There’s something about the internet that makes some people behave in a way that they would never do in real life, partly due to the anonymity, and partly due to the fact that it’s easy to say what you really think, no matter how base it is, when you’re not face to face with the other person.

Since I’ve started blogging this time last year, I don’t exaggerate at all when I say that but for two instances (the present included), everyone I have encountered have been the nicest people I’ve met in my life. However, no matter in what circles you run, you can never really escape that certain minority of trollers out there who don’t live by the same rules of common courtesy and respect that the rest of us do. Normally I would not broadcast these incidents, as I do understand that people who are nasty online may actually be really nice people in real life, and they often don’t realize the ‘realness’ of their actions because it is in the online environment, but this time the behaviour I observed has been so disgusting to me that I felt I was obligated to expose this to you, my readers, in the hope that even the perpetrator herself can take a step back, look at her own actions, and realise where she has gone wrong.

So it all started from this one random comment on my facebook page by Ms Troller.

I make a point not to respond to trollers because most of the time they’re just trying to get a reaction out of you. I did post a screen shot of this comment on instagram and twitter because I thought it was so random and funny.

But inevitably, one of my friends was quite offended and responded, as below.

At this point I intervened. I said something like:

“Not wishing to justify with your racist remark with a response, I just wanted to say that unfortunately your claim of ‘honesty’ does nothing to conceal your rotteness’

Miss Troller then deleted her original comment, probably not wanting any record of her being accused of racism.

She then wrote me the following private message, trying to frame her original insult in a more positive light. Miss Troller, I think it is you who doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of ‘racism’.

I would have been happy to see an end to this whole incident with Miss Troller relatively cordial private message to me, but then I saw this unbelievable rant Ms Troller wrote to my friend, who had responded to Ms Toller’s original comment on my page.

A comment like this is a prime example of the mass delusion many in society suffer in relation to what is considered to be ‘racism’ and the damage that this attitude does to the cohesiveness of society as a whole.

Being racist isn’t just about derogative comments or violent acts. In its most venomous and deeply seated form, it’s the making of stereotypes about a person based on what you experienced or think you experienced about certain other people in their racial group. It’s thinking about ‘them’ as being separate to ‘us’, where ‘us’ and ‘them’ are defined only by superficial points such as the way people look or their historical geographical origins. It’s the making of assumptions which are really based on the fear of the unknown or the reluctance of someone, comfortable in what they perceive to be a safe and familiar world, to learn new ideas that may jeopardise what they have long become accustomed to believe (a threat to their sense of identity).

I find it interesting and very telling that Ms Troller has made a distinction between ‘Asian girls’ and ‘American women’, basically implying that all American women are white, and Asian girls aren’t American.

Importantly, Ms Troller made four key comments that I thought I might investigate, and find out if there’s really any truth in them.

1. All Asian girls look so ugly without makeup:

This is such an idiotic comment that I initially didn’t think it needed any response, but just for fun, lets have a look at the evidence.

First I had a look at some famous Japanese actresses, who very often appear in dramas and movies wearing minimal makeup. The following images are taken from this article:

Masami Nagasawa:

Ryoko Hirosue

Keiko Kitagawa

Then, googling ‘asian girl without makeup’, I come across an article about Wonder Girls Sohee and Ye Eun without makeup.

So here they are with makeup:

Now, without makeup. I think they look beautiful without makeup too, don’t you?

But I think what Ms Troller is probably really referring to is all those before and after images online where relatively plain Asian girls transform their looks with makeup. Lets have a look at some famous examples:

Okarie

Kumicky:

Yes, these girls do look rather plain without makeup, but certainly not ugly! In fact, there are very few people in the world, regardless of race, who look their best without makeup. Lets have a look at some famous American actresses:

Cameron Diaz

Katherine Heigl

Jessica Alba

And what about me? People are quite shocked how different I look with and without makeup, but you can judge for yourself. Yes, I personally do think I look a thousand precent better with makeup, but I’m not ashamed of my natural face. In fact, you all know I work full time, and I only ever put on makeup on the weekends when I get time.

Me with only BB cream, and eyebrow liner.

Me with circle lenses, eyeshadow, eyeliner, upper and lower lashes and lipstick.

2. Asian girls wear eye tape and circle lenses to try to look more like American women (I take this to mean white women)

I think there may be some truth in this statement as initially, the idea of having ‘bigger’ and coloured eyes, and blond curly hair, would have arisen out of exposure of Asia to the west. But over time the Gyaru look has evolved into its own style. It’s so unique that you can no longer say that it’s mimicking the western look.

Lets look at some examples of the idealised Japanese Gyaru look.

Yui Kanno

Kummicky

Okarie

Rumiringo

Just looking at a small sample of popular gyaru models, yes, many aspects of their looks appear to mimic European traits, but can you really say that what they’ve done with their makeup is really aimed at looking European rather than Asian?

3. Asian girls have to wear 100 pounds of makeup and to look beautiful

To examine whether Asian girls have to wear ‘100 pounds of makeup’ to look good, lets have a look at our Gyaru icons, to see if they wear ‘100 pounds of makeup’

Kummicky

In Kumicky’s usual style, all she’s wearing is light eyeshadow, eyeliner and false lashes!

Tsubasa Masuwaka

Again, it looks like Tsubasa is only wearing eyeliner, eyeshadow and false lashes.

This doesn’t look like 100 pounds of makeup to me, what about you?

4. American women do not have to wear as much makeup as Asian girls to look beautiful

Right…………………………

I think I’ll just let the following photos of “American women” wearing too much makeup do the talking.

In conclusion, I think it’s completely idiotic and counter productive to talk about people looking ugly without makeup, and even bringing race into the mix. Everyone has th
eir own style. Some people like to wear a lot of makeup, others don’t wear any at all. There’s nothing to be gained criticizing one person or another just because you don’t agree with their choices and preference. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but don’t spend your life badmouthing other people and deluding yourself that you’re somehow better than people who don’t agree with your world view. Rather than resenting these negative people, I feel so sorry for them because they are so closed minded, and will probably remain that way for the rest of their lives. All they are doing is depriving themselves of experiencing the rich tapestry of life, by dismissing everything apart from what they already think they know. And also, unfortunately, it may be that these people are simply limited by their lack of intellectual sophistication and education, and they really just can’t help being the way they are.

Also check out what the other blogger Ms Troller targeted has to say about this: http://sugarcoatedmuffin.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/all-asian-girls-look-so-ugly-without.html