Cultural Appropriation: Covertly Racist or Just Plain Stupid

 (Warning: Strong languages and rants ahead)

 

            Let me establish one thing to open this piece. When it comes to appreciating other cultures, if you are an anthropologist like me, it means that understanding its history, heritage, and core values are critically important, otherwise some easily offended bunch would brand you as a racist. And in this time where a small remark would easily upset someone, I suggest that you have to get up to speed with your cultural knowledge. 

 

            First of all, what in the living hell is cultural appropriation anyway? According to Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, it can be described as "the act of copying or using the customs and traditions of a particular group or culture, by someone from a more dominant group in society." On Lexico Powered by Oxford Dictionaries, it is defined as "the unacknowledged or inappropriate of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society." In a nutshell, this can be described as someone or a group belonging to a more dominant ethnicity that take one or more elements from another culture group (mainly the oppressed one), and use it for their personal gain, without having the sufficient knowledge of the significance, core values, or the history behind it. In short, it's like that one asshole (for the sake of the writing, let's call this person "Karen") who wears a clothing element or adopting a specific piece of another culture, but at the same time knows absolutely jack shit about its history, and only wears them because they look "cool". This alone can be described as "culturally insensitive". Hell, every individual from every race or ethnicity can be involved in this type of self-embarrassment, if you are ignorant enough to do it. 

 

            But is it the same as cultural appreciation or assimilation? No, it's plain and simple, no. Assimilation is in effect if that same people group have to adopt the other cultural values as a means of survival (in colonial times, most of the time with force). It can also mean that someone willingly assimilate other cultural values to broaden their cultural knowledge (Kind of like acculturation). Whilst appreciation can be applied for someone who has enough knowledge of the subject at hand, understands the significance and the core values of that cultural element. Someone who genuinely appreciative of that culture are highly sensitive about the context in which it was applied. Whilst someone can be considered appropriating a cultural element if that person is unaware of its significance, or with the intention of pure mockery. 

 

            But some individuals are just too thick-headed or too ignorant to realize that appropriating a cultural element just to play out a stereotype or (even worse) mocking them is plain stupid, and a step further when it comes to human idiocy. K-Pop industry has a TON of scandals of this caliber. from Mamamoo's blackface scandal to (G)I-IDLE's Jeon So-yeon's "African Hip" remarks, the K-Pop industry has been accused countless times for racial insensitivity and cultural appropriation. Hell, the industry's first (and only) African American idol, Alex Reid of BP Rania was treated like a big hunk of horse shit just because of her skin color. Another example of this is when BLACKPINK (Yes, BLACK-fucking-PINK) released their music video for the song How You Like That. In the video, during Lalisa Manoban's rap part, some eagle-eyed viewers noticed a statue of Ganesha, The Hindu deity of knowledge, intellect and wisdom placed on the floor. Unsurprisingly, both the band and the agency (YG Entertainment) were met with lots of backlash, especially coming from fans that adhere to the Hindu faith. The backlash is mainly how the statue of Lord Ganesha is used only as a prop for aesthetic purpose, and Manoban being a Thai-born idol although can be justified, doesn't help the case either. The original video has since deleted, and the scene was re-edited.

 

            And this is not limited to K-Pop. Modern Pop Music artists have a fair share of cultural appropriation gone absolutely wrong. Katy Perry once performed at the 2013 American Music Awards dressed as a Japanese Geisha. What went wrong was the dress that she wore doesn't even originated from Japan, but a variation of a dress from China. The performance can also be viewed as a blatant stereotyping of East Asian women, based on the fact that although she was accompanied by few Japanese backup dancers, some elements of the pop fanbase accused her as such. Avril Lavinge made it even worse when she released the song Hello Kitty. This is where it gets from bad to worse. She (perhaps deliberately) butchered the Japanese language, dressed appropriating the Harajuku culture, and most importantly, playing to the general stereotype of said culture. The music video was also a cringefest. Another instance (although this is more like a mockery) was when Donald Glover, under his rap name Childish Gambino released This is America, a song that tackles police brutality, racism, gun violence, and ignorance. Somehow, Canadian comedian Nicole Arbour managed to take that amazing song, and proceeded to tear it limb-to limb, and present it in a more sexist way (no, really, she even named that atrocity as the "Women's Edit").

 

            But perhaps it is the fashion world that always involved in some form of appropriation. A Vice article from 2019 detailed when Kim Kardashian (yep, that same woman from the infamous Kardashian-Jenner clan who got her fame from making a fucking sex tape) released her lingerie line called "Kimono", taken from his name. Unsurprisingly, the name also bears similarity with THE Japanese national dress with important significances. The dress is mainly worn for special occasions and important events. Either a wedding or a funeral, the kimono is always worn for those events. Even someone like Yuka Onishi took that as an insult as told to the BBC. On The Atlantic's article titled The Dos and Don'ts of Cultural Appropriation, One instance of a cultural element being used only as an accessory for aesthetics was when Victoria's Secret model Karlie Kloss walked down the runway modelling the new bikini collection while at the same time donning a Native American head dress, the one that symbolizes leadership among Native American tribes. From what I understand, the head dress is passed from one leader to another, and only those who are appointed as the leader of the respective tribe that are allowed to wear one. On this instance, it's taken way out of the context.

 

            But when does cultural appropriation not a cultural appropriation? This seems like the million-dollar question. Although it might seem unlikely, but there are some easily offended individuals that can judge someone of appropriating a culture just because of the accused party enjoys food (no, really!) from another country. Comedian and MMA commentator Joe Rogan once ranted about this on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, about a white chef named Rick Bayliss who learned how to properly mastered Mexican cuisine by travelling all over Mexico in order to understand more about its history and its authenticity, but accused of cultural appropriating the Mexican culture, just because of the poor guy opening a Mexican restaurant. English comedian Jonathan Pie also ranted about this when he told a story of some individuals walking around confiscating sombrero hats given by a local Mexican restaurant as a means of promoting said restaurant. Now, accusing someone of cultural appropriation on the basis that the accused party enjoys eating, cooking and understanding food from another country or ethnicity is just plain idiocy. One time I was surfing on a social media platform named Quora, and most of the time on my timeline, there is this one white girl who likes to wear saree and bindi, both are India's traditional dress. It's easy to accuse her for appropriating the Indian culture, but she is actually married to someone from India (after a brief research, and some of her post that also has her husband in the photo). So, on that fact alone, it can be justified for her to do such thing. She might be already aware of the significance of the dress, since her husband is from the country, or have enough knowledge of the Indian culture. Either way, that is the case of cultural appreciation. 

 

            It's safe to say that cultural appropriation is an instance where you take some elements of one society or ethnicity, without any awareness of the significance, or its history, and using it just for others' personal gain or simply for aesthetics. Those guys are either unaware of this, or just plain ignorant to the point of mocking those elements. But some people can also accuse others of this behavior, even though the one they accuse have enough knowledge and appreciation of the matters at hand. In short, if you want to adopt a cultural element from other people, make sure you are well informed about its context, history, and the norms behind it. Don't be a dick and take it all for granted. You only embarrass yourself. As always, stay safe, wear the mask, wash your hands, and two meters apart at all times.

Mixed Martial Arts: The Most Exciting, Yet the Most Bloodied Combat Sport in the World

            During the first days of this blog, I've written a bit about combat sport, as I explain on how I became a Pro Wrestling fan. But to be honest, Professional Wrestling is part combat sport, part soap opera. At first, I wasn't aware of the existence of this particular combat sport until 2012. Up until that point, the only sport I watched was Boxing, but I found that a bit boring at times. And once I watched it for the first time, my heart was dead set on one thing: mixed martial arts (MMA) is the most exciting combat sport in the world. As of the time of writing, I've been following MMA sporadically for the past seven years, and we are only three days away from another scheduled UFC event, dubbed UFC 253, which features Nigerian-New Zealander Israel Adesanya versus Brazilian Paulo Costa for the promotion's Middleweight Championship. 

 

            It's been believed that the history of MMA can be traced back to the Ancient Greece. The sport, then named Pankration, was featured as one of the programs at the Ancient Olympic Games. First introduced at the XXXIII Olympiad (648 BCE), the rules of the sport pretty much resembled the modern Unified Rules of MMA, but with only biting and gouging that were recognized as forms of foul. At the time, the only way to decide a winner is by knocking his opponent unconscious. In 393 CE, however, Emperor Theodosius I of Rome banned the Olympic Games, which was also the end of Pankration. The fighting style later resurfaced in 20th-Century Brazil, instigated by brothers Carlos and Hélio Gracie, naming itself as vale tudo (anything goes). The brothers would issue challenges in local newspapers, saying that they welcomed all types of fighters. The sport of MMA was finally brought the attention of the masses in 1993, with the first event dubbed The Ultimate Fighting Championship (subsequently known as UFC 1, the first event by the promotion). The main idea was to put every fighters of different martial arts and make them compete in a tournament. In a nutshell, they pitted a boxer against a wrestler, a taekwondo fighter versus a kung fu practitioner, and so on. The rules were the same as its ancient counterpart, no biting and eye gouging. In this event, another Gracie, Royce, won the inaugural tournament utilizing his family's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu style, which emphasis on ground fighting and submitting their opponents rather than going with striking power. Few events were marketed as a "No rules event", but with the times changing, the sport has to evolve. In 2001, the weight classes, rounds, time limits and a revamped set of rules were introduced to make the sport safer. In 2013, the UFC held their first event to feature Women's MMA as their main event. UFC 157 featured Ronda Rousey taking on Liz Carmouche for the Women's Bantamweight Championship. Rousey submitted Carmouche with an armbar in the first round. 

 

            The rules at the time of UFC 1 were pretty simple. There was (almost) no rules. Fighters can either knock their opponents out cold (the referee also has the power to stop the fight if a fighter was taking excessive amount of damage to the point that they cannot intelligently defend themselves, a significant injury like broken bones or laceration or if he/she appeared to lost consciousness while being struck) or submit them (The submitted party can initiate a tap on the mat or the opponent or signaling the referee with groans of pain) with chokes or manipulation of limbs and joints with the intention of inflicting serious injury. Under the Unified Rules, aside from those two mentioned above, if the fight goes the distance, a panel of judges (usually three judges) will determine the winner using a 10-point must score system used in boxing. Since there were no weight classes, a combatant could be placed inside the cage with either a bigger size opponent or smaller sized ones. Only in 2001 that the weight classes rules were put into place. As of 2020, the UFC recognizes 9 weight classes. Those nine are: Strawweight (women only) (115lbs/52kg), Flyweight (men and women)(125lbs/57kg), Bantamweight (men and women) (135lbs/61kg), Featherweight (men and women) (145lbs/66kg), Lightweight (155lbs/70kg), Welterweight (170lbs/77kg), Middleweight (185lbs/84kg), Light Heavyweight (205lbs/93kg) and Heavyweight (265lbs/120kg) (men only). Fighter attire was also regulated, with fighters must wear padded fingerless gloves, but with no shoes or headgear. The fighters then placed in either a ring or a cage. Under the Unified Rules of MMA, an MMA bout would last for 3 rounds, each round lasts 5 minutes, with one-minute rest period between each round. In a championship setting however, there are two extra rounds, making said fight a five-rounder. The fighters can either punch, kick, use their elbows and knees, grapple with one another, and initiate a takedown. The only thing that differentiate this sport with other combat sports, is that those strikes can be launched either from a standing position or from the ground. A fighter can be reprimanded, penalized or disqualified if he/she headbutting their opponents, biting, gouging, fish hooking, hair pulling, kicking or kneeing a grounded opponent in the head, launched a downward elbow strike (also known as 12 to 6 elbow), strikes targeting the throat, spine, and the back of the head, and initiate a small joint manipulation (twisting fingers). 

 

            Even though MMA nowadays can be pretty much in equal terms with other combat sports discipline, In the early days, it was viewed as the most brutal sport in the world. Hell, even the late Senator John McCain (RIP) once called the sport as "human cockfighting", due to the fighting surface being an eight-sided cage. Despite the bloody nature of the sport, there are only sixteen recorded deaths, seven of them came from injuries sustained from a sanctioned MMA bout. None of those 16 deaths ever occurred in the UFC. In comparison, there are over 500 fatalities that resulted from injuries sustained after a boxing match ever since the Marquees of Queensberry rules were introduced in 1884.

 

            When it comes to exposure, Let's face it. For me personally, I know more MMA fighters than boxing legends. Sure, I know some legendary boxers either currently active or already retired, like Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Sr and Floyd Mayweather Jr, Tyson Fury, Amir Khan and Anthony Joshua, but names like legendary fighters Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, Tito Ortiz, Chael Sonnen, Anderson Silva, Frankie Edgar, Fedor Emelianenko, Melvin Manhoef, and modern fighters like The Notorious Irishman Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, the recently retired Daniel Cormier, The Diaz Brothers, Nick and Nate, Tony Ferguson, Henry Cejudo, and even Brock Lesnar (The dude was the UFC Heavyweight Champion at some point before returning to WWE) are just some of the MMA fighters known today. 

 

            Mixed Martial Arts in essence is basically a hybrid of various fighting styles. Someone can be considered a mixed martial artist if that person masters two or more different combat disciplines. Sure, the first events were as bloody and as violent as it can be, but the sport continues to evolve to be the sport we know and love today. After this, I'm going to treat myself in three days to UFC 253. In the meantime, I can also watch past fights and highlights of my favorite fighters on various streaming platforms. And as always, I want to end this by constantly reminding you all to always adhere to medical protocols. Wear the mask, wash your hands, and always two meters apart at all times.

Indonesian Food: Beloved and Renowned

 Well, this is it. After months of inactivity, I finally write again. But this time, the pandemic still rages on, I've got a new hobby (assembling Lego cars) to go with that, and some other work-related business I've had to attend. I've been tested twice for the coronavirus (rapid blood testing and PCR), both came back negative (phew!). Ushering the New Normal era means that we can go back to our normal activities, albeit still have to adhere to medical protocols (masks, two meters distance policy, and washing the hands frequently). But back when we still under quarantine (well, partial quarantine in Indonesia to be honest), I've walked down memory lane with older rock and metal songs, watching old YouTube videos, and watching cooking shows, especially if the host is the one Gordon Ramsay. 

 

            If you are wondering where this piece is going to go, calm down. This would still have the correlation with the topic, which is about the local Indonesian culinary scene. As you all know, when it comes to Indonesian cuisine, there is only one thing that can be associate with the 18.000+ island nation: spice. It has influences from the Chinese, The Middle East, Indians, and Malay. When Gordon Ramsay's latest show Uncharted, airing on National Geographic channel broadcasted the Indonesian episode, I was head over heels excited, because I'm about to watch an iconic British (Scottish to be exact) chef visiting Indonesia for the first time and try the colorful dishes this country has to offer. Aside from his job as a celebrity chef, Ramsay, who is also known for his short temper and explosive personality in the kitchen, likes to travel the world to sample the best food that he could possibly find. And in Indonesia, he chose the province of West Sumatera as his destination, which means one thing: the dish known as Rendang. Yes. The one that once voted as the most delicious dish by CNN in 2017, edging out Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Style Fried Rice), another Indonesian staple. 

 

            In the aftermath of that episode, He released two more Indonesia-related videos on his YouTube channel, one where he incorporated the Rendang paste into his duck egg omelet, and the other where he attempted to make Nasi Goreng with a deliciously good result. Hell, one channel in particular, run by a UK-based comedian Nigel Ng, under his persona Uncle Roger, reviewed this particular video with nothing but praise and compliments. All jokes aside, I think Chef Ramsay nailed this one, because of two reasons. One, he knows his ingredients. Nasi Goreng typically uses leftover rice, although some of us can also go with freshly cooked rice at some point. Leftover rice is better at absorbing flavors being thrown inside the cooking surface (in this case a wok), while freshly cooked rice might have some moisture in it, so it can be a little soggy at times (sorry Hersha Patel, but you just don't wash the freaking rice after cooking it). In his recipe, Chef Ramsay uses sambal paste AND the rendang paste to enhance the spiciness, aside from the fact that he also uses galangal, and fresh chili as the base (sorry Jamie Oliver, but putting chili jam in your fried rice is just wrong). Two, he knows the right tools. If you watch that video in question, I swear to God, that was one of the most entertaining cooks I've ever watched. The dude even uses two woks! The previous two videos featured normal cooking pan as the cooking surface, which has flat base instead of a curved one that Chef Ramsay used. As one of roughly 248 million Indonesian residents, I give my stamp of approval to Chef Gordon Ramsay for this one.

 

            On another side, I must say, while this dish is a fairly simple dish, it can be deceiving. Why? You asked. Because it's all about NOT overcomplicating the cooking process itself. Yes, fried rice in general doesn't have a fixed recipe, but that doesn't mean that everything can be thrown into a fried rice. Some ingredients might work on other setting, but not necessarily fit into most demographics. You can use pork-based products into the dish, but that means Muslims can't eat it. The other thing is finding the balance. A good fried rice should be balanced on spiciness, saltiness, smokiness, and the overall flavor of the rice itself. I've learned through many attempts that aside from those factors above, there is one thing that can easily be overlooked while cooking this particular dish: the amount of oil being put inside during the cooking process. A greasy fried rice is something you absolutely hate to see after such a quick, fast-paced cook. Over-seasoning or under-seasoning a fried rice can be fixed, but a greasy fried rice? nope, throw it out, start a new one. 

 

            But Indonesian cuisine is not just about Rendang or Nasi Goreng. With the latter, if you swap out the rice with noodles, you got Mie Goreng, in other regions, different cultures mean different cuisines. In my home province of North Sulawesi, seafood is the frontrunner of the local food scene. Since Manado is a coastline city, you can easily find restaurants that specializes in Ikan Bakar, or Grilled Fish. They mostly do catch of the day, which means whatever the fish that were caught the night before, is cooked the following day. Going up in the mountains, towards the Minahasa Regency, wild game is more commonly known. Since this province is a Christian-majority region, you can find many unusual dishes made with the most unusual of ingredients, like Paniki, which was made from bats, or snake-based dishes, and even Rentek Wu'uk, which is made from (unfortunately) dog meat. One thing is for sure, when it comes to spice tolerance, Manadonese in general are notorious for having iron stomach, because of their fairly high tolerance for spices. There is a saying in Manado, that goes, "If there is no chili on your plate, then you are not living your life". Other instances of different cultural background influencing their cuisine is The Island of The Gods, Bali. Being a Hindu majority, pork-based dishes is more prevalent in this island, albeit some of them still enjoys Beef. When it comes to its signature dish, you must mention the Betutu, made from either chicken or duck. This dish is more like a set-it-and-forget-it type of dish, as the cooking process takes roughly 7-8 hours. The Javanese are known to be on the sweet side of the culinary spectrum. One dish that resonates to me the most is obviously Gudeg, found in the Special Region of Jogjakarta. This dish uses unripe jackfruit submerged and stewed in sugar, served with rehydrated spicy cow skin, chicken or beef, and coconut rice. The Sundanese in West Java, where I'm currently living nowadays, are more into the spice game than the Javanese. Case in point, seblak. This soup-based dish is known to be spicy and can be adjusted to whoever is eating it. It contains meat products like chicken, fish balls, meatballs, beef, hard-boiled eggs, noodles, soggy crackers, and various vegetables, with adjustable heat levels, usually level 1 for really mild, to level 5 for scorching hot, like when you are being thrown to the deepest parts of Hell. They are also known to feature raw vegetables in their dish. On the eastern part of the country, like the Maluku Islands and Papua, they have an alternative to rice called Papeda. Made from sago, Papeda is usually eaten as the substitute to rice, often accompanied by Yellow Broth Fish Soup. The texture is kind of a jelly, but starchy. If you want to taste extreme food without having to torture yourself with dog met, just hop over to Makassar, the southern tip of the Sulawesi Island. The dish, Coto Makassar is mainly made using every part of a cow, like the meat, tongue, gizzard, colon, longue, and other parts, drenched in peanut-based broth, with a sprinkle of salt, sambal, and lemon juice, enjoyed with ketupat rice cakes. 

 

            Indonesian cuisine is really colorful, and depending on which province you currently live, it can be either spicy, sweet, or something in between. Many would say that in order to enjoy a country, you must first enjoy its food, and as an Indonesian myself, I'm proud to say that Indonesian food is finally being recognized all over the world. When this pandemic finally over, I can promise you who would like to spend some time in this country, that you will enjoy this country, its beautiful scenery, and most importantly, the food. Until then, stay safe, keep washing your hands, keep wearing that mask, and always 2 meters apart at all times.

"Karens", COVID-19 and #BlackLivesMatter: A Really Bad Mix

(Warning: Strong languages and rants ahead)

            You must be wondering why in the gracious of God am I writing about this meme again. Sure, the previous piece related to this, albeit not entirely completed, but should provide you the explanation about entitlement behaviors of some members of the society, mainly white women in her 40s. But this time, I'm adjusting it to fit a certain theme, that being the COVID-19 pandemic and the current rise of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement. As we all know, it's been roughly 5 months since the SARS-CoV2 spread across the world, with over 10,7 million population infected. Now what's the correlation between "Karens" and this pandemic anyway? Well, in a nutshell, there are some people that can be called a "covidiot", but these "Karens" transcended idiocy and common sense. 

            I came across a video on 9gag of all sites, about how "masks kills people" in the wake of an announcement in the state of Florida, where Palm Beach County officials mandated all citizens to wear a face mask. This is totally made sense, since Florida is currently one of the worst hot spots for virus spread, with daily cases rising to over 205%. And the frontrunners of this baseless conspiracy theory? "Karens". Even one of them said (and I'm not kidding) "I don't wear a mask for the same reason I don't wear underwear: things gotta breathe." Even one of them have the guts to say that a face mask is "literally killing people". Some of them even play the religious card on this fiasco. Holy shit Karen, chill the fuck out! The move was made to ensure no further spread of the coronavirus, not to choke your shiny, white, middle aged ass! There is no evidence that a face mask has a capability to cause any medical risks, let alone death. Those thigs have a function of that of an air filter. It filters the air from possible bacteria or viruses that might be entering our system. And what these "Karens" are doing is turning themselves into a ticking time bomb of infection. 

            Let's not forget that "Karens" are those type of people who would play their privilege in the expense of others. With the current pandemic, it's usually those women who just won't adhere with health and safety protocols while shopping. There are countless videos on YouTube about Karens freaking out because they got rejected from the shops just because not wearing a face protector. They are also not a big fan of science, and always playing religious cards on any issues today. On the flipside, they are also not really considerate toward others, with one key phenomenon being them stockpiling a lifetime supply of toilet papers. I remember writing this thing about fecal transmission of the coronavirus being a non-factor of the spread. And remember those anti-lockdown protests? Some of the participants were Karens! One of them was named Diane, who attended such protest in Pennsylvania, who announced "What do I say to your science? I don't believe in your science." One woman in Tennessee even carried a sign read " SACRIFICE THE WEAK, REOPEN TN". Wow. you are really willing to put not just yourself, but others in danger just for the sake of you getting a fresh manicure-pedicure or a haircut. 

            Aside from the ravaging pandemic, the world has seen the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in the wake of the death of George Floyd by the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The whole wide world is standing in solidarity with the black community, whether from North and South America, Asia, all parts of Africa, Europe, or even as far as Australia, New Zealand and The Pacific Islands. But it doesn't mean that it's "Karen-proof". This time the nickname is "San Francisco Karen", assigned to a white woman named Lisa Alexander, who, along with her husband Rob Larkins, called the police on a person of color just because the man was writing a #BlackLivesMatter stencil in his own private property. And the repercussions? Turns out Alexander is the founder of the beauty product LAFACE, and prior to the scandal, had worked with UK-based beauty product Birchbox. Since then, Birchbox officially cut ties with Alexander and would no longer associate themselves with her. Her husband also suffered the same fate, being fired from his job at Raymond James Financial Firm. 

            What can I say, in the times where the human race must stand together in solidarity to not just tackling a global health crisis, but also dismantle racism and white privilege, there are still some boneheaded individuals who just won't give a simple shiny fuck about these important issues for collective good. Instead, these ignorant, entitled, bigoted and privileged individuals went mad just because they have been mandated to wear a face mask, or even just to practice social distancing in public, because I can guarantee If I ever encounter a "Karen", she would most likely be standing too close to comfort, no face mask in sight while berating the cashier for rejecting her coupon (because it has expired) and demanded to speak to the manager. And afterwards, proceeded to writing a scathing review on Yelp, TripAdvisor or sites of similar function for not considering her needs (which again, is a total bullshit since the only source of trouble is the "Karen" herself). And on that note, I stress this time and time again, stay safe, stay healthy, always put yourself 2 meters apart, wear the damn mask, and always sanitize yourself. 

Cancel Culture: Social Media's Answer on Hot Scandals

Alright, I must say that during the process of writing, the more I try to understand this new kind of phenomenon, the more confused I'd become. I don't know if it's just me, or social media in general always keeps on being the most unpredictable field to explore just on the surface, if not trying to dig in a lot deeper. The only question that I ask for now is just how severe a scandal involving famous person can become in order to consider one guilty party "cancelled"? It's seems like thanks to mob mentality, throwing haze and hatred on social media is easier rather than just terrorize someone using a slew of fake and anonymous accounts. 

            Let's start on what the hell is this "cancel culture", and how is this type of behavior affects parties involved in a feud or an online spat. The term is derived from the word "cancel", which means "to nullify", "to revoke" or "void". It can also be interpreted as "to call something off". Cancel culture in itself (at least according to dictionary.com) is the act of withdrawing support for public figures or any entities after they have done or (at the very least) say something that can be considered as inappropriate at best or offensive at worst. Someone can be "cancelled" if these allegations, whether legitimate or not (more on that later on) is big enough to cause a massive drop on popularity to the parties involved. Any social media platform (usually Twitter) can be a media for someone (or group) to carry out these "cancellations". It possibly derived from the earlier "call-out culture", which is the act of public shaming online, with most of the target is typically a celebrity. But what make these two different then? While calling out someone on various past accusations doesn't mean that the celebrity in question would lose popularity, by getting "cancelled", that unfortunate party is guaranteed to lose their fanbase and career, sometimes in the matter of seconds. 

            Apparently, someone can be cancelled if there is either a past scandal involving racist remarks, sexual misconduct, or a new scandal so severe, that it's being brought to the attention of the masses. One of the most famous case of cancel culture in action is when a beauty YouTuber named James Charles was being called out by another YouTuber Tati Westbrook back in 2019. To put this into a perspective, Westbrook was the one that introduced Charles (19 years old by the time of the scandal) into the YouTube beauty community, after previously became the first male cover model for make-up product Cover Girl, subsequently became his mentor. Before the scandal, Charles had over 16 million subscribers on his YouTube channel in just 2 years. The beginning of the end for Charles was when he posted an endorsement video with a vitamin company on his social media platforms. Seems pretty harmless at this point, except for the fact that the company in question is a rival of Westbrook's own vitamin line. Knowing the events that transpired, Westbrook felt "betrayed" and "used". She then made a 43-minute long video (the original video was deleted, but someone has re-uploaded it) exposing Charles's worst behaviors behind the scene. Aside from endorsement of rival vitamin company, she told in greater detail on how Charles, a gay man trying to trick straight men into thinking that they're actually gay. And to make things even spicier, Charles had said many times on his Twitter account about "hooking up with hot straight guys". According to Westbrook herself, she was shocked when she found out that Charles had told his father that "every man is a little bit gay". Okay. I know some of the guys have some bi-curious phase somewhere, but to say that every man is a little bit gay is pushing it, even by today's standards. When push came to shove, after the video went viral, Suddenly, James Charles' beauty empire came crashing down faster than a NASCAR Cup-spec Stock Car reaching 200 mph on the backstretch of Talladega Superspeedway. He reportedly lost 5 million subscribers in the space of hours, some of them are famous celebrities like those of the Jenner-Kardashian clan. Another beauty influencer and former scene queen Jeffree Star, who was close friend with the condemned beauty YouTuber also stated his support on Westbrook, calling Charles "a danger to society" in a now-deleted tweet. And thanks to the video (in which has gathered over 35 million views) as well, Westbrook saw her subscriber count soaring from an abysmal 6 million to over 9 million subscribers. And for that reason, they say, James Charles is officially "cancelled". 

            Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is also "cancelled" and currently serving 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault of a former assistant and a former young actress. In the wake of those allegations, plus countless others, he was fired form his own company, The Weinstein Company, several companies sever ties with the disgraced producer, and was stripped of his membership by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAS), The Producers Guild of America (PGA), and Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS). during the trials, Weinstein denied all the accusations. Despite that, he was still convicted, and on March 11, 2020 sentenced to 23 years of incarceration, 7 years shorter than the maximum penalty of 29 years. In contrast of the pervert producer, comedian Louis C. K. was once accused of masturbating in front of a woman without her consent back in 2017, which Louis himself confirmed to be true. In a typical mob mentality fashion, he was dropped by TV networks and associates, but nevertheless, that didn't stop him from coming back to the comedy scene, now rejuvenated than ever. His unannounced appearance in New York in August 2018 was met with ovation from the audience; and performed the set like the sexual allegations earlier was never existed. 

            It is indeed that every human being is not perfect, and cases above proved it. But sometimes, people (at least in the social media realm) are over-reacting to a scandal to the point that the celebrity's entire existence must be cancelled, removed, forgotten, and erased from the pages of history, even if the mistake happened long ago. But thanks to social media, people are able to uncover past behaviors that otherwise should be kept away from preying eyes of the masses. It seems like no matter what influence you laid out on the entertainment business or any achievements you gain, one scandal or past scandal resurfacing to present time could just be a one-way ticket to pandemonium. One wrong word or one slip up could be enough for you to be "cancelled". And to end this, stay safe, always clean yourselves, and always remember, 2 meters apart at all times when being outside.

Depression and Hard Times: Revealing K-Pop Industry's Darkest Secrets

Allow me to open this article with an honest statement: I am not a big fan of Korean pop music (K-Pop). Instead, i like to blast the heaviest of Metal songs possible, but recently I can't really resist writing this piece, because in either case, everyone and every soul is a precious life form, and must be preserved. It was a month ago on one afternoon after hours when I came across a disturbing story of a former K-Pop Idol named Sulli (real name Choi Jin-ri) of the girl group f(x) who was found dead in her apartment in Seongnam, South Korea on October 14. During the process of writing this article, the Korean Police Force has determined her initial cause of death to be suicide by hanging, with the autopsy currently taking place. She was at the tender age of 25 years old. Prior to this shocking turn of events, she had stated that she has been fighting depression for the course of her life. This poor but pure soul was also known to have social anxiety disorder. Now, we all know these artists often portray themselves as happy, bubbly and energic, but beyond those faces, lies a deep, dark and possibly disturbing secret that has been brewing inside. These unknown facts are not only hidden inside these idols in plain sight, but also inside K-Pop as an industry itself.

Speaking of the idols' fight with whatever they suffered, in some cases, it can be because of love lives gone wrong, their struggle to reach the top of the charts, annoying fans and equally annoying haters, or even their own agencies trying to screw them over. Yes, the last thing is real and happening in the industry. Let's start by dissecting how an artist or a group is being brought to the K-Pop spotlight. These idol hopefuls, otherwise known as trainees start their training as young as 9 or 10 years old. And during the course of said training, these hopefuls are expected to have an impeccable singing and dancing abilities, and the ones redeemed not sufficient, will be instantly replaced. This, effectively turn this otherwise a good training program for the future into a fight for survival with a hefty consequences of getting kicked out of training with nowhere to go. The training can last for years, and by the time these trainees are considered ready, they are formed into groups and certain agencies will sign them for their debuts. By now, these girl groups and boy groups further hone their skills in order to give the best performances possible (and I mean, perfection is the only thing that is tolerable in this situation). The agencies also expected these guys and girls to do plastic surgeries; others even did it before the training. The practice itself is pretty common in Korea. It is often considered as a High School graduation present for not only girls, but boys too. And this is also tied to the fact that these idols have to look flawless. The girls have to look pretty, skinny and sexy, while the boys have to look masculine, energic and muscular. After their debuts, the groups must do their activities together, often put in the same apartment. This is said to maintain the working relationship within the group. Their activities ranging from training, recording songs, shoot a music video, attending fan meets, appear in variety shows and touring. During those activities, the money that they made is going to the agencies first, before being distributed to the groups evenly. The number varies depending on their success. The more successful a group can be, the more income they will make. But how is this related to those sketchy facts lying underneath? Well, prepare yourself, because this might be the most disturbing thing I've ever written.

I did mention about how these girls and boys train their backsides off before their debut, right? Apparently, some girl trainees (some of them can even be consider as underage) are told to meet certain investors to talk about the prospect of their debuts, but instead of a serious talk, those same investors (estimated to be around 40 and up) actually took those girls and forced them to be sexually active. This disturbing fact doesn't even end here, this disgusting practice continued even after their debuts. In order to be pushed to greater heights, these guys often force the members to participate in some sketchy meetings, where they would end up as a prostitute. Being in a successful K-Pop group doesn't guarantee you to be rich and famous. You can be famous, but rich? Not necessarily. The executives would do anything in their power to keep these artists productive, even if it means to overwork them and make them receive little numbers on their paychecks. Moreover, these guys started to collect debts way before they are even known to the masses. The agencies pour their resources to their talents, from housing to their daily activities like food and other amenities, and also hospital bills from the plastic surgeries they received. And in order to break even, they start taking those paychecks with the reason to pay them back. Then what the hell are these guys doing in their spare time then? A little something called part-time jobs.

About tight work schedules, an idol or a group are subjected to do their activities as public figures, and many times those schedules are crammed together. This is done so the idols have to work more hours in order to make more money, but that also means going into several events in quick succession in the course of one day, sometimes to different cities. This resulted in high numbers of car crashes, as some drivers have to speed in order to make the destination on time. A girl group named Ladies' Code was involved in this accident in 2014 during a rainy night, with two out of five members lost their lives.

In K-Pop, appearances are considered the most important aspects of an idol, that means to look perfect, pretty, handsome and overall faultless. In order to achieve the desired weight, some artists engaged in tight diets (when I say tight, I mean so extreme that the only thing they are allowed to eat is merely a lettuce) and workouts. TWICE's Momo Hirai even revealed in one interview that in order to lose 7kg in one week (which she did) in order to go up for a showcase on stage as told by her company, she only ate a single ice cube and went to gym over the course of the same week. Now that's what I call extreme. Aside from the already mentioned cosmetic enhancement surgeries, these diets are also employed by the agencies to keep the idols in top shape (If you say that top shape means to starve these poor beings to death, then who am I to judge anyway). The artists are also expected to obey whatever the executives told them, even goes as far as blackmailing a member if he/she contemplates to break their contracts. The most common (but underhanded) method to do this is to film the member's sex tape and uses it against her in order to compel the girl to stay with the agency. The contract itself is also a sketchy one. Dubbed the "slave contract", the contract restricts the group’s activities and leaves them with almost no paycheck and has to stick with the agency for a long period of time. TVXQ once sued their agency, SM Entertainment because of this, claiming that their 13-year contract is too long and too restrictive. As the result, the Korean Fair Trade Commission (KTFC) issued a rule that limits the maximum duration of a contract to seven years.

These disturbing facts not only presented themselves inside the industry itself, the outside factor also contributes to the dark facts today. You might think Koreans as cute and kind, but inside, mostly the Korean Netizens are known to have the most hostility towards artists or groups. Take the survival show Produce 48 for instance. This TVN show aired the new series featuring both Korean and Japanese idols, mainly from the 48 Family. The reaction from the Korean fans are mostly in favor of the Korean contestants, while the Japanese ones are subjected to hostile comments on the Internet. This is the same case with the Japanese fans watching the same show. The ways idol industry operates in both countries are entirely different. The Japanese idols are known for their cuteness and adorable persona, while their Korean counterparts are known for their sexy and alluring images, with emphasizes more on technicality. Some of these keyboard warriors often bully another, more established Korean idols online. The recent events with Sulli tied with her suicide case, just two days before her death, she was streaming on her Instagram, and reportedly cried while saying "what did I do to you?" She did took a break from the entertainment industry because of the rampant hate comments in 2014, all because of small controversies like allegedly kissed Goo Ha-ra in one instance, but decided to return in 2017 to focus on her acting career. Sometimes these heartless bastards just don't care if the idol in question has a mental illness or an emotional breakdown. All they wanted to do is to throw shades at someone they don't like, to the point of it's actually can be classified as hate speech, body shaming, or just being rude in general.

The idols themselves are not always happy with their life as the face of the Korean music industry. Some even struggle to make ends meet because of the harsh working conditions, some even struggle with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Late Sulli and former SHINee member Jonghyun took their lives because of this illness, despite with different methods, with the latter died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to purposely inhaling the smoke from a coal bricket. They might show in public as happy and enjoying their fame, but thanks to depression, both of them often felt empty and worthless inside. There is also a jinx called "the Seven Year Curse". Some groups once they reached their peak of popularity, they slowly faded into obscurity for exactly seven years time. This can be the group member themselves who wanted to pursue a solo career, or they just couldn't compete with other groups in the K-Pop scene. The girl group 2NE1 is an example of this Seven Year jinx. They were once the most popular K-Pop band not just in Korea, but also the world. After some of their songs went popular, like their 2013 single I Am The Best, they slowly faded, rarely even show up to the public. They disbanded just a few years ago.

Even with these annoyingly disturbing facts stated above, the K-Pop as a musical genre is still one of the most listened genres in the world, alongside Pop, Hip-hop, and the fastest growing genre today in the form of Heavy Metal. But let's be clear. We as human beings despite being the most clever creatures of God, often make mistakes and often have to suffer the consequences and living with the guilt. Although I don't really like K-Pop, but everyone working in the industry deserve a better working environment and better life. And for those of you currently suffering from any form of mental illness, I suggest you to find some help. Find a friend or a psychiatrist to talk to. Don't bury those thoughts yourself. And lastly, for Choi Jin-ri, or Sulli as the fans once know you as, rest in peace, you beautiful soul. You are no longer suffering from the unfair nature of this mortal life. And may God grant you the best place on His side. As the final statement, I want you to remember that mental illness is neither a simple matter, nor something to be ignored. 

The "Karen" Meme: Is it Really a Sexist Slur?

(Source: The Atlantic via Google Images) 

(Warning: Strong languages ahead)

            When there is a global pandemic ravaging around the world, it brought the very best and the worst kind of human behavior. Whether is selflessness, sense of caring or loving, or if you are a middle-aged white woman with a pixie bob cut with blonde highlights, who has a HUGE sense of entitlement, usually an anti-vaxxer, somehow a racist, and would like to speak to the manager, you must be what the Internet calls a "Karen". For me personally, I would be rolling on the floor laughing my ass off to death if I encounter this type of meme anywhere online, but some of them began to think that it's a sexist slur much worse than the one targeting the black people (a.k.a. the N word).

            So, what is the origin of the Karen meme anyway? Depending on the source, it might be from a reddit user who wrote a lengthy post about his ex-wife (coincidentally named Karen) who allegedly took his children and later his house during a divorce proceeding, which in turn created a subreddit r/FuckYouKaren. Others would say it was coined from comedian Dane Cook's stand-up routine about that one friend that nobody likes, who only allowed inside the social circle only to be mercilessly hated and shunned.

            So, what usually describes a "Karen" in the first place? The more common depiction of a Karen is usually a white woman in her 30s to 40s, usually divorced single mother who typically has two or more kids (all within her custody), sports a pixie-bob haircut with colorful highlights, dubbed "the speak to the manager haircut", and yes, a sense of entitlement that is bigger than the planet Jupiter. not every Karen is a racist, but some of them can be cruel with other races. And don't get me start on how ignorant these Karens might be. One of the most defining traits that every Karen has is their ability to use their privilege to talk down to other people, hence the "speak to the manager" trait. And with recent unrest, she is also more than happy to use someone's racial identity as a weapon to put herself on an advantage during a confrontation (more on that later on).

            How can someone earn the nickname "Karen"? In a nutshell, a "Karen" is easily identified as being entitled to virtually and basically everything. Let's say you are waiting on a line inside a ramen house, when suddenly a white woman, roughly aged 39 years old cuts in front of you and demanded to be served first, claiming that she is in a hurry. The best thing to do is hold your fire and don't escalate it further. Meanwhile, the woman who cut the line is finally being served, but the server brought her the wrong food. At this stage, she would complain and demanding to speak to the manager. We can see the end result of this encounter. She would either cost an employee of his job or complaining about how she was treated unfairly (which is a total bullshit considering that she was the one who cut the queuing line in the first place). And this doesn't stop on closed premises either. Public areas can be a scene of a Karen meltdown. The most recent "Karen" incident was happened on May 2020, when an African American man named Christian Cooper encountered a woman named Amy Cooper (no relation whatsoever) and noticed that Amy's dog was not leashed in an area inside Central Park where dogs must be leashed at all times. And what did she do? She called the police on Christian because she didn't want to leash her dog. She called 911 with the excuse of how "an African American man is threatening her life". and to make things worse, while doing so, she totally forgot that she was holding her dog by the necklace, choking the K-9. And because of this, Amy Cooper is now dubbed by the Internet as the "Central Park Karen". Like I said earlier, some of them can be outright racist. 

            Surprisingly enough, not all Karens can be called a "Karen". Names like "Becky" can be used for this type of behavior. The term "BBQ Becky" is coined when a white woman decided that it would be an excellent idea to call the police over few black people having a barbeque cook-off at Oakland, CA. The ordeal was captured on video and uploaded on YouTube by Michelle Dione. Another name is "Permit Patty", which was assigned to California woman Alisson Ettel who allegedly call the police on an eight-year old black girl and her mother who were just selling water. But some of them deserve to be called a "Karen", like for instance, "Kidz Bop Karen". This nickname first appear when a white woman, possibly in her mid-40s confronted a Lyft driver in New York City for allegedly cutting in front of her in traffic. She proceeded to force her head inside the car while spewing a bunch of expletives and rants, but told the passenger inside, the 29 year-old Chelsea Klein to calm down, while this "Karen" is the one that supposed to calm down. Then why Kidz Bop Karen? Hilariously enough, "Karen" was driving her Kids when the whole ordeal unfolded, and when being confronted about her foul language and the effects to her children, she just simply replied "My kids can't hear me calling you a bitch" because "they're listening to Kidz Bop" (Compilation of kid-friendly version of popular songs covered by "Kidz Bop Kids", which is earrape at its best). It's really amazingly strange to think that these "Karens" would be offended by virtually harmless things like Barbeques, kids selling water on the side of the street, or even a simple mistake in traffic.

            During the COVID-19 pandemic, you can also find a Karen who wants their manicure-pedicure and haircut WITHOUT considering that there is a deadly virus roaming around and would kill her if she step away just a few meters from her house (yeah, I am using the metric system here, it's easier that way). She is also not a big fan of "social distancing" or even wearing a face mask when being outside, and always attends anti-lockdown protest. And don't forget how she easily harassing essential workers (in this case doctors and nurses, basically all the healthcare staff). All she cared about is her appearance and beauty, and the dreaded coronavirus is at the least of her concerns. Inevitably, she would cause danger to herself and others surrounding her just by being present in an area without adhering to health and safety protocols. At this point, she is both a "covidiot" (a term where someone is purposely disobeying the COVID-19 heath and safety guidelines) and a full-blown "Karen" (The right term for this is called "Corona Karen"). I never wished any ill will, but let's hope that by contracting COVID-19, this would be both a wake-up call and a big slap to the face for these Karens to remind them to stay inside their homes and don't move a muscle outside, except for essential things like shopping, medical care or food orders.

            But can the Karen meme be considered as a sexist slur? I guess not. I have to say this frankly, but despite all the fiasco, it's just a given name. But apparently, journalist Julie Bindel on her twitter post suggested so. Some of them even comparing the meme to the N word slur targeting black people, mainly how "The K word (so to speak) is way worse than the N word". Maybe what they have in mind is implying that all white women is a Karen, while in reality, the meme is mainly used to mock SOME white women who happens to have a planetary-sized ego and the sense of maturity like that of a five year-old with demanding and entitled attitude. It's just a name that is coincidentally used to refer entitled white women who thinks that the manager is beneath her and can be insulted at will. But should we treat the Karen meme as a slur equal to (or maybe worse than) the N word? No. It's just merely the way the Internet puts its criticism. 

            In the end, the Karen meme is just a way of the Internet to criticize entitlement behaviors of some white women who happen to be middle-aged and don't care two shits about public order just to get what she wants strictly on her own terms. It's really like having that one obnoxious friend who is always nagging on others when the person didn't get that they want, and would keep on terrorizing their peers so that they would be satisfied (notice that I used the word "terrorizing", that's exactly what these Karens have been doing). My only message is, don't be a Karen. Under any circumstances and conditions, don't be that one who want to get what you want by speaking to the manager and ruining everybody's day and mood. Some of them might display even harsher behavior than you. Stay safe, stay home, always wash your hands, and always stand 2 meters apart with other people. 

Discrimination: Outdated, Barbaric and Idiotic

(Warning: Strong languages ahead)

Humans. This species has existed since the beginning of time, and during the history of mankind, many important occurrences happened that shaped the way we live our lives today. We are also known to be the smartest beings on Earth, but there are some people who just want to watch the world burn. Every men and women are born with different features, like skin colors, ethnicity and their body shapes. Alongside it, we also have different ideologies and beliefs that we adhere to. Despite the facts stated above, we, as God has proclaimed, are “created as tribes and nations so you can get to know each other.” But these days, some are considering themselves superior, and treat others with different body and facial features, as well as their religions as unworthy. This is a story about human beings being discriminated against one another.

I believe everybody knows what discrimination is, so I’ll explain it briefly. Discrimination is basically a prejudiced of, making distinction towards people with the basis of group, class and category where they perceived to be belong. Someone could get an unfair treatment based on this/her race, gender identities, religious beliefs, age, sexual orientations, disabilities and even political ideologies. The way this is done is to separate or to distinguish someone based on those factors alone, and those who perceive themselves as the superior groups often perceive themselves as the superior ones compare to others. Favoring heavily on one people group over the others can also count as an act of discrimination. 

There are many forms of discrimination that exist during the course of our lives. One of the most known types of discrimination is racism, which is a belief that a specific race is deemed superior over the other. Usually, the people do this towards people with color or different facial features (African and Asian) by someone with European descent (with white skin color). During the course of human history, racism has been portrayed with many forms. During the 1950s and 1960s, People in America would associate the white people as strong, powerful and superior, while the people with darker skin tone are perceived as the descendant of slaves, even branding them as slaves themselves. Schools were separated based on the racial demography of the students inside. There is a political system known as apartheid that based on pure racial segregation by the white population in South Africa. During that time, the laws were intended to put the colored population into alienation, while at the same time allowing the whites to access some of the privileges that otherwise require special permissions if that citizen is a black or people of color (this is hardly granted by the authorities at that time. Even if it is, it typically takes long periods of time). This can also happen during wartimes. When the United States fought against the Japanese during World War 2, many Americans of Japanese descend was subjected to imprisonment just because of their racial heritage. The most extreme form of this, called “white supremacist” recognizes the white race as the superior race. Therefore any racial inclusion and other forms of inclusivity is outlawed, even people of other racial identities is killed and enslaved. Such groups with this belief are the infamous Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the USA and the Nazi Germany.

Discrimination doesn’t limit itself to racial identities; religious identities can also be attacked, like anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. As the name suggests, one is a discrimination of people adhere to Judaism, and the other is intended to the Islamic faith. Anti-Semitism can be traced back to the time when Adolf Hitler rose to power of the Nazi Party of Germany. At that time, he viewed the Jewish citizens as “Semitic race”, while the Aryans were praised as the “master race”. He was also allegedly the mastermind behind the holocaust, an ethnic-cleansing genocide that targets Jewish-Germans. Islamophobia rose as the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, most people would brand Islam as “the terrorist’s religion” and the oppressive religion” based on the appearance of hijab-wearing women, some even got their hijabs yanked in public. The recent Islamophobic attack occurred just a few months ago, when an Australian extremist/terrorist who shall be remain nameless in this article attacked the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. 51 lives were claimed as the result of this vicious attack. The attack itself forced the New Zealand government lead by Prime Minister Jacinda Adern to revise the gun control laws, which now made the use of military-style semi-automatic rifles illegal. 

Sexual identities are often perceived as sitting duck (easy target) for discrimination, with most people who protest the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Community with the base of religion and morals. Some were forced to be “straighten out”, some even banished. There is a story about one church who hates the LGBT community so much, they put godhatesfags.com as the name of their official website. The Westboro Baptist Church is an “old-school Baptist” congregation in Topeka, Kansas. Aside from normal church services, these hard-lined Christians are also known to held protests and pickets, most notably holding the sign “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers”. They are also somehow racists. Evidenced by their past action of picketing an Islamic funeral. But what makes them famous is the fact that they hate the LGBT members to the core. 

And these heinous acts are not only committed by normal citizens themselves to others, law enforcement officers like the police are also prone to these sickening events, especially if it involves someone with different racial or religious background. Over this past two weeks, the world is currently reeling over another episode of police brutality in America. The latest case happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, with the latest victim being 46-year-old African American George Floyd, who died after being pinned down by four police officers, three of them were white, while the other was of Asian descent. At the time of the incident those four were responding to a call for possible counterfeit in a convenience store where Floyd entered to buy something. He was pinned with one officer's knee restraining Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, choking him in the process. Consider America's history with their police force, it's no secret that they are more often resorted to excessive and unnecessary force, even when the detainee is unarmed and pose no threat whatsoever. More often than not, American citizens of African descent are most likely to be arrested without explanation. Before Floyd's death, another African American who was killed because of his skin color was Ahmaud Arbery. He was killed in cold blood by a former police officer and his son while jogging in Georgia. The bastard claimed that Arbery matched the description of a robber in their specific area. What disgust me the most is Arbery was brutally murdered without explanation and a chance to defend himself. Currently riots are happening across the United States, protesting the death of Floyd by the supposed "protectors". Those four "killers with badges" has since fired from the Police Force, with that one officer, Derek Chauvin, who has extensive misconduct cases prior to this one charged with second- and third-degree murder, although some would want him charged with first degree murder. To make things even spicier, Chauvin's wife filed a divorce on him. Karma is real. 

These are just some of the countless discrimination cases happened around the world. And whoever does so in public, their intention is to assert dominance to other members of the society. They are taught to believe that they are the superior beings in this Earth, and anybody who is different is nothing but a spec of dust. Many of them are somehow (ignorantly) proud of what they are doing. Hell, they even made a law bill that contains pure discriminating verses, cornering one particular group. I have to say, among the more educated people, there are always some individuals with the brain of a deranged animal wreaking havoc. And I can assure you that those guys who have the guts to commit any acts of discrimination deserve a kick in the nuts and be taken into custody. Discrimination is a dick move, and those who did it are even bigger dicks. And to George Floyd, rest in peace, you beautiful and gentle soul. You are no longer suffering from horrible injustices. You say all lives matter, but after this sickening turn of events, I guess Ice-T got a point when he and his band Body Count released the song No Lives Matter, because really, when it comes to asserting dominance over other minority groups, no lives mattered for these "privileged" assholes.

Large-Scale Social Distancing: Basically, a Minor Lockdown

I have to say just for once: The cities across the planet have become a bit like a ghost town because of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 19) pandemic. There are now more than 1 million infections across the globe, and I guess it’s safe to say that this disease would peak in the next month or two, with current situation where some thick-headed individuals who just won’t stay inside their houses. Among those 1 million (1,6 million to be exact as of today), The United States of America has now recorded almost 470.000 confirmed cases. That’s around 310.000 cases more than Italy’s record, which is also the most among continental Europe. It’s also exasperated by the fact that no social distancing policies or any policies of similar sort has been enforced by the Trump administration. Basically, showing the rest of the world on how incompetent Donald Trump is while trying to run his government. Now bear in mind, this is the same guy who previously downplayed the seriousness of this virus by comparing it to that of a common flu. Right now, I’m not entirely sure that Trump would ever be re-elected for next term, not if he continues to act like this. 

            Enough about Trump, because this article is more about the latest policy being enforced by President Joko Widodo to cut the infection chain in Indonesia, called “Large-Scale Social Distancing”. In a nutshell, this thing works like a normal social distancing setting, but in a larger scale. Like all policies before that, it involves employees working from their homes and students studying from their homes. What makes it different is the way other activities being done outside. In a normal setting, restaurants, cafes and other culinary spots are open for dine-in, but with the new policy, they will remain open, but only for takeaways and drive-thru orders, including those made with online platforms. Public transports are limited both on operational times and passenger capacities, reducing it up to 50% to promote physical distancing. Online taxi application platforms temporarily dropped their two-wheeled services for passenger hailing, focusing on food orders and package deliveries. Four-wheeled online taxis are still allowed to pick up passengers, but depending on the total capacity of a car, they can only do up to two passengers on a single trip per car. With private vehicles, it works almost exactly the same way. Motorbikes are not allowed to have a passenger onboard, but cars are still allowed, but with limited passenger count. Hotels and other lodging services are allowed to remain open, mainly for those who came from outside the Jakarta area for self-isolation. Logistics and delivery services are also allowed to operate, especially those with medical supplies, essential things like food, beverage, and groceries, oil and gas, industrial supplies, export and import services and delivery services going in and out. Some offices like those on the extraction business are still open, but with limited employees. Public services like citizenship offices, immigration, or other essential public service platforms are diverted to online applications. Same with policies before, all activities involving large number of crowds is prohibited. In a short explanation, only restaurants, healthcare facilities, and other strategic sectors are allowed to operate under the “Large-Scale Social Distancing” policies. 

            When we think about the way this policy works, I have to say that it works like a minor lockdown, but with an exception that some businesses still allowed to operate. But with the policy in place, there are some drawbacks as well. One of which (and this is the most noticeable) is the limitation of online taxi services with motorbikes as the main vehicle. Since they are not allowed to pick up a passenger, their focus shift to food orders and delivery services. Consequently, this would reduce their income to as big as 50-60% of their normal income, and to make matters worse, these drivers are literally counting themselves and their lives to day-to-day payrolls as online taxi drivers (which fluctuates every day). This policy would also push some sectors to start working from home, or shut down temporarily, like other sectors aside from those mentioned above, like fashion retails (although you can still buy those online) and tourism sites. 

            I guess by not putting the country under full lockdown really is the right thing to do, and this policy proved it. By still allowing some economic sectors to operate, the Jokowi administration kept the economy going, although not by much. But there are still some drawbacks, like reduce in income for some informal workforce, places being temporarily closed, and activities involving a large crowd being outlawed. But despite these limitations, it’s still necessary to ensure that this virus is gone for good, and not being a recurring illness every winter and wet season. This piece might be short (in fact, this is the shortest article I’ve ever written so far), but I hope this has done big enough to encourage you all to stay at home, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay positive. We can get through this. All you have to do is stay inside and wash your hands.