Headdress: Teefy – Feather Headdress RARE
Hi there loves! So for starters, I was added to the amazing SL Style Academy feed! I’m so happy to be here and thank you for the invite. Many blog posts to come for sure. I will also be dishing out a few Arcade themed posts but for now.. I wanted to address something.. please keep reading!
(WARNING. Posting this without rereading it yet because I didn’t want to alter what I wrote in any form, grammar may be off and words may be wrong, but please bare with me. Thank you!)
This is going to be a rather..interest?..blog post. There is alot of buzz going on about big events like the Arcade and Fameshed happening right now. Next week is Collab88 and then the TLC Garden event so the next few weeks are sure to bring many amazing mesh creations for you to all get your little paws on. However, recently there has been a “debate” going on about a certain little Tee*fy item. Many have strong and deep rooted veiws about this, and others do not understand why anyone is upset over such a lovely piece of “costume” head wear.
I decided to detach myself from the situation after a moment, and a long hard think on the subject at hand. And only after a great deal of this thinking did I come to a conclusion and wanted to share my own thoughts and observations on this topic. So, as you read all that is below, I would like to state none of this is to be taken offensively, which I don’t believe it will, but it’s always a bet that someone will misread your meaning, so I wish to formerly say none of this is geared towards any one person, group, or stereotype.
That being said, all the talk that is driving the blog posts and fueling plurk posts has gotten my wondering one thing: What is the real reason so many are so up heaved by this headdress? For starters, if you are in fact, a Native American, whom still practices the old ways of your culture, and have heavily embedded beliefs, I understand full heartedly why this headdress could be offensive to you. It’s not as if this is a nurse outfit or a pirate outfit, something that is jokingly used at things like Halloween or costume parties. for those you might be titling their heads at this, the best example I can give it if someone where to you your favorite sweater, or clothing item, and then wear it and pretend to be you. At first it might be a laugh, but soon after, if they started to add in a manner you did not find enjoyable, and were still portraying you, or well, if you STILL saw it as they were, you would be offended. It’s a natural reaction when one’s ego and sense of self is “attacked” in that manner. Now keep in mind, I have no picked a “side” so to say, I am simply stating as an observer what my brain has connected together. There is also, the very much so real, religious, culture and personal beliefs that follow all this. For starters, everyone should take a moment and respect those whom have a completely other mind set when it comes to beliefs then them. That being said, the Native American culture is nothing less. They have a right to be offend if they wish because the tradition of the headdress IS a very important thing to all males. So it is natural for them, if they are, to be offend. So for those whom find it a need to say there is nothing to be offend about, you must take into a account that there IS reasons. Both men and women of the culture view the wearing of a headdress far different than anyone whom is not of Native American ancestry.
YET, as I move on to another point. There is the fight to say this is a virtual game, and that people to loosen up because it is merely a costume. I understand this point as well, because as you can see from the picture above I am wearing this beautifully crafted headdress. I for one, wanted this headdress the moment I saw it. The skill it took, the time, effort, and over all love, put into it, it’s truly admirable. This is something I wish for everyone else, either their agree with it being ok to wear this, or not, should take note. I implore you to appreciate the accuracy, and love that was throw into this headdress. This is not a half ass jobbed, not researched, last minute to make a quick buck, item that was created. Just as much respect as it takes to earn the RIGHT to wear this head dress, in the Native American culture, was put into making it. Yes I’m aware this is a mesh item, and not that of a real hyde and feather headdress crafted in real life, But as a fellow designer I can say with clear confidence that the effort, that went into making this headdress, was leaps and bounds above what a normal accessory in SL would take. It might not be the most complex or elaborate piece ever, but that does not take away from the attention to detail and authenticity that went into this. Most have forgotten the work that went into it and rather focus on the issue of budding heads to really appreciate just a beautiful piece of mesh. So, before I go on to my last point, I do ask for you to detach your own personal feelings and looking at this piece for the piece of art it really is.
And finally, after that long paragraph of my gushing over this magnificent piece, Let’s address something that I think no one is paying attention to. This is second life. Granted there are other games on the internet that can provide very much the same experience, Second Life, however, is a different portal because it’s much more diverse and the open doors you can walk through are endless. Yet, a great deal of people forget, this is just a game, to most, but it is also a business to many. And because of this reason, there is a large amount of mean, jealousy that roams the grid. Anyone and everyone will and has been attacked in some form while playing SL. Is this right? No, but is it the norm. You are bound to find some sort of dramamonster lurking to come pester you. How others deal with it, is another thing. But, the reason for this point? Each and every event, there is some drama that is piled onto it. Either is it person drama, drama over an item (as this whole post is about) or drama about a social issue that is brought up. Drama follows the designers of SL like a hungry mosquito. Why is this? Simply put, people are too bored with their own lives, or take personal offence when none is to be had, over the smallest, or largest things. I am not saying that to be offend by something like this headdress is wrong, if it is in fact part of your beliefs. but looking at it completely from an outside perspective you must admit to get upset over a mesh headdress in a game, is silly. Silly why? There are actual Native Americans in this world – believe it or not- whom do not play second life! Actually a GREAT deal of them DO NOT! How might you say, I know this? Simple. Because life is far more important than a virtual game. This is a virtual world, not a real world. Having the headdress removed from the gacha will not end the mistreat and misjudgment of NA, it will not stop the hungry from starving, or the homeless children find a home. It will not stop our government from being corrupt, evil and cruel. It will not stop your heart from breaking, it will not mend that broken friendship, it will not help you lose that extra weight, it will not solve all your problems. It will only do one thing : make your ego feel better. This is not just about this headdress though. This is in general all the things that revolve around SL. There are certain things, like copybotting, CLEAR AND BLATANT racism, and abuse, that are topics that all can find a reason to be angry about, and can stand together to fix, but this topic, and the many others that will and have cropped up, will do nothing but hurt someone. Who is that someone? The creator who put her heart into this. The people (like myself) who put this headdress on and could not take it off because the bouts of pride and beautiful that flowed through me as I wore it, were too much for me to part with it (I in fact have been a great lover of NA culture since my childhood, and have considered more than once of somehow finding a way to be part of it, but so far life has yet to take me in that path), and over all, the ones who maybe NA and actually do appreciate this. There is also the role players who have been looking for the right headdress and finally it has come into their life!
So please, I hope if you have gotten this far, you can now understand a bit more, a bit more clear at least, that the views of this topic are all sticky, messy, and each have great personal attachments, But as a whole, this is a waste of time and energy, and a great insult on the artist who molded this beautiful piece of art. Thank you for reading, and if you have any thoughts, please do leave them below. All are welcomed (I have to approve of them before they are posted so it may take a bit before they are seen)
– Rose ❤
P.S.: If anything I wrote has personally offended you, I am sorry that is has, but what I wrote was from many different views and I re framed from putting my own PERSONALLY feelings into any of this, and only the views as an observer.
The Rosie Posie Blog 