Dear Finnish Nightmares,
When generalizing about how some white Finns may react, why is it that all of your characters are white? There are “other” Finns, too. Do you take them into account? Do you ever fear that generalizing a “model” reaction may reinforce stereotypes and as a result promote a monocultural and over-simplified view of the people that live in this country? One of those stereotypes is that there are no such things as “non-white Finns.”
Enrique Tessieri, editor, Migrant Tales
Even if some may consider these cartoons quaint, do they promote stereotypes about white Finns? One of the first effective ways to challenge racism is by challenging stereotypes. Source: Facebook.
Category: Enrique Tessieri
Migrant Tales, are you for real? I mean, seriously? This starts to sound like some kind of awful parody of people who get’s butthurt of everything.
You realize all the characters in the comic are almost identical, except the main character is wearing a hat? It’s artist’s art style. Characters are mostly black&white a stick figures, bald and don’t even have a clear gender.
“do they promote stereotypes about white Finns?”
The whole comic is about Finnish stereotypes and laughing at their expense. You understand that is the whole point of the comic?
Yes, Jonas, I’m for real. Butthurt? Nah. If I got butthurt for every comment made in this blog I wouldn’t have a butt anymore. You may see it that way but there are others who don’t. Fair enough?
Not really. I really can’t understand the way of your thinking in this case. Usually stick figures are drawn with black pen and rest of the body is white – like in Finnish Nightmares comics. I’m now repeating myself: all the characters are almost identical and that is part of the simplicity of the comic. I don’t see you complain of not having sexual minorities or modern, strong female characters in the comic, it is just the “non-white Finns”. Or non-bald people.
Should the artist start colouring these stick figures just the sake of the diversity? I feel you are now really exaggerate to find a problem.
I don’t recommend you to read any modern comics or watch animated adult cartoons, because your mind would be blown how people can make fun of stereotypes and use satire to handle serious issues, like racism.
Joonas, why does this bother you so much? The answer may reveal a lot, I would suspect.
I personally see stereotypes as the soil for racism, bigotry and discrimination. But stereotypes don’t say too much about those being stereotyped but the world view of the one that is stereotyping.