Who can resist the chance to climb
into another skin? Into myth-spit
caricature? A sideshow mockery
in felt-dripped-fringe?
| Who can resist | the chance to climb | |
| into another skin? | Into myth-spit | |
| caricature? | A sideshow mockery | |
| in | felt-dripped-fringe? | |
| A technicolor | chicken-feathered ghoul | |
| ripped | from a century of | |
| Hollywood | nightmares? | |
| Look! | ||
| For $30 a pop | there are Indian maidens | |
| princesses | warriors like a million | |
| fake | great-great-grandmothers | |
| born | in family lore and | |
| rolling | in forgotten graves. | |
| But | thank goodness: | |
| no more | Handmaids | |
| with their | bloodred robes | |
| opened | like a mouth | |
| grinning | red | |
| like horror | red | |
| like wounding | red | |
| like a slur | kept alive | |
| under | your eye |
Artist Statement:
There was enough public outcry when costume retailer Yandy released its “sexy” take on “The Handmaid’s Tale” costume that it was ultimately pulled from their catalog. In a 2017 interview with Cosmopolitan, the same retailer stated it would not pull its racist costumes depicting Indigenous women, due to a lack of controversy and public outcry. So, here are my questions, for retailers and consumers alike: why are fictional women a higher priority than Indigenous women? Whose dystopias reflect whose realities?
Learn more about Turtle Island Responds
