Dress up for the party as a ...

naraht · #1 05-19-2011, 10:26 PM

Just some thoughts that went by while driving on the subject of theme parties where dressing up as a specific group might be proposed.

1) A specific race: This *never* ends well.
2) A specific group on the GLBTQ (etc.) spectrum: Ditto
3) A specific job, generally OK if it is a job that you'd admit that you had to your HS principal. Accountants OK, Pimp/Whore, nope.
4) A specific nationality/ethnic group: Generally OK if there haven't been any for at least 400 years like Vikings, Romans, Aztecs and bad if they are still around like French, German and Korean, but a few exceptions.
Greeks: The Greek system in the US annoys people from Greece enough that Athenian or Spartan themed parties aren't going to make a difference
Mayans: Yes there are still Mayans, but if you can pull of a dress as a Mayan for the December 2012 party, that's impressive.
Egypt of the Pharoahs: An odd one on a couple of levels, you've got the entire question of whether those of African descent are inheritors of that culture and then you've got the Alpha Phi Alphas having a particular tie in their traditions to it. So a white Fraternity might have the Black Student Union and the Alpha Phi Alpha brothers objecting, but might have the brothers of the other NPHC (Historically black) fraternities passing around popcorn.
"Southern US": Some fraternities founded in the southern US have parties based on Ante-bellum Southern themes. If yours does, you know the issues already, if you don't, find another theme, you don't want the headache.

Comments?

DrPhil · #2 05-19-2011, 11:32 PM

I never liked themed parties. Thank goodness they aren't too popular with your average NPHC chapter.

DeltaBetaBaby · #3 05-20-2011, 01:13 AM

How about "white trash"? I thought it was funny back in college, but now...um, I've rethought that position.

carnation · #4 05-20-2011, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naraht

Just some thoughts that went by while driving on the subject of theme parties where dressing up as a specific group might be proposed.

4) A specific nationality/ethnic group: Generally OK if there haven't been any for at least 400 years like Vikings, Romans, Aztecs and bad if they are still around like French, German and Korean, but a few exceptions.

Mayans: Yes there are still Mayans, but if you can pull of a dress as a Mayan for the December 2012 party, that's impressive.Comments?

One of my daughters is Maya and looks classically so. I think she'd be embarrassed by such a party.

AlphaFrog · #5 05-20-2011, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnation

One of my daughters is Maya and looks classically so. I think she'd be embarrassed by such a party.

My husband is also indigenous Mexican (Zapotec), and I've met full blood Aztecs and Incans. They haven't been gone for 400 years, naraht. Also, they might not throw Christians to the lions, but I'm pretty sure you could find a Roman or two. As to whether he would be insulted or embarrassed...I think his exact words would be something along the lines of "Gringos pendejos".

People - JUST SAY NO.

DeltaBetaBaby · #6 05-20-2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

"Gringos pendejos".

Now that's a theme!

carnation · #7 05-20-2011, 10:31 AM

Temo que los gringos no les gusten el tema.

naraht · #8 05-21-2011, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnation

One of my daughters is Maya and looks classically so. I think she'd be embarrassed by such a party.

Perhaps, but given that the average college student (as well as average American) would have *no* idea what a Maya would wear, They'd have to increase their knowledge *about* the Maya to even get it insultingly wrong. Think of trying to have a group of Europeans dress up as Chinese prior to Marco Polo.

carnation · #9 05-21-2011, 10:29 PM

Oh, I know, it's just that if she heard the name of the party and that she was supposed to dress Maya, it would weird her out. We have a ton of Guatemalans here and some still dress in the Central Native American style with the long woven skirts and carry baskets of laundry on their heads on the way to the laundromat. She knows that she looks more like these Guatemalans than she does the more westernized ones (ladinos) and knows that she and they are Maya.

They also speak among themselves in Maya dialects that are nothing like Spanish, so she doesn't understand them when she overhears them or when they try to speak to her because they think she's one of the gang. So, if someone said, "We're having a Dress like a Maya, End of the World party!", she'd bid you hasta la vista.

naraht · #10 05-21-2011, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnation

Oh, I know, it's just that if she heard the name of the party and that she was supposed to dress Maya, it would weird her out. We have a ton of Guatemalans here and some still dress in the Central Native American style with the long woven skirts and carry baskets of laundry on their heads on the way to the laundromat. She knows that she looks more like these Guatemalans than she does the more westernized ones (ladinos) and knows that she and they are Maya.

They also speak among themselves in Maya dialects that are nothing like Spanish, so she doesn't understand them when she overhears them or when they try to speak to her because they think she's one of the gang. So, if someone said, "We're having a Dress like a Maya, End of the World party!", she'd bid you hasta la vista.

I actually was in a somewhat similar situation (I'm Jewish) while I went to High School in China. In most of East Asia they'll still manage to combine some of the most negative *and* most positive stereotypical characteristics of Jews into one stereotype. It's why the Japanese tried to take some of the Jews off the hands of Hitler, they wanted to settle them in Manchuria to take the place of the Chinese that they'd killed.

Tulip86 · #11 05-20-2011, 07:10 AM

If we do general theme we usually stick to Pirates/Vikings/Middle ages/Wild West etc.

But more often we pick more creative themes that are open to the imagination of the invitees, always fun to see how everyone interprets the theme in a different way.

Gusteau · #12 05-20-2011, 07:31 AM

Anything "and hoes."

I also dislike theme parties in general.

sweetmagnolia · #13 05-20-2011, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gusteau

Anything "and hoes."

I also dislike theme parties in general.

THIS
The first party I was invited to at college was 'Gold Bros and Tennis Hoes'. I was mentally going between

and pearl clutching.

thetaj · #14 05-20-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gusteau

Anything "and hoes."

I also dislike theme parties in general.

Add: CEOs and secretaries.
w. t. f.

ETA: meaning, this is something that should NEVER be done.

Munchkin03 · #15 05-20-2011, 12:31 PM

Apparently I'm in the minority (ha ha ha), but I like theme parties. There's totally a way to do it and not be offensive about it. Some of the more successful ones I've attended include:

1. Wild West/Cowboy
2. Toga Party
3. 1920s: flapper/gangster
4. Moulin Rouge
5. Superheroes

Frankly, I don't understand the brouhaha over an Egyptian/Pharoah party, being as neither black people nor Alpha Phi Alpha own the rights to Egyptian iconography.