Current Events > IYO when is cultural appropriation okay and not okay?

(+) Yeah! (+)

During ST Patty's day everyone and their mother dress in green, drink green beer and celebrate it like they're Irish and everyone seems to be okay with it.

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It's OK in 99.9% of cases. It's bad in the extremely few cases of a person trying to claim they invented some other culture's shit while profiting of it.

OK - White lady wears a kimono

BAD - McDonald's puts their cast of characters into Native American dress to celebrate Christmas or something

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As long as Becky isn't doing it with malicious intent I don't see what's wrong with her being inspired by other cultures to express herself

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nemu posted...

It's OK in 99.9% of cases. It's bad in the extremely few cases of a person trying to claim they invented some other culture's shit while profiting of it.

IShall_Run_Amok posted...

OK - White lady wears a kimono

BAD - McDonald's puts their cast of characters into Native American dress to celebrate Christmas or something

MrResetti posted...

As long as Becky isn't doing it with malicious intent I don't see what's wrong with her being inspired by other cultures to express herself

These are all A+ answers.

Basically, I believe there's absolutely nothing wrong with it if the person doing it is it least making SOME attempt to understand the culture behind it, even on a basic level.

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IShall_Run_Amok posted...

OK - White lady wears a kimono

BAD - McDonald's puts their cast of characters into Native American dress to celebrate Christmas or something

That's an alarmingly good summary. High five!

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Seems to be hard to define but as long as things are respected and celebrated and not stolen and capitalised on, it makes the difference.

Here's one I'm unsure about. White musicians singing black spirituals about slaves etc? You know, wade in the water, etc.


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My culture is NOT your gimmick, TC.

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There isn't some hard line and clear defined rule. It literally does come down to a case by case, know-it-when-you-see it kind of deal.

pinky0926 posted...

Seems to be hard to define but as long as things are respected and celebrated and not stolen and capitalised on, it makes the difference.

Here's one I'm unsure about. White musicians singing black spirituals about slaves etc? You know, wade in the water, etc.

That is a weird one. I know when I was in elementary and middle school (when we required to take choir) we had to learn and sing several different traditional black songs. That makes sense, it would be super shitty if all the historical and traditional songs we learned were white/European songs. Kids should be exposed to and learn about American music from a wide variety of American experiences. But I have to imagine the image of an overwhelmingly white group of 12-year-olds singing Wade in the Water was a strange one, regardless.

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Gheb posted...

There isn't some hard line and clear defined rule. It literally does come down to a case by case, know-it-when-you-see it kind of deal.

That is a weird one. I know when I was in elementary and middle school (when we required to take choir) we had to learn and sing several different traditional black songs. That makes sense, it would be super shitty if all the historical and traditional songs we learned were white/European songs. Kids should be exposed to and learn about American music from a wide variety of American experiences. But I have to imagine the image of an overwhelmingly white group of 12-year-olds singing Wade in the Water was a strange one, regardless.

I'm trying to imagine a solo artist playing hammond organ and doing a bunch of gospel songs and getting famous for it

I don't think it would go down well

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pinky0926 posted...

I'm trying to imagine a solo artist playing hammond organ and doing a bunch of gospel songs and getting famous for it

I don't think it would go down well

No that would be a disaster.

I think one pretty agreed upon idea when it comes to cultural appropriation is that if you are lifting from another culture to profit or advance in a space where the people who's culture you are lifting from are still struggling to profit from or advance in, it is bad.

To go back to St. Patrick's Day. The vast majority of people don't have a problem with bars doing specials for the day or stores selling St. Patrick's Day apparel, even if they aren't Irish owned, is because at least in modern times there isn't a whole lot holding someone of Irish decent back from success. People aren't profiting off Irish cultural while Irish Americans are still struggling to gain footholds in the business world.

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I think the idea of cultural appropiation is bad is bullshit.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating cultures. Celebrating people with different backgrounds, upbringing, different ideologies.

You can't be against racism while also believing that cultural appropiation is bad. Because that means you are against the idea of celebrating other cultures.

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Nazanir posted...

I think the idea of cultural appropiation is bad is bullshit.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating cultures. Celebrating people with different backgrounds, upbringing, different ideologies.

You can't be against racism while also believing that cultural appropiation is bad. Because that means you are against the idea of celebrating other cultures.

That's the thing, there are times when it isn't celebratory in nature.

Also consider that the vast, vast majority of white people on the east coast do actually have some Irish heritage. Doesn't excuse the behavior of a lot of people but it is often a part of their identity.

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nemu posted...

It's OK in 99.9% of cases. It's bad in the extremely few cases of a person trying to claim they invented some other culture's shit while profiting of it.

cultural appropriation is never okay.

what youre referring to is cultural diffusion or even cultural appreciation

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IMO it's okay when i do it and IMO it's reprehensible when others do it

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It's okay to appropriate upwards, not downwards

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Celebrating a culture and appropriating one are two different things.

If a white person is complaining about it, ignore it.

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Its okay if its funny
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pinky0926 posted...

Here's one I'm unsure about. White musicians singing black spirituals about slaves etc? You know, wade in the water, etc.

Does a black person who was born in 1990 have a deeper understanding of what it was like to be a slave than a white person born in 1990? Assume they both grew up in a middle class family in a nice suburban neighborhood.

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MisterPengy posted...

Does a black person who was born in 1990 have a deeper understanding of what it was like to be a slave than a white person born in 1990? Assume they both grew up in a middle class family in a nice suburban neighborhood.

Yes. Youre still not treated the same way as white people
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dr_strangelove posted...

if many of the people from the culture you are appropriating from say they have a problem with it, then dont do it.

how many people do you have to ask before you engage in your colonizer appropriating activities

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Shit like white women wearing Kaminos isnt cultural appropriation

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pinky0926 posted...

Seems to be hard to define but as long as things are respected and celebrated and not stolen and capitalised on, it makes the difference.

That's what I came to say.

Also:

-You don't get to appropriate a culture if you are simultaneously discriminating against its people.
-Don't try to appropriate something if it's meant to be sacred to that culture

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Cultural appropriation is never okay.
Cultural appreciation is always welcome.

Respect is the key.

If you're going to wear something from another culture, you should be able to give a few facts about its origin

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gamepimp12 posted...

cultural appropriation is never okay.

what youre referring to is cultural diffusion or even cultural appreciation

Im speaking from the idea that most complaints of cultural appropriation are complete nonsense from Twitter Karens. But yes, the actual wording in non-offending cases is different.

Theon_Greyjoy posted...

If you're going to wear something from another culture, you should be able to give a few facts about its origin

"this sarong is made of a polyster blend by a designer from northern france who was birthed in a soup kitchen and raised in an active ww2 minefield"

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Cultural appropriation doesn't and can't exist. You can't appropriate culture because culture is meant to spread to other people by design.

If you're intentionally using culture for personal gain, then it would be something like cultural exploitation.

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EmbraceOfDeath posted...

If you're intentionally using culture for personal gain, then it would be something like cultural exploitation.

You have just defined cultural appropriation. Congrats.

MisterPengy posted...

Does a black person who was born in 1990 have a deeper understanding of what it was like to be a slave than a white person born in 1990? Assume they both grew up in a middle class family in a nice suburban neighborhood.

Yes

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