What were you THINKING?

[ParallelLines]

Well, I think that’s overly dismissive, but you can feel that way.

I think @Odesio’s criticism is better:

@Odesio

@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.

And it’s one thing about something that’s (as in the above example) strictly limited to outer appearance, and another the closer it comes to the core identity of whatever group you’re borrowing (using a polite term) from.

As a very charged example, it’s legal for some random person to do a minstrel show in blackface. And some people could be amused, some neutral, some quietly disapproving, and some very angry. I’d probably be somewhere in between the last two, and I’m not part of the affected group. But I’d support their legal right to do so (in the USA at least) while still thinking extremely poorly of their taste, judgement and empathy for others.

No gotcha implied, but is it the term “cultural appropriation” you object to, or that it’s something applied in cases where at least there was no deliberate offense met, or just don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about at all.