March 24, 2010

"Moccasin Scanks" video

Moccasin Scanks Returns to TVThe girls with Big Girl Productions are bringing back the award winning drama: Moccasin Scanks.

Comment:  This led to the following comments on Facebook, including mine:Moccasin Scanks: an Aboriginal TV Series This Fall!

WHAT WAS THAT???

It's parody. Probably just a spoof, and not really a coming series.

It's a parody of the series Moccasin Flats.

Awful!!!!
I don't see anything about "Moccasin Scanks" on Google. A one-time parody of Moccasin Flats seems more likely than an ongoing series.

Its view of Native women seems pretty offensive to me. I have a hard time believing APTN would run it as a one-time parody or a series.Speaking as a friend of Ricky's, I can't see anything he has done appearing on APTN. I have read several times that "Moccasin Flats" had an offensive view of Native women; I imagine Ricky has chosen a typical-parodist way of fighting back.Unfortunately, his "typical-parodist way" is a typical parodist's failure. It's as offensive as the original allegedly was, if not more so.

Here's a hint for would-be humor writers: You don't satirize something that's stereotypical by simply repeating the stereotypes. If the show is the problem, satirize the show, not Native women.

Another failed satire

I'm reminded of the incident a year or two ago when some Ivy League university--Harvard or Yale--appointed its first Korean dean. In response, someone sent out a letter lampooning Asians. When confronted, the person said he wasn't lampooning Asians, he was lampooning non-Asians' stereotypes of Asians.

That too was an epic failure. When your attack on a subject is indistinguishable from the original attack, you don't get a pass by claiming your version is a satire. An attack is an attack regardless of the imaginary motivation in your mind.

In short, if you want to satirize white people and their prejudices, satirize them, not the people they're prejudiced against.

For more on the subject, see Indians in Cannibal! The Musical.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Yeah I agree. That "parody" if that is what its supposed to be, is indeed--a disaster. I think that stuff is getting boring. Native stereotypical parodies are nothing new. If you want a good example of a parody of a certain species, check out IFC's White Kids U Know. Now that is funny!!!

--GENO--