Have you ever come across some stamp designs that you consider at least questionable or even inappropriate. Which would it be and, more important, why?
I stumbled upon this stamp from China which is part of a series called “Children’s Sports and Games”. For me, the image is problematic in many ways. It both promotes stereotypes (girls have to be cute and have to wear skirts or dresses and those who do are more attractive than those who don’t) and sexism (it seems pretty much ok to look under a girl’s skirt).
But, these children can all be girls, right?
When I was little, I wore mostly trousers and my hair was short.
But the one, I have received it, and I thought they are making sure the player doesn’t step on the line. Now I look it very differently! You are right about what’s happening .
Maybe I didn’t know this kind of topics could be in a stamp, and didn’t see it.
(There is a postcard sold in Finland, where a boy lifts up a skirt, and I think it’s ugly. But, looking at the clothes in it, it’s very old.)
I think it’s bad especially because they are children! They should be treated as sex objects even less than adults!
I agree that that stamp is quite awful. I also think that it might be a culture thing, too. Unfortunately, not all countries and not all people are equally advanced with topics like feminism etc. And what looks sexist to us, might be normal and even funny to the sender without them realizing how offensive it can be.
We also peripherally talked about inappropriate stamps (but mostly country-specific and about postcards in general) in Avoiding cross-cultural faux pas
For me, those Chinese stamps (Children playing together) are only cute. The children have to be allowed to be children, even if they are doing something silly. We become sick if we are seeing only badness in all around.
I know one that’s a drawing by Wilhelm Busch (??), showing a father chasing the son to beat him for discipline. Sadly, I don’t have access to my pictures right now. I don’t think such things should be on stamps. But you could say that it shows culture as well due to it being a famous drawing.
I think there is a difference between real children doing something because they don’t know better and children being displayed like that by an adult artist as if it was normal and okay. As far as I see, it’s not from a children’s book either, which could give the whole situation more context.
I’m sorry maybe I’m from very patriarchal autocratical country and have no right to have an opinion in such an advanced feminist topic but for me these stamps are just stamps. Boy and girls equally playing together, some girl wear skirts, some pants, all participating the same activities as partners (what would be criminal silly behaviour for boys - playing with girls together?). Never in a right mind I would even think that illustrator drew them as sex objects, and it’s weird to even think that children in the drawn age have sexual thoughts. Both boys and girls are drawn to be very cute - no exception (it feels weird for me to say that on stamps girls in skirt are drawn cuter than girl in pants - all are cute and in the same style). The boy on the last stamp quite directly watches the lines and not under the skirt - by which of his eyes is closed (also stepping the lines watching is hinted by cat stepping on the line - second boy might be looking at cat even?). Why we are not paying attention to that none of the boy is ‘cute’ or wearing a long hair? And making men sexual objects which feminist fight in case of sexualizing women, is okay, when it’s Tom of Finland, because it’s art (these stamps are very bluntly sexual)? And if the stamps were drawn by old artist or were from the book they become more okay immediately?
As a woman who works for 15 years in highly competitive male-dominated industry (Technical university and electronic industry), I would prefer personally that any way and any choice of how girl wants to behave would be respected equally - I deeply respect women who chose and enjoy to be with their kids, be housewife, be pretty and cute, same respect for anyone who is pursuing career, and for ones who want to have both. Pretty and cute persons of both genders are treated better (for example, statistic for good-looking male criminals getting less punishment with the jury), but smart, genuine and kind people of both genders are treated same nice.
@S_Tuulia I love the sauna stamps! (we all know Finns go to sauna completely naked xD) There are also postcards like that - probably top wish for any postcrossers who loves erotic, and Tom of Finland too. And then also there are people who hate it, it’s amazing how different we all are as individuals!
Sorry for the long post, I tried to provide different opinion
You are right. This one alone could be problematic without further context/information. But the “Father and Son” stories (by cartoonist Erich Ohser) always have a happy ending. The father’s attempts to punish or beat his son always backfire.
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but for me these stamps are just stamps. Boy and girls equally playing together, some girl wear skirts, some pants, all participating the same activities as partners (what would be criminal silly behaviour for boys - playing with girls together?). Never in a right mind I would even think that illustrator drew them as sex objects, and it’s weird to even think that children in the drawn age have sexual thoughts. Both boys and girls are drawn to be very cute - no exception (it feels weird for me to say that on stamps girls in skirt are drawn cuter than girl in pants - all are cute and in the same style). The boy on the last stamp quite directly watches the lines and not under the skirt - by which of his eyes is closed (also stepping the lines watching is hinted by cat stepping on the line - second boy might be looking at cat even?). Why we are not paying attention to that none of the boy is ‘cute’ or wearing a long hair? And making men sexual objects which feminist fight in case of sexualizing women, is okay, when it’s Tom of Finland, because it’s art (these stamps are very bluntly sexual)? And if the stamps were drawn by old artist or were from the book they become more okay immediately?