Cultural Appropriation Is Bad And We Need To Stop It! Oh wait....what's the definition again?

Something that has always concerned me is the term "cultural appropriation" but I could never pin-point why.

On the very surface of the term, I guess I could understand why Hispanics may take offense to Cinco De Mayo celebrations by Americans or even someone getting upset if they see someone in "black face". Not that I care because I see that people are just being weird and expressing themselves but I have come to find that I am less offended by most things that seem to be hot button issues than some others. But I digress...

I decided to do a quick search just to see if the definition I THOUGHT was "cultural appropriation" ( a word deeply shrouded in anguish and disgust ) was really as harmful as people said it was. I started where we should all start when seeking answers and that is by seeking a definition. Of COURSE wiki would be the 1st thing to pop up so I decided to have a looky-loo before finding a credible source.

Wiki Defines Cultural Appropriation

The 1st thing I noticed was the message at the top of the page that states:

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (July 2015)

Awkward.

Often, the original meaning of these cultural elements is lost or distorted, which means that these uses may be viewed as disrespectful by members of the originating culture, or even as a form of desecration. Cultural elements which may have deep meaning to the original culture can be reduced to "exotic" fashion by those from the dominant culture.[7][8][13] When this is done, critics of cultural appropriation say the imitator, "who does not experience that oppression is able to 'play,' temporarily, an 'exotic' other, without experiencing any of the daily discriminations faced by other cultures.

Well from that excerpt I can see why you would want to question the article.
And with that I continued my search.

I found no actual, legitimate definition of the term, only articles such as the one's below that seem to be telling me I am not allowed to wear feathers in my hair on Halloween or "Twerk" because I am white.... utter absurdity.

What Is Cultural Appropriation And Why It Is Wrong?
The Bane Of Cultural Appropriation
What's Wrong With Cultural Appropriation
The Dos & Donts Of Cultural Appropriation
Scar iest Examples of Cultural Appropriation.

I could go on...but you get where I am going with this. Take note of the bias sites that were all flooded. I searched even a few pages in and got nowhere but more reasons (I say more, I really mean the 1 reason repeated 5000 different ways) as to why I should never adopt another culture or do anything that has anything to do with anything...

Here is my problem...

EVERYTHING that ALL of us have today is, in fact, produced from "Cultural Appropriation". Language, speech, food, lifestyle.... all handed down and formed over generation after generation after generation. Not all of history is pretty, I think we all can see that. But acting like it never happened or acting like it is still happening is ludicrous.

I wonder how the people of ATS feel on this matter.



Mod Note: Please do not use all caps in the thread title. Do NOT edit the title again.

Surely there is a line between blending of cultures, as you alude to such as language bastardisation, and that of cultural appropriation, like Rachel Dolezal for instance.


To be honest I err on the side of cultural blending, anyone can twerk, to be honest I despise twerking and think it's grotesque.

Anyone can celebrate St.Patrick's Day, even if they're not Irish Christians...
I have no problem with it.


Of course you will have the odd "SJW" who will gladly take up a cause to go against that...

But they're in a minority in my opinion.

They just seem louder, because as always squeaky wheel gets the grease.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

It feels more like a racist agenda to me after reading all of these articles.

I need a brain cleaner.

Whiskey will suffice.

To put it simply, that is simply enough for ME to think upon. Is a college mascot a sign of honoring said culture or insulting it.
And who is to say which is which. I do know that being Irish, I used to be insulted around the middle of March when all the yeahoos pretended to be Irish for the day and get all sloshed. But then being Irish, I took a swig and got over it.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
To put it simply, that is simply enough for ME to think upon. Is a college mascot a sign of honoring said culture or insulting it.
And who is to say which is which. I do know that being Irish, I used to be insulted around the middle of March when all the yeahoos pretended to be Irish for the day and get all sloshed. But then being Irish, I took a swig and got over it.

Amen! It might be annoying to some but that doesn't make it terrible. I cringe every time I see the creepy Italian guy on the train bit...

then again, Italian men can be creepy.

The reason I don't like it is this: the "sensitivity" language gets in the way. For instance, claiming " white people can't twerk" or jump, would be wrong. But for instance claiming you belong to an organization you don't, or like when people get caught with medals they don't win, or claiming a nationality you don't belong to, are in a country you don't belong in without having gone through proper processing...whole different deal.

I think also, what's going on here? Are people claiming that pop culture and modern academic literature and museum culture is off limits? Cause I gotta say nobody owns that and it seems to be what everyone's issue is. Obviously you can't rewrite history or claim you're a 13th century African saint.

See here's the funny thing. What is American culture?

Cultural appropriation is hilarious and I will continue to exercise my right to offend others

a reply to: JinMI

Like exactly

a reply to: SomeDumbBroad

Want to really have a chuckle? Look up the extremely racist hypocrisy of diversity vs gentrification as posited by many liberal community organization groups.

originally posted by: JinMI
See here's the funny thing. What is American culture?

Peed on it, now it's mine?

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Hypocrisy would be it....

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: JinMI
See here's the funny thing. What is American culture?

Peed on it, now it's mine?

Basically...YES!

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: SomeDumbBroad

Want to really have a chuckle? Look up the extremely racist hypocrisy of diversity vs gentrification as posited by many liberal community organization groups.

I do want to chuckle but I think that might make me cry to know that it exists.

originally posted by: JinMI
See here's the funny thing. What is American culture?

Rock, Jazz, HipHop, MJ's dance moves, the pugilism of Muhammad Ali, walking on the Moon, Apple Pie, Air Jordan, Babe Ruth, Guns Guns & Guns, and, as Burdman said, he pee'd on it so it's his.

I just had an epiphany...

Maybe someone said "cultural appreciation" and the other person "misheard them"?

a reply to: SomeDumbBroad

I don't give a *crap* what some SJW or "intellectual" thinks about what I think and do. They can simply go sod off and take their definitions and vile terminology with them.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

"the pugilism of Muhammad Ali" I'm thinking that'll be my next book title. I'm gonna get way jiggy with the philosophy maybe even with some Buddhist meditation stuff towards the end part of the middle and it'll end in "pppinnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggg." You've just gotta understand it though..

don't do yoga

www.breitbart.com...

Watch where you eat

everydayfeminism.com...

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: SomeDumbBroad

I don't give a *crap* what some SJW or "intellectual" thinks about what I think and do. They can simply go sod off and take their definitions and vile terminology with them.

I generally don't care either when they complain...However I did a thread on the American College Campus and how Freedom of Speech is being oppressed in the younger generation. I think it needs to be something we speak out against actively at this point.