True. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t point it out and raise a stink about it. That’s how things change and get better.
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It was the Old Lahaina Luau – they had a fire spinner at the intro, and when the dancers changed outfits they explained the censorship of the hula. When the singer came out to perform “Aloha Oe” she explained that it was written by Queen Liliʻuokalani and they touched on her arrest, her trials, the refusal of the US to acknowledge the crown lands, and that the song was a lament for the loss of her country.
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NO! Gruff it up! More gruff!
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I thought of Mark Dacascos when I read that, but looking up his (complicated) heritage, I guess he wouldn’t quite do the trick?
I wasn’t complimenting it.
I was pointing out how engrained the “white=normal” mindset is.
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Ah! Gotcha!
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Pressing wild flowers and prancing? fuck yeah
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Whenever my uncle dies, I have to lead a chorus of this at his funeral. I’m seriously going to make sure it’s in his will. Because I am doing that. I’m going to have laminated cards with the lyrics made and have a pitch pipe and everything.
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I going take lil rest now, you youngsters go get 'em. 
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I don’t know about that!
Thanks for being here and sharing your perspective, BTW. @anon15383236 was spot on in her thanks to you. I hope that people are listening.
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I don’t know if anybody is still interested in this topic, but with so many opinions being shared here, there were bound to be some things that slipped by that would be good to address.
Such as this, addressed to me:
This puts me in mind of a radio interview I heard once with a very important kumu hula (master teacher of traditional Hawaiian dance). A caller to the show asked, “Why do you have so many non-Hawaiians in your group?” The kumu responded, “No, all of my dancers are Hawaiian; some by blood, and some by hard work and dedication.”
So if you are willing to put in the hundreds or thousands of hours of hard work that it takes to rise to a level of competence in a traditional art form, if you are willing to humbly take guidance from the keepers of this knowledge, you are invited, welcomed, and encouraged to do so. Your sincerity and dedication will ensure that you are a worthy vessel of these gifts from nā kūpuna (the ancestors).
On the other hand, if you think you have the right to casually waltz in and take whatever you like from Hawaiian culture because you are oh-so-entitled you… well, I won’t finish the sentence. You can fill in the blanks.
And some more examples:
I know a white man who deals in Indian arts, and often sells at Pow-Wows. He really knows his stuff, and is well respected. He also has put in the work to become really fluent in Lakota. (Contrast this with all the people who feel they have the right to live in Hawaiʻi because they are financially able, yet never learn the correct pronunciation of the street they live on.)
Hawaiʻi has its own music awards, Nā Hōkū Hanohano (The Stars of Distinction, often compared to the Grammys). One of the albums nominated for Best Slack Key Guitar Recording this year is by two white guys, Ken Emerson and Jim “Kimo” West. They are awesome players, and even if they don’t win, it’s a huge honor to be finalists. They know what they’re doing, and they didn’t get where they are by just dabbling in Hawaiian music; they deserve this honor. BTW, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard KImo West in his “day job” role. He’s been guitarist and band leader for Weird Al Yankovic since the beginning. But his success in the US music industry wouldn’t count for squat in Hawaiʻi if he didn’t approach Hawaiian music with integrity, sincerity, and passion.
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Although I disagree with you on the issue of acting, I agree with you about almost everything else, including sovereignty. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to do archaeological work on live on several of the Island groups in the Western Pacific.
Understanding the history of Western expansion across the Pacific in the late 19th and early 20th century is the only way to understand the events of 1941 from the Japanese perspective.
But I am only adding this comment to mention how Hawaiian culture has had a huge impact on even the most remote societies in the Western Pacific. More than a few times I have been on very remote islands rooting through overgrown Japanese bunkers and have heard, from some isolated farm house, some kid teaching herself the ukulele with chords from IZ’s music.
It is really interesting to see how much of the culture that was lost in the years before 1946 has been replaced with vibrant Hawaiian and Maori music, food, art and dance.
I guess this is a little OT, but possibly worth relating.
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Putting Emma Stone in Aloha (for example) at least made marketing sense. Who’s going to see this movie because of Zach McGowan? At the annual Hollywood “actors named Zach” party, I imagine Zach Braff turning to Zach Quinto and asking “Zach McGowho now?”
Hawaii is full of acting talent. Even the high school student productions at Kamehameha Schools and Mid-Pac, and the Uni productions at UH, are staggeringly good.
Amusingly, in the article on this in the local newspaper, the reactionary trollies who usually comment there and love to dig at Hawaiian activists, are mainly in agreement that this casting is ridiculous.
Kirk Douglas as a Viking?
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ʻĀ ʻoia! Acting talent, and singing too. You’ve probably seen the excellent film about the Kam Schools song contest, One Voice. It doesn’t seem to be available anywhere, which is a shame.
But if anybody else is interested, search youtube for Kamehameha song contest. And this article may help convince you that a high school singing contest could be a fascinating subject.
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Nice one, the old “Jews ain’t whites” shtick. Ole blue eyed Kirk probably looks the way he does from centuries of his grandmothers being raped by vikings.
I am much amused by @pacifica saying appropriation is perfectly OK, as long as the ring, or something, is kissed respectfully enough. He wants the judgement call if someone is deserving. What fun if everyone got to play! Grandmaster Flash should have gotten to decide if Eminem was sufficiently respectful, or if the Beastie Boys were just a bunch of Jewish posers who shouldn’t have been allowed to rap. Jews basically invented Standup Comedy, we should be allowed to decide who get to perform our unique artform, right? If you defy us in this we’ll slag you in the media, which of course we control. Like I said, fun! right?
No. One. Is. Calling. For. Censorship.
Sheesh, give it up already. Why you so mad, bruh?
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Now you are just flat out making stuff up. Not cool.
I wrote a comment stating that respect is conferred on those who work for it. Is that concept new to you? Do you have a degree? If so, did you object to the recognized experts in their fields demanding that you do a bit of work before they conferred their approval? Did those nasty professors make you sad because they wanted the “judgment call” regarding your progress? Did you whine about being too superior to kiss anybody’s “ring, or something” every time there was a test or a paper?
If someone studies Hawaiian music with me, damn right Iʻm going to tell them if their accent or pronunciation needs improving. Why? Because I know more than they do, as my teachers know more than I do.
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[quote=“pacifica, post:180, topic:100784”]
On the other hand, if you think you have the right to casually waltz in and take whatever you like from Hawaiian culture because you are oh-so-entitled you…[/quote]… totally can, provided it’s done with humility?
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