- Sep 22, 2013
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This is a feminism-critique about Election 2016 symbolism, First Lady Melania Trump, invisible-ink, and the Indian boti (a traditional but complicated kitchen-instrument used by many laboring women in villages and towns).
It's inspired by Dave and dedicated to the First Lady.
Merry Christmas USMB!
Signing off,
====
The Indian boti is a special old-world kitchen-instrument (a blade-and-board item) used to cut foods on the floor with hand and foot. The boti is quite effective but also quite deadly if not used properly, and there have been numerous accidents/cuts caused by people mishandling it. Nevertheless, it's considered a staple in kitchens in India and has been so for many many years. Women often complain about using the boti, since it's quite deadly and requires serious focus/skill to use without hurting yourself. It's therefore something the Hindu goddess Kali might complain about, as she wields her own curved-blade (the weapon called the scimitar!) and tells humans about the value of feminist-theory and the praise of female labor for kitchen duties.
Of course, in America, we have much more sophisticated kitchen-instruments such as blenders, grinders, toasters, and potato-peelers. These are much less deadly and easier to use, so we rarely hear of 'feminist-arguments' about women complaining about using such convenient kitchen-tools in the USA. However, we might read a Marvel Comics story about the villain Hobgoblin (a jet-glider soaring pumpkin-bomb throwing urban ghoul/specter) telling us that the labors of all women are 'complex' and should never be ignored (even in America!).
So I wrote U.S. First Lady Melania Trump a feminism-themed letter about the deadly Indian boti...in INVISIBLE INK. Invisible ink pens allow you to write normally but the actual writing disappears before your eyes (because of a special compositional-chemical) and only re-appears when you shine a special illumination-light on the disappearing writing/ink. So, I wrote the First Lady an elaborate feminism letter about the value of female labor in Indian kitchens and the use of the complicated Indian boti and why the Hindu goddess Kali watches over women in India laboring in kitchens with their botis. I wanted to see what Melania Trump would think about the concept of labor in a nation not as commercially competitive as America.
So why did I write the First Lady this letter in invisible ink? I wanted her to consider my suggestions that Election 2016 highlighted some of the fancy feminism notions in the Western world, since Hillary Clinton was the first serious contender for the office of U.S. President and almost defeated President Donald Trump. I wanted First Lady Melania Trump to think about all the anti-TrumpUSA protests shown in the news and why feminists voiced their dissatisfaction with the Trump Administration. Perhaps Election 2016 was a signpost for a shift in feminism in America itself!
The First Lady wrote me back and said, "I found your comments intriguing, but it took me some time/trouble to actually 'decode' your feminist commentary, since it was written in invisible-ink(!); this made me wonder if you're trying to make some kind of democracy-critical comment about the nature of modern political communication/critique in media. I agree with you that modern media in America is quite 'complex,' but perhaps you'll find 'inspiration' in the images of New England Patriots [NFL] cheerleaders cheering for their successful Super Bowl winning QB Tom Brady and revealing a very 'American' attitude towards festive lifestyle!" I was stunned by the First Lady's thoughtful/passionate response.
MELANIA: I got this eccentric feminist letter.
DONALD: What was it about, my dear?
MELANIA: It was referencing Hillary's race in Election 2016.
DONALD: Sounds intriguing...
MELANIA: Well, it was written in invisible-ink.
DONALD: What?
MELANIA: Yes; the writer wanted me to think about the 'serendipity' of gender.
DONALD: Aha; that's clever; the writer wanted you to brood about American aesthetics!
MELANIA: I think you're correct; the letter referenced Hindu goddess Kali and the 'boti.'
DONALD: What's a 'boti'?
MELANIA: It's an old-world Indian kitchen-instrument consisting of a blade-and-board.
DONALD: To cut foods on the floor with hand-and-foot, I suppose.
MELANIA: That's correct; the letter suggested that boti-feminism is like inking free-speech!
DONALD: I think the writer of the letter wanted you to brood about media-dialogue.
MELANIA: You know, all this 'media chatter' can feel like 'noise.'
DONALD: That's why we have Saturday Night Live...
====
It's inspired by Dave and dedicated to the First Lady.
Merry Christmas USMB!
Signing off,
====
The Indian boti is a special old-world kitchen-instrument (a blade-and-board item) used to cut foods on the floor with hand and foot. The boti is quite effective but also quite deadly if not used properly, and there have been numerous accidents/cuts caused by people mishandling it. Nevertheless, it's considered a staple in kitchens in India and has been so for many many years. Women often complain about using the boti, since it's quite deadly and requires serious focus/skill to use without hurting yourself. It's therefore something the Hindu goddess Kali might complain about, as she wields her own curved-blade (the weapon called the scimitar!) and tells humans about the value of feminist-theory and the praise of female labor for kitchen duties.
Of course, in America, we have much more sophisticated kitchen-instruments such as blenders, grinders, toasters, and potato-peelers. These are much less deadly and easier to use, so we rarely hear of 'feminist-arguments' about women complaining about using such convenient kitchen-tools in the USA. However, we might read a Marvel Comics story about the villain Hobgoblin (a jet-glider soaring pumpkin-bomb throwing urban ghoul/specter) telling us that the labors of all women are 'complex' and should never be ignored (even in America!).
So I wrote U.S. First Lady Melania Trump a feminism-themed letter about the deadly Indian boti...in INVISIBLE INK. Invisible ink pens allow you to write normally but the actual writing disappears before your eyes (because of a special compositional-chemical) and only re-appears when you shine a special illumination-light on the disappearing writing/ink. So, I wrote the First Lady an elaborate feminism letter about the value of female labor in Indian kitchens and the use of the complicated Indian boti and why the Hindu goddess Kali watches over women in India laboring in kitchens with their botis. I wanted to see what Melania Trump would think about the concept of labor in a nation not as commercially competitive as America.
So why did I write the First Lady this letter in invisible ink? I wanted her to consider my suggestions that Election 2016 highlighted some of the fancy feminism notions in the Western world, since Hillary Clinton was the first serious contender for the office of U.S. President and almost defeated President Donald Trump. I wanted First Lady Melania Trump to think about all the anti-TrumpUSA protests shown in the news and why feminists voiced their dissatisfaction with the Trump Administration. Perhaps Election 2016 was a signpost for a shift in feminism in America itself!
The First Lady wrote me back and said, "I found your comments intriguing, but it took me some time/trouble to actually 'decode' your feminist commentary, since it was written in invisible-ink(!); this made me wonder if you're trying to make some kind of democracy-critical comment about the nature of modern political communication/critique in media. I agree with you that modern media in America is quite 'complex,' but perhaps you'll find 'inspiration' in the images of New England Patriots [NFL] cheerleaders cheering for their successful Super Bowl winning QB Tom Brady and revealing a very 'American' attitude towards festive lifestyle!" I was stunned by the First Lady's thoughtful/passionate response.
MELANIA: I got this eccentric feminist letter.
DONALD: What was it about, my dear?
MELANIA: It was referencing Hillary's race in Election 2016.
DONALD: Sounds intriguing...
MELANIA: Well, it was written in invisible-ink.
DONALD: What?
MELANIA: Yes; the writer wanted me to think about the 'serendipity' of gender.
DONALD: Aha; that's clever; the writer wanted you to brood about American aesthetics!
MELANIA: I think you're correct; the letter referenced Hindu goddess Kali and the 'boti.'
DONALD: What's a 'boti'?
MELANIA: It's an old-world Indian kitchen-instrument consisting of a blade-and-board.
DONALD: To cut foods on the floor with hand-and-foot, I suppose.
MELANIA: That's correct; the letter suggested that boti-feminism is like inking free-speech!
DONALD: I think the writer of the letter wanted you to brood about media-dialogue.
MELANIA: You know, all this 'media chatter' can feel like 'noise.'
DONALD: That's why we have Saturday Night Live...
====
