this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
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[–] obinice@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago (11 children)

A ritual dance is physical intimidation? I suppose you'd say having aggressive body language (looking angry) is physical intimidation too.

We should put all government officials on valium so they don't accidentally get too emotionally invested in what they're discussing, lest they accidentally physically intimidate someone with an angry face.

Obviously ministers with resting-bitch-face will have to be permanently barred from attending parliament, for the safety of their colleagues. We wouldn't want such blatant physical intimidation on the day to day after all.

The point being, if you think a native ritual dance is the same as being physically intimidated, rather than seeing it as their culture's way of expressing their feelings on some important matters, then you're entirely missing the point and showing a lack of understanding of your own nation's culture at a basic level, and probably shouldn't be representing those same citizens at the government level.

I imagine politicians that clueless would just say "Oh my, the natives have gone feral! Look at that display of raw physical intimidation! Jeeves, fetch my musket and don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes!"

If you feel physically intimidated by what is essentially some well known and well respected people in a debating hall being angry about the current topic of discussion and telling you they're angry in a recognised and common cultural manner, then I can't help you.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (4 children)

You seem very uninformed about the history of the Haka.

There are many different ones, but the most common one, Ka Mate, is usually performed by sports teams before a game, and is meant to be intimidating.

They were historically performed by a tribe's mightiest warriors when other chiefs came to visit, as one example. They're often a war dance, a show of power.

The audience is supposed to be intimidated

[–] grue@lemmy.world -1 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Of course intimidation is the point -- psychological/political intimidation, not physical. Context matters. Don't try to pretend that the other MPs were scared they were gonna charge at them with taiahas or something, because that's bullshit and you know it.

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

e: I replied to the wrong comment, sorry. Moved my reply to your parent.

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