BDSM is NYPA
Time for another odd conection. A few weeks ago, the nytimes ran a story about a company in Pakistan that makes S&M toys. So what does that have to do with a documentry filmaker producting a film about underground christian churches in china?
Back in 2006, Hao Wu was taken into cusdody by chinese authorities. As it happens, he had recently begun doing some side work for the website GlobalVoices. Founder GlobalVoices Ethan Zuckerman began in ernast a activism campaign to raise awarness and fight for Hao Wus release. However, in Zuckerman own words “we were sort of lousy advocates”.
All that GlobalVoices could realy write about was what they themselves were doing. How they were preasuring congresmen. WHat they were doing to get him legal representation. How they were updating the family. But they honestly didnt know much about Hao Wu indvidualy as a person. After a short time, Hao Wus sister jumped in. “This is bullshit! You dont know my brother! I do”. She started up her own blog writing about Hao Wu and his detention. A website that was much more informitive and much more personal. She had pictures of him and GlobalVoices didnt. She had frequent conact with him while he was in prision and GlobalVoices didnt. GlobalVoices quickly defered to her experteese and changed their advocacy. They just took the sisters blog, translated it, and used it as their point of advocacy.
Ethan Zuckerman himself relates this very well in a speech he gave. And one of the things he learned from this experence is there is a danger of speaking on behalf of someone rather than amplifing.
Of corse this shouldent be suprizing at all. The net has changed several things that were once only controled by orgnizations and has now given power to indviduals. A musician dosent need to strive for a recording contract with a major label any longer. They can put their own works up on the web rather than relying on some group to distribute for them. News isnt controled by big television or newspapers any more. Its the small bedroom blogger working on his own that breaks most stories now a ways. It shouldent be suprising that activism is shifting away from huge centeraly controled groups like amesty international and is now being driven by indviduals.
And that brings us back to the new york times article. Right after it was published, it gets passed around on a few mailing lists and forums and the initial reaction was positive. Folks felt happy that these brave people were fighting for sexual freedom in an opresive country. Horry for sexual freedom! ….. But not so fast!
It didnt take long untill the owners of a couple of american toy shops chimed in with their own view. According to them this company in Pakistan had been making cheep knockoffs of their designs for years. And because of the dificulity in enforcing trademark law internationaly, there was little they could do to stop this Pakistan company. Far from being the glorious revolutionaries that most people assumed they were, this company was a bunch of dirtbags getting rich off some other companys good name ….. But not so fast!
It didnt take long for someone else to chime in by pointing out that the Pakistan company wasent making knockoffs. True that the design was inspired by others, but it wasent as if the Pakistan company was stamping the items with a similar looking logo or using a slightly altered name. The american company had implied this, but it wasent the case.
Turns out the real meat of the story didnt come from the big newspaper corporation. The real intresting stuff came from indvidual people commenting on the article, then someone else commenting on the comments. The indvidual, not the media powerhouse.
But then something very depresing happened.
Other people began posting their own comments saying that ‘huge group’ mentality was exactly what was called for in this situation. People chimed in saying that we as a comunity must all ban together and all of us support the Pakistan company. We should all get on the phone and call the american company and voice our displeasure. Together as one we can make a difrence.
Though activism may be changing with the invention of the internet, activists are not. There is still the overwhelming mindset in some folks that indviduals will always be powerless. That only by huge groups will anythign get done.