seven stars
Have others noticed this deck in creation? The work itself is awesome, but I personally feel a grave injustice has been done in titling the deck. It's a work by a woman by the name of Alice Smeets, who went to Haiti & created these images with the locals.
The only reason I find it controversial is the naming of the deck. She feels the naming of it is "taking back" the word Ghetto, however, can a white person take back a term that is considered derogatory to one group? Is it even accurate considering the dictionary definition of ghetto is "a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure" & in Haiti blacks are not the minority? Is the term any more derogatory than barrio?
If I had viewed this deck as "The Deck of the Haiti People" or "The Deck of Port-au-Prince" or "Third World Tarot" or "The Deck of Atis Rezistans" I would have found it fascinating and thought provoking, whereas seeing it referred to as "The Ghetto Tarot" has provoked so much negativity that I can't even look at the images without a feeling of insult toward a bunch of people who don't even deserve that, just the same as if I were calling them all the N word. The name alone makes me feel bad as a white person viewing it. If that makes sense.
It just seems to me that the naming of this deck does the actual work & the people in the photographs a great disservice, but maybe that's just a small minded American white middle class viewpoint.
This thread should NOT invoke anger - I find it thought provoking, the way the naming of a deck can give us a good feeling about the contents or a very bad feeling - and this is coming from someone who without much thought & tongue-in-cheek named her first deck the Deck of the Bastard.
I mean, look at these images - they're fantastic. But then, look at them as "The Deck of the N****", or "The Deck of the Po Black Boy" or "The Deck of the Thugs"...or "The Ghetto Tarot"......doesn't it just make you feel kind of bad? As opposed to wow these are freaking beautiful people? It just doesn't set right....especially knowing it's a white middle class person naming it.
The power of a single word.
The only reason I find it controversial is the naming of the deck. She feels the naming of it is "taking back" the word Ghetto, however, can a white person take back a term that is considered derogatory to one group? Is it even accurate considering the dictionary definition of ghetto is "a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure" & in Haiti blacks are not the minority? Is the term any more derogatory than barrio?
If I had viewed this deck as "The Deck of the Haiti People" or "The Deck of Port-au-Prince" or "Third World Tarot" or "The Deck of Atis Rezistans" I would have found it fascinating and thought provoking, whereas seeing it referred to as "The Ghetto Tarot" has provoked so much negativity that I can't even look at the images without a feeling of insult toward a bunch of people who don't even deserve that, just the same as if I were calling them all the N word. The name alone makes me feel bad as a white person viewing it. If that makes sense.
It just seems to me that the naming of this deck does the actual work & the people in the photographs a great disservice, but maybe that's just a small minded American white middle class viewpoint.
This thread should NOT invoke anger - I find it thought provoking, the way the naming of a deck can give us a good feeling about the contents or a very bad feeling - and this is coming from someone who without much thought & tongue-in-cheek named her first deck the Deck of the Bastard.
I mean, look at these images - they're fantastic. But then, look at them as "The Deck of the N****", or "The Deck of the Po Black Boy" or "The Deck of the Thugs"...or "The Ghetto Tarot"......doesn't it just make you feel kind of bad? As opposed to wow these are freaking beautiful people? It just doesn't set right....especially knowing it's a white middle class person naming it.
The power of a single word.