Tuesday, March 1, 2011

In defense of John Galliano


In the midst of all the mud slinging that is happening to John Galliano, one of the greatest couturiers of this day, have we, in the haste to bulldoze 25 years of rock solid contribution to fashion made by this great man, forgotten that we live in an era of "fictionalised realism", an era where we are programmed to see the world in a way that might be far removed from what it actually is. Has anyone paused to think whether the video of John uttering racist comments could have been doctored? Whether his apparently "odious" comments might have been taken out of context after all?

John is quoted as saying "People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be fucking gassed." What is the prelude to this conversation? John is using "would" implying that he might be referring to some incident prior to making these comments.

Is it fair to crucify a man, who for 25 years maintained the impeccable image of a gentleman making significant contribution to the fashion industry tirelessly working to push the limits of creativity, without giving him a chance to hear his side of the story?

P.S The intent of this article is not to support anti-Semitism or racism but rather to kindle a thought in all concerned minds as to whether we are judging too soon?