This thread was tangentially inspired by this one: Bill Maher's instructions for keeping the fun in Halloween.
Note: These opinions are entirely my own, there's no liberal or leftist monolith on appropriation so expect a large degree of variation.
Cultural appropriation is defined by wiki (here) as
And without getting into cultural celebration/dissemination vs culture homogeny, participating in cross cultural activities is something most liberals enjoy.
I throw a Japanese new years party every year because I grew up with exchange students and teachers and never lost my love for it. It includes wearing a type of traditional dress (a happi in my case.)
However, there's a big difference between this, where I'm participating in a specific cultural festivity giving it the respect and understanding of deserves, and something like sexy 'Indian' costume which is both degrading and a charachiturization of an exploited people by the exploited. Worse, opposition is dismissed either with 'you're being too sensitive' or 'who cares, it's fun' which is a big ethical yikes. Creating and maintaining ethnic stereotypes 'for fun' is bad enough but when accidentally or intentionally using propagandic iconography then it really can't be called benign or neutral.
Now, my response to how to react to cultural appropriation will be just as varied. I'm not big on cancel culture so it has to be a pretty extremely demeaning example for me to want to end it full stop (blackface and 'sexy Indian' costumes being one of few examples). Mostly I just want to talk about things without productive dialogue being shut down. Either by apathy, 'special snowflake' edgelording or dropping the 'r' word with every hat.
So, with that said, tell me why you think I'm an over-sensitive SJW. You know you want to.
Note: These opinions are entirely my own, there's no liberal or leftist monolith on appropriation so expect a large degree of variation.
Cultural appropriation is defined by wiki (here) as
I both agree and disagree with this definition. Like Lindsay Ellis, (go see her video about what makes Moana a better film than Pochahontas.) my framing for cultural appropriation is as a neutral phenomenon. It can be harmless or harmful, additive or deleterious depending on the circumstances. To me thinking that all cultural appropriation is offensive or abusive is like when some creationists think gene mutations can only be deleterious. Neverminding that what construes positive or negative traits is largely established by the environmental contexts, the vast majority of mutations are neutral. Neither hindering nor helping. So too is cultural appropriation usually harmless.Cultural appropriation, at times also phrased cultural misappropriation, is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture. This can be controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from disadvantaged minority cultures.
And without getting into cultural celebration/dissemination vs culture homogeny, participating in cross cultural activities is something most liberals enjoy.
I throw a Japanese new years party every year because I grew up with exchange students and teachers and never lost my love for it. It includes wearing a type of traditional dress (a happi in my case.)
However, there's a big difference between this, where I'm participating in a specific cultural festivity giving it the respect and understanding of deserves, and something like sexy 'Indian' costume which is both degrading and a charachiturization of an exploited people by the exploited. Worse, opposition is dismissed either with 'you're being too sensitive' or 'who cares, it's fun' which is a big ethical yikes. Creating and maintaining ethnic stereotypes 'for fun' is bad enough but when accidentally or intentionally using propagandic iconography then it really can't be called benign or neutral.
Now, my response to how to react to cultural appropriation will be just as varied. I'm not big on cancel culture so it has to be a pretty extremely demeaning example for me to want to end it full stop (blackface and 'sexy Indian' costumes being one of few examples). Mostly I just want to talk about things without productive dialogue being shut down. Either by apathy, 'special snowflake' edgelording or dropping the 'r' word with every hat.
So, with that said, tell me why you think I'm an over-sensitive SJW. You know you want to.
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