Oh for goodness’ sake, read his damn posts. It’s okay, we know you are virtuous and a world champion at calling out racism wherever you see it. You don’t have to signal this hard.
As the guy has clearly said, he thinks it’s ridiculous that a podcast he heard suggested that it was good that the lead character in this production was cast as Japanese because to do otherwise was cultural appropriation; in circumstances where the cultural background of the original character was at the very least ambiguous. He has not for one moment suggested that as any form of general rule Japanese or Black actors should not be used. Nor that white actors should be used.
So, this isn’t because of the “woke crowd” or the “SJW brigade” has a say, this is because the host of a podcast that you like mentioned something casually?
I’d say take it up with him. I could see bringing it up to ask if he was right in his comment, or to discuss what is or what is not appropriation in this context, but you simply jumped to criticizing the entire concept based on this “casual comment.”
Holy shit, that’s the first time I’ve ever been accused of being a SJW. If you knew my history on these boards at all that’d be pretty damn funny.
So you don’t think it matters at all that the nonsensical rants are complaining about roles given to minorities? Even if the OP has no racial motives (and I don’t think they do, not consciously at least) I’m sure that some of the protests over this do.
Just an FYI, the /s on message boards indicates that the previous statement was sarcasm. I don’t believe there is an official sarcasm tag here but I thought that was pretty well-known.
Well, no - he’s an anime character, which means that his features are largely abstracted (nobody actually has eyes that size, for instance). But his hair could be meant to represent a Hoffman-like hairdo.
Fundamentally IMO, it’s about whether or not you’re essentially disrespecting someone’s culture by wearing their traditional clothing, messing up their traditional foods, or their culture by making it a football team mascot.
In this case, you’re right- it wasn’t cultural appropriation, as it’s not actually a traditional costume- just a style that originated in China.
But where it all gets weird is that nobody would have batted an eye had it been a Filipina girl wearing the same dress. Not Chinese, but Asian, so apparently ok. Similarly, if I dressed up like some sort of Chef Boyardee Italian chef parody for Halloween, nobody would care since I’m white and they were white. Never mind that I’m not Italian in any way, shape, or form. Both examples are just as appropriative, but it has something to do with dominant vs. non-dominant cultures, which I think is a bad way to look at it. It’s a bad choice to decide that lateral appropriation is ok, but orthogonal is not (with respect to that dominant/non-dominant culture line).
I wonder if it’s a “you know it when you see it” kind of thing, and a lot of the confusion and silliness is introduced in trying to define it.
So, does that mean that Mecha is cultural appropriation from the myth of the Golem? Or is Mecha a shared research project to bring the Golem mythos to life?
I’d be somewhat offended by the Italian chef thing. I’m ashamed to admit that I can’t really discern Chinese heritage from Filipino by looking. So, I wouldn’t know to object.
But, I think I get what you’re saying. If a white Jew did a black character, it would be offensive. When Eddie Murphy does make up and voice as an elderly white Jew, it’s hillarious. I seem to recall my Mom and Bubby being amazed at how convincing and accurate his impersonation was.
Offended because it’s obnoxious, not because it’s cultural appropriating though. That’s the difference- nobody would blink in terms of cultural appropriation because I’m white. Let’s spin it around a bit- if I was to dress up like a Viking, nobody would care- I’m a big hairy white guy who would probably look rather Viking-esque with a beard and long hair. Problem is, IF I have any Scandinavian heritage, it dates from 8th through 10th century Britain sometime. Is that cultural appropriation for me to do Viking stuff or dress like a Viking or whatever? Nobody gives a crap, since we’re all white people and nobody can really tell by looking at me (probably the most important part, unfortunately).
That, and stuff like “Coming to/2 America”- his African stuff was pretty stereotyped and if it wasn’t black people producing, directing and starring in the movie, it would have been roundly (and rightly) castigated. But what makes it ok for black people to mock Africans, or to otherwise appropriate aspects of their culture?
