# Smapti, Kabbalah, And Cultural Appropriation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-kabbalah-and-cultural-appropriation/1019724>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [June 16, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-kabbalah-and-cultural-appropriation/1019724 "2025-06-16T21:26:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 42

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2025, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-kabbalah-and-cultural-appropriation/1019724/42 "2025-06-17T00:29:28Z")

</div>

> [@Slithy\_Tove](#):
>
> Yeah, Alastair Crowley. Personally I could never get past the coprophagy

I found it a little hard to swallow.

> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> Cultural appropriation is a nonsense term that immediately undercuts any argument that uses it. All cultures appropriate and assimilate aspects of other cultures. Every culture is already an amalgam of other cultures.

I tend to roll my eyes as well. What I hear is, “Stick to you own culture,” which I’m sure isn’t what’s meant. I kind of chalk this up to the hierarchy of oppression as appropriation is a one way street depending on who is the dominant culture. But then it gets really complicated. It might anger some Asian Americans if I wear a kimono for Halloween but if any Japanese people are offended it’s probably because I’m wearing it incorrectly.

Still, I’d take care. I wouldn’t put a bindi on my niece but if she wanted to wear a sari for dress up it wouldn’t bother me in the least.

---

_[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-kabbalah-and-cultural-appropriation/1019724)._