Explain to me why "cultural appropriation" is so bad

[Nihilist74]

They mean the eagle wasted time learning about the crow instead of doing what the eagle does. Why did the op bother with this post unless they cared about what SJW's think. Its a waste of time to think about it instead of just doing what you want to do.

[s_bushido]

What I don't get is, why is the alt right crowd always so dismissive of accusations of cultural appropriation? Wouldn't you think that of all people, white nationalists would be the most opposed to anyone tainting the purity of white culture via the importation of foreign customs?

Strange isn't it? Almost like you don't have to be "alt right" or a "white nationalist" to think that the concept of cultural appropriation is pure bullshit.

[BannedForViews]

I mentioned New York and Boston for a reason. Don't try to play it down to simply the Irish. I really do suggest you get out more. Any big city has their Little Italy, Slavic District, etc.

I'm pretty sure I've seen more of this world than you have, but that is neither here nor there. I've lived in Boston, you really have not made a point worth responding to. Because things like Chinatown exist, you think you've got me? Are there Slavic or Italian people running around claiming that Americans should learn to live as they did back in the old country, and accept their ways, whilst simultaneously rejecting ours? Because there are most certainly latino's doing that.

[XangXu]

Culture is responsible for a lot of atrocities in life both in the past and currently.

People think of Culture as this touchy-0feely, artsy kind of thing, when really it's the same thing that has spawned religion, killings, rape, genocide, sickness, injury... \


CULTURE is human habit. It helps us feel comfortable in this terrible, confusing reality we live in. Culture is not your friend.

[Deleted]

It isn't bad, simple answer really

[twiddler]

I'm pretty sure I've seen more of this world than you have, but that is neither here nor there. I've lived in Boston, you really have not made a point worth responding to. Because things like Chinatown exist, you think you've got me? Are there Slavic or Italian people running around claiming that Americans should learn to live as they did back in the old country, and accept their ways, whilst simultaneously rejecting ours? Because there are most certainly latino's doing that.

You're whining about sticking with your own people. You claimed Euros don't do it and you ignored the question for how long? Perhaps it's my fault for not being direct. The problem is your deluded hypocrisy. Everyone does it. When they come here, they run to their little isolated bubble do not really assimilate. Sure, they grab a piece of paper calling them a citizen but do they really explore what is out there in America?

[Deleted]

Well it is bad! Cause at least in my case, these SJWs are making me want to go out in outfit that is as offensive as possible just to see them triggered which I wouldnt do otherwise.

[LilSaihah]

The funniest thing I find about retards that use the term "Cultural appropriation" is no one ever complains when other races uses things created by Caucasians, yet if a white person enjoys something of another races "OMFG YOU RACIST APPROPIATOR!!!".

Also you constantly hear people on the left saying that Cultures should accept one another and things should be diverse, but then Slam White folks who start to enjoy things from other Cultures.

It is the most backwards retarded nonsensical bullshit, but completely expected from the regressive left.

But didn't you hear? Racism is prejudice plus power, and white people are the only people who ever have power ever!

[Shadowferal]

It depends upon what is considered "cultural."
If it perpetuates a stereotype or reinforces a false negative image, then how on earth can that be of any good? (Wear "blackface" in a major US city and let me know how far you get)
Now that refers to anything current day.

Long dead cultures? I always use the symbols and iconography of such. Example; Egypt. The very idea of evolving the more ancient culture into something more current for the time has an appeal to me. Would someone from Egypt disapprove? Any reason such a person would give would be disingenuous at best.

[ItachiZaku]

Well, if you parade around in a headdress that you did not early, you will be catching a fade.

[DeadmanWalking]

Black women spend billions every year on imported hair from India to have long straight locks of hair, or "Good hair" as the lingo goes, and they have the nerve to get upset because some white girl decided to wear dreadlocks? Please. There is another reason for the complaints and it isn't about appropriating their culture. Humans are terrible at self introspection, they tends to not know why they feel the way they do and find a conveinant patsy to blame.

[Bloodwolf]

It's not as easy to ignore college professors, the lemmings they create, or the emails they send your employers when you go near their sacred cows.

"Human science professors"

[Kalis]

As the son of an Egyptian (Africa) born Cypriot (Asia) father and British (Europe) mother, you all have my permission to appropriate the fuck out of any African, Asian or European cultures as you see fit.

Anyone queries your right, just quote me.

[Poppincaps]

I think sometimes people get uppity about cultural appropriation because they fear that the appropriators will take the culture and change it into something else. Take rap for example: No one has a problem with white rappers. In fact, most rap fans acknowledge Eminem as one of the greats. But when someone like Macklemore (who's music I do enjoy) beats out Kendrick Lamar who is widely considered the best rapper of this generation, then people get up in arms.

You need to have respect for the culture that you are mimicking because it is not your culture to change. Although calling dressing up like a Samurai on Halloween cultural appropriation is ridiculous.

[Varaben]

I think sometimes people get uppity about cultural appropriation because they fear that the appropriators will take the culture and change it into something else. Take rap for example: No one has a problem with white rappers. In fact, most rap fans acknowledge Eminem as one of the greats. But when someone like Macklemore (who's music I do enjoy) beats out Kendrick Lamar who is widely considered the best rapper of this generation, then people get up in arms.

You need to have respect for the culture that you are mimicking because it is not your culture to change. Although calling dressing up like a Samurai on Halloween cultural appropriation is ridiculous.

But who owns culture? This isn't a car that someone can have a title to and "own." Because a white person wasn't born black, they aren't able to change the rap culture? Does that make any sense at all? What does it look like to have "respect for the culture" anyway? Apparently it means you can enjoy it from afar (but don't enjoy it too much), but you can't be a part of the culture and make changes to it?

Does this compute with anyone?

[Deleted]

For the most part, it's a load of bollocks.

The idea is when people take another culture and make a mockery of it through not looking at what meaning is behind stuff. A good example is Nightmare Before Christmas, where Jack didn't understand Christmas but did understand halloween and thought his idea of christmas was better by making it halloween, so he tried to force that on everyone else. Instead of enjoying it for what it was, he made the entire thing a farce which was awful for everyone. And to that extent, the idea of actually loking into certain things before you use/wear them isn't a bad one.

The problem is Tumblr, like everything else it does, takes it too far. Suddenly learning languages or eating foreign food is "Cultural Appropriation" is bad and wrong. You shouldn't dress in a certain style at all, ever, because you're whatever colour you are, and your colour shouldn't do that. It's complete and utter horseshit, and a few steps removed from arguing against the mixing of the races.

What I'm saying is that tumblr people bitching about people doing things because of "Cultural Appropriation" is kind of like the Pot calling the Kettle a racial slur.

[Poppincaps]

But who owns culture? This isn't a car that someone can have a title to and "own." Because a white person wasn't born black, they aren't able to change the rap culture? Does that make any sense at all? What does it look like to have "respect for the culture" anyway? Apparently it means you can enjoy it from afar (but don't enjoy it too much), but you can't be a part of the culture and make changes to it?

Does this compute with anyone?

You can enjoy it as much as you want. But rap is an especially touchy subject due to the well documented theft of black artists work throughout America's history such as Elvis and Frank Sinatra. Of course, their voices were iconic in and of themselves and I still love Frank Sinatra's music, but the black artists that wrote those songs, surely didn't see the success he did.

Macklemore didn't even change rap to be honest. It was just that he made accessible rap for the masses (nothing wrong with that) and then people who knew nothing about the culture or history of rap tried to tout him as the best of that year, which was a giant insult to some of the other great artists that year.

I love anime, but you don't see me going out and trying to censor anime because I don't like the big boobs bouncing everywhere or touting Avatar: The Last Airbender as the greatest anime, when it only has surface level anime themes.

You can be inspired by another culture but instead of changing the culture you should take that inspiration and make your own. Rock n Roll was inspired by the blues which was a genre that black people created. White artists took that music and put their own spin on it and it became Rock n Roll. They didn't try to say it was blues and change the core themes of what blues music is, they decided to take their own path. That is perfectly fine and admirable.

[Sunseeker]

The problem is a lack of respect. Other cultures can't really stop you from taking aspects of theirs that you find appealing, but some of those aspects root from deep and long traditions that are in the case of certain countries, older than the nations appropriating them.

A good example is the "warriors headdress", it was a symbol of respect that a warrior had put a great deal of time and energy and a significant portion of their lives into earning. It was also only used by very specific tribes, but it has in many cases become little more than a fashion symbol for white chicks and a genericized symbol of indigenous Americans everywhere.

Everyone takes things from other cultures and integrates them into their own, that's how cultures grow. Not everyone does so in a manner that treats those cultural elements with respect. I mean, you thought they were good enough to purloin for yourself, shouldn't you at least respect that?

[Dug]

Macklemore didn't even change rap to be honest. It was just that he made accessible rap for the masses (nothing wrong with that) and then people who knew nothing about the culture or history of rap tried to tout him as the best of that year, which was a giant insult to some of the other great artists that year.

I'm sorry I agree with you overall but this was just really funny to me. Macklemore had one meme song and a 5/10 album at best. Rap has been accessible to the masses for years before he came along, top 40s will tell you that. I think a better example would have been Eminem and how he's praised as one of if not the best rappers of all time in a music dominated primarily by black americans.

[Poppincaps]

I'm sorry I agree with you overall but this was just really funny to me. Macklemore had one meme song and a 5/10 album at best. Rap has been accessible to the masses for years before he came along, top 40s will tell you that. I think a better example would have been Eminem and how he's praised as one of if not the best rappers of all time in a music dominated primarily by black americans.

I mean like super accessible as in white suburbia. Macklemore even stated in a song how he's conflicted on his impact on rap because white housewives would come to him and say how they only allow their kids to listen to his music, because they think all other rap is deplorable.

Also, he didn't just have one hit. He had several off of that album.