15k followers, and this follower of yours has 30k followers - on your stream it looks like you made a joke incorporating "watashi" in Japanese (just read the tweet). -
- Are you familiar with East Asian cultures? You must be, since you do posit yourself as an authority on donghua by calling it Chinese anime. Are you familiar with the Rape of Nanking, among other incidents in the shared, blood soaked past of the Eastern hemisphere? -
- If you are, then you'd know that conflating East Asian cultures is a big no-no, even if it's a joke. Eastern hemisphere tensions are much more recent than the West, partially because most of us were losers in the wars the West waged, while we were occupied by the West. -
- Some of us have grandparents that still remember starving and hiding during wartime. I'd appreciate if you put in more care considering the size and reach of your platform.
4. https://twitter.com/guomanAnimation/status/1303968030314000384?s=19
It looks like you also block people for correcting you, then swipe the information to tweet yourself without crediting them. Tsk.
It looks like you also block people for correcting you, then swipe the information to tweet yourself without crediting them. Tsk.
5. And more context on Philippines-China relations https://twitter.com/lanwangjis/status/1303949263315980288?s=21
Those who stuck with me for this long, here are my own thoughts and feelings.
So I'm tone policing myself very heavily here - I won't deny that I'm angry. I won't deny that I've been salting in both public and private either, because I am entitled to this space. -
So I'm tone policing myself very heavily here - I won't deny that I'm angry. I won't deny that I've been salting in both public and private either, because I am entitled to this space. -
- I have the right to speak up when something is wrong. There's nothing wrong with appreciating a culture, but from the past few tweets it looks like this person has crossed the line into appropriating it for profit. -
- He's reading fan translations of popular danmei novels on live stream without the permission of the translators (please let me know if he's finally got official permission lol), and he's getting paid for it through monetary donations while the original authors are not. -
- This brings up very intense feelings of being othered and objectified for me, and I am disinclined to give him the benefit of the doubt after repeated instances of acting in bad faith.
Mispronouncing a popular character's name is only the tip of the iceberg in this case. -
Mispronouncing a popular character's name is only the tip of the iceberg in this case. -
- I'm not given any slack when it comes to pronouncing English words and names, but there have been many instances where my name has been misinterpreted or somebody has just not bothered to pronounce my name correctly or to say it at all. -
- CN people put it a lot of love and effort into choosing names for their children - my name is a gift to me that has been chosen with care. I'm happy to help correct pronunciation of CN names since there's a neurological aspect to being able to pronounce different names, -
- but it really is the thought that counts. Refusing to learn how to pronounce my name correctly is erasing me as a person - how else will you refer to me in conversation?
As somebody who is marketing themselves as an authority on a culture that is not originally theirs, -
As somebody who is marketing themselves as an authority on a culture that is not originally theirs, -
- I think the very least you could have done was to do some research on the original characters of the name and to run it through Google Translate to find out what it sounds like. It's what I would have done, at the very least - I made it a point to switch to the correct -
- pronunciation of your name even though it was foreign to me. I'll admit I made fun of it a few times and I'll apologise for that, but once I discovered the significance and the correct pronunciation I stopped.
This isn't about shitting on you for learning a second language, btw. I speak 5 if you count dialect and I am regularly asked if I am a native speaker (in some countries there is no such thing as a first language).
This is about your lack of care with your subject material.
This is about your lack of care with your subject material.
I get it, it's fun. Nobody's going to police you on the internet for having fun, you're perfectly within your rights to block all your dissidents and be cradled close and soft by your beloved followers. But this is my culture. I live and breathe it whether I want to or not.
Maybe one day you'll reach the proficiency of a local. Maybe you'll figure out that freeloading on the work of others isn't as rewarding as you thought it was. I don't know, props to you if you successfully change and remedy the action you took in bad faith.
You don't get to decide whether something is racist towards Chinese, nor do you have the right to speak on behalf of them (I'm pretty sure they outnumber you?). You also don't get to decide whether you sound like a local, because neurologically you don't know the difference.
Meanwhile, here's a link to how to apologise, it was an easy google: https://www.etiquetteschoolofamerica.com/how-to-apologize-the-7-steps-of-a-sincere-apology/
It's hard work taking feedback and using it to improve yourself. I won't be accepting your apology as I feel too much harm has been done, and I don't think you're planning to apologise. I care, but I don't think you do.
If you've gotten this far, dear reader (general you this time LOL), like and subscribe to @guomanAnimation! Feel free to boost other review channels and creators here, it's a space that is open to all. I think we'd appreciate having alternatives.
For my Western friends, I appreciate the work you do to engage mindfully with Eastern culture. A few people have reached out and the response has always been positive. There's no shame in making mistakes, what counts is the learning that comes after.
