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Dagnoslaw Demski
Playing With Otherness: Within and Beyond
Stereotypes in Visual Representations
In this paper I will focus on an aspect of objectified imagery of Otherness seen
through visual material published in the nineteenth-century press in Poland. Al¬
terity was presented in a slightly different way due to the characteristic cultural
tools (refinement, satire, humor) used during that time. As we can see further, two
types of representations of Others prevailed—Poland’s own internal classes and
internal/external ethnic groups.
Every community, defined by its place and time, has certain needs and aspira¬
tions but also faces problems and adversities when attempting to accomplish its
aspirations. The reality is viewed from a local perspective, and the locals are pre¬
occupied with matters that are related to their lives and to the possibility of fulfill¬
ing their expectations. Significant matters find their reflection in debates, disputes,
and cultural articulations, which comprise both the collective and the individual
experiences; there are myriad possibilities, and life provides a rich diversity of their
manifestations and their representations.
All standard representations of the ethnic Otherness presented here may be con¬
sidered as a treasure trove of Polish or—in a broader sense—eastern European bigot¬
ries. We might also pay attention to how the representations of Otherness/alterity in
all its forms, whether offensive or positive, relate to social divisions and structures of
power within society. However, in order to avoid any possible charges of superficiality,
we could investigate this issue further and attempt to state what type of humorous
images prevailed in a particular period of time and the reason for such prevalence.
To do this we can roughly characterize two types of representations, the serious
and the nonserious, and it is possible to state that what is labeled humorous does
not always denote funny—often quite otherwise. We can also recognize the playful
aspects of representations of alterity including ethnic Otherness.
Thus within the same reality or event, there could exist a serious representation
of the reality or event (depending on the state of our knowledge), a humorous one
(funny or unfunny), an amusing or unamusing version (depending on the inten¬
tion), and a playful version. All of the representations seem to reflect several con¬
cepts, such as seriousness, discipline, surveillance, humor, and stereotypes, and these
cultural concepts seem worthy of further examination.
‘The present study is intended to examine one type of subject of representation—
the Other and Otherness—in the chosen titles of the Polish press at the turn of the
nineteenth century. I have mostly focused on visual representations; the literary and
journalistic ones represent a separate subject.