Apr 18, 2012

Prepare to Be Offended: Racist Cake



What was intended to raise awareness of female genital mutilation, Swedish culture minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth commissioned a large cake shaped like a black woman, the cutting of which symbolically starting at the clitoris.

Wait, wait, there's more. It wasn't just a cake. It was performance art.

The “art installation” instead turned into what most consider a “racist spectacle,” says Kitimbwa Sabuni of the National Afro-Swedish Association, and have prompted calls for the culture minister’s dismissal.

Adelsohn Liljeroth defended her actions, saying the anger should be directed at the cake’s artist, not at her, and claiming the situation was “misinterpreted.” “Art needs to be provocative,” she said.

Well, there's provocative, and then there's this. And I may not know what "art" is -- but since you're seeing it here on Blasphemes, well, there's an epic failure wrapped in an excuse.

On the bright side, it's definitely raising awareness....

I suppose the artist's follow up will be a "save the rainforest" installation that cuts itself? How Emo. How brave.

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