# Fuck the fashion police. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 2, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462 "2018-05-02T14:23:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/41 "2018-05-02T19:57:00Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Can you give examples of when the concept really means something valid and important? Yes, and the current hysteria over “cultural appropriation” is a good example of political correctness gone mad because the morons promulgating this nonsense don’t understand the legitimate original reasons for it. It’s not even about “culture” necessarily, but about the fact that various nations, cultures, religions, and institutions may have symbols that are valued and revered in some special way, and their frivolous use as decoration by ignoramuses is disrespectful and inappropriate. This is legitimately offensive and should be discouraged. Any other meaning attached to “cultural appropriation” is bullshit, as indeed it is most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/42 "2018-05-02T20:10:19Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yeah, they aren’t like that guy who, get this, flipped out because someone said that a kid creeped them out in commercial. The kid has some sort of disorder, so he had to defend them from these vile posters. Nevermind that the only thing that bothered them was that he was being smarmy to some adults. > > Why is it so fucking hard to listen to these people who are upset about a legitimate topic? Why is it that we think making fun of them will fix the issue? Did making fun of that guy I describe help him figure it out? Nah. I even praised him for having his heart in the right place, because it was. > > These are actual Asian people who feel their culture is being appropriated and sold by Americans. This problem isn’t going to go away. There will be no line fixed as long as mocking is the only thing they ever receive. Mockery means you are the enemy, and thus you are the person they need to stop. > > And, yes, you can call me an SJW if you like. I don’t really care. I am in fact standing up for these people, because I think it’s ridiculous to ignore them, even if I think that the likely dress isn’t actually cultural appropriation. > > This isn’t some big contentious issue. We could actually come together and work this out, but we won’t. Most people in this country don’t give a shit about other people anymore. Grownups are talking. Shut the fuck up and go play in traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/43 "2018-05-02T20:13:47Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I don’t know what WaPo’s excuse is. _The Mary Sue_ is a clickbait site, and yet\* you’d think they’d know better.\* I don’t pay attention to most of the British press, but it looks like the _Independent_ is some kind of river scum like much of the British press. > > Are they all just being trolled? Add [NYT](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/world/asia/chinese-prom-dress.html), [Time](http://time.com/5262748/chinese-prom-dress-cultural-appropriation/), [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/05/02/mom-girl-controversial-chinese-dress-cheongsam-prom-photos/572827002/), and [the BBC](http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-43947959). ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/44 "2018-05-02T20:47:45Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I love it when people toss around “cultural appropriation” and such like terms. Helps me quickly identify the morons hiding amongst the progressives. Intersectionalist. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/45 "2018-05-02T20:48:26Z")
Funny, in that NYT article, people in Asia found the whole thing amusing and can’t understand why people would be so upset over her wearing the dress. [Quite the opposite.](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/world/asia/chinese-prom-dress.html) (And I’d say considering they live in Asia, as opposed to being Asian-American, the culture is much closer to them than it is to Lam) > [@BigT](#): > > Why is it so fucking hard to listen to these people who are upset about a legitimate topic? Why is it that we think making fun of them will fix the issue? Did making fun of that guy I describe help him figure it out? Nah. I even praised him for having his heart in the right place, because it was. Once, just for once in your life, will you shut the fuck up? No, “his heart wasn’t in the right place”. He was harassing a teenager simply for wearing a prom dress. Period. When other Asians said he was wrong, he hand waved them away, saying, “you don’t get to speak for all Asians!” Well, neither does he. > [@](#): > > These are actual Asian people who feel their culture is being appropriated and sold by Americans. This problem isn’t going to go away. There will be no line fixed as long as mocking is the only thing they ever receive. Mockery means you are the enemy, and thus you are the person they need to stop. This isn’t one of those times. This was a girl wearing a dress she found in a vintage shop. It wasn’t mockery, or theft. She bought a dress she thought was pretty (it was). Simple as that. > [@](#): > > And, yes, you can call me an SJW if you like. I don’t really care. I am in fact standing up for these people, because I think it’s ridiculous to ignore them, even if I think that the likely dress isn’t actually cultural appropriation. I’ll call you an idiot, because one SHOULD ignore people who make jackasses out of themselves, rather than continue to defend them even when you know they’re wrong. > [@](#): > > This isn’t some big contentious issue. We could actually come together and work this out, but we won’t. Most people in this country don’t give a shit about other people anymore. Oh boo hoo. Why should I give a shit what some random jagoff says on Twitter, especially when said jagoff has no problem dropping the n-word, (among other things!) and then turns around and offers excuses when called on it. Fuck him. And nobody EVER gave a shit about anybody. Except when it’s something petty like this. There’s a million things more wrong with the world than some girl wearing a dress from another culture. And that is why I have no desire to come together with asshats like this guy. FFS, just shut up. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Lots of them for sale](https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/qipao.html) at [Alibaba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibaba_Group). Some even have Westerners modeling them. Hey, thanks for posting that link! Those are gorgeous! ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/46 "2018-05-02T20:57:18Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Hey **Octoputz** , how you been? I’d missed you. I was afraid you finally got your head too far up your ass to breath. Glad I was wrong. Take care bro. Man, you post in every fucking pit thread, don’t you. Making friends left and right. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/47 "2018-05-02T20:58:50Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > No, “his heart wasn’t in the right place”. Actually, BigT was talking about me when he says the person with their heart in the right place because he is trying to bring back up our disagreement over the parsing of a comment about a commercial in [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=853322) thread 9 days ago (starting with post 73.) ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/48 "2018-05-02T21:01:36Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > \ > > These are actual Asian people who feel their culture is being appropriated and sold by Americans. This problem isn’t going to go away. There will be no line fixed as long as mocking is the only thing they ever receive. Mockery means you are the enemy, and thus you are the person they need to stop. I have a beautiful silk dress that I purchased, in America, from a shop run by Asian people. It’s a shade too small, so I don’t actually wear it at the moment. Very similar in style to the dress worn to prom. The people who profited by THAT transaction were Asian. If I do wear it out I may very well attract attention from people who feel my dress is CA, and that “Americans are appropriating and profiting by” that dress. So who would be right in that case? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/49 "2018-05-02T21:36:25Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Actually, BigT was talking about me when he says the person with their heart in the right place because he is trying to bring back up our disagreement over the parsing of a comment about a commercial in [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=853322) thread 9 days ago (starting with post 73.) Ah, then I apologize. For THAT. The rest of my post stands, however. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/50 "2018-05-02T22:15:18Z")
Thank god I got rid of that Nehru jacket I had in the 60s. I could have been attacked by a mob of enraged Hindus. I guess my son, who is a black belt in his particular martial arts discipline, is also in big trouble for wearing his _gi_. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/51 "2018-05-02T22:36:03Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > Man, you post in every fucking pit thread, don’t you. Making friends left and right. Ah, I didn’t run you off far enough 'eh Willard Derpnoodle? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/52 "2018-05-02T22:40:04Z")
I am mildly concerned every so often that my lily white children may some day be the object of this sort of crap and haven’t really told them it’s a “thing” yet, in case I freak them out. However, when we do have the discussion I’m going to tell them that any such complaint should be responded to in Mandarin. Which they could totally do. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/53 "2018-05-02T22:57:08Z")
[quote=“Whiskey\_Dickens, post:46, topic:813462”] Man, you post in every fucking pit thread, don’t you. Making friends left and right.[/QUOTE That is seriously funny to me;)! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/54 "2018-05-02T23:13:34Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > Man, you post in every fucking pit thread, don’t you. Making friends left and right. Jesus, stalker much? > [@Chefguy](#): > > Thank god I got rid of that Nehru jacket I had in the 60s. I could have been attacked by a mob of enraged Hindus. I guess my son, who is a black belt in his particular martial arts discipline, is also in big trouble for wearing his _gi_. He’s taking martial arts?! Colonizer! ---
**Author:** ![Sine\_Nomine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sine_nomine/32/513_2.png) [@Sine\_Nomine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sine_Nomine)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/55 "2018-05-03T00:09:56Z")
The first time I heard the term “cultural appropriation,” it was describing people taking something sacred or otherwise held in high esteem from one culture and using it frivolously or for crass commercialism. Examples would include appropriating vision quests (or fakey facsimiles of) or headdresses from Indigenous American cultures. To me that seems totally reasonable to be avoid begin flippant about things that others have deep feelings about. I’m on the fence about things like in the OP. I don’t want to be dismissive because, well, I \*don’t \*know what it’s like to be part of a non-dominant culture. On the other hand, within fashion, arts, music, food, etc., there’s such a rich history of blending and being inspired by different cultures. Surely we don’t want to say you’re only allowed to participate in creative disciplines of your own culture? That seems to sow divisions among people: that you can admire other cultures from afar but don’t dare get too close lest you “appropriate.” Just wanted to get my thoughts out there because this is a topic I really do try to listen to others on, but there are definitely people who take it to an unhelpful place. I freely admit I’m talking out of my ass. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/56 "2018-05-03T00:20:11Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > I thought part of the issue too was that she made some sort of stereotypical Asian gesture in a picture. I am too lazy and don’t care enough to look for it though. [Wai.](http://www.rapidresultsretreat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Wai-Smile.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/57 "2018-05-03T00:22:47Z")
nm. **Living Well** & **Penfeather** covered it already. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/58 "2018-05-03T00:46:04Z")
> [@Sine\_Nomine](#): > > I’m on the fence about things like in the OP. I don’t want to be dismissive because, well, I \*don’t \*know what it’s like to be part of a non-dominant culture. > > … > > Just wanted to get my thoughts out there because this is a topic I really do try to listen to others on, but there are definitely people who take it to an unhelpful place. I freely admit I’m talking out of my ass. 😃 That’s very nice of you. No, you aren’t talking out of your ass, and making an effort to walk a mile in someone’s [del]moccasins[/del] shoes is something we should all do, but I will try to [del]mansplain[/del] clarify this for you: The girl in the dress did nothing wrong, young Mr Lam is a troll, and **BigT** , with whom I often agree, is being an idiot. Relax. Those are three simple facts you can accept with a clear conscience. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dirty\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@dirty\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirty_hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/59 "2018-05-03T04:42:29Z")
I’m Asian, Chinese, to be exact, and I give zero fucks about a white girl wearing a traditional Chinese dress. The Jeremy guy response about that his culture is not the white person’s prom dress is totally fucking stupid. It fact, this whole non-issue really pisses me off. I totally dig white chick’s wearing Chinese dresses. Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462/60 "2018-05-03T05:11:51Z")
> [@dirty\_hippie](#): > > I’m Asian, Chinese, to be exact, and I give zero fucks about a white girl wearing a traditional Chinese dress. The Jeremy guy response about that his culture is not the white person’s prom dress is totally fucking stupid. > > It fact, this whole non-issue really pisses me off. I totally dig white chick’s wearing Chinese dresses. > > Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk Stay away from our women devil! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-the-fashion-police/813462.md?page=4)