Just over the past week, I've seen two cultural appropriation stories go viral, one which included the legend musician Sting and the other dealt with a high school student going to prom, and I felt the need to write about them.
Let me first give a brief overview of the two stories. It was announced that Sting has collaborated with Jamaican star Shaggy on a reggae album. After receiving criticism that he was guilty of cultural appropriation, the Police lead singer said this:
"It's such an ugly term. For me, reggae is something I respect and value, and take seriously. It's something I've learned from. I owe a great deal to the whole reggae bass community. My spiritual, musical mentor was Bob Marley - who I knew - and I really feel that I'm doing something that feels authentic to me..."
Keziah, an 18-year-old from Utah, also came under social media fire for cultural appropriation after she posted a photo of herself in a Chinese dress known as a qipao at her prom. For the record, the teenager is not of Chinese, or even Asian descent. After she was heavily criticized for her attire, Keziah said the following:
"To everyone causing so much negativity: I mean no disrespect to the Chinese culture. I'm simply showing my appreciation to their culture. I'm not deleting my post because I've done nothing but show my love for the culture."
Before delving into these specific instances of alleged appropriation, we must first ask what is cultural appropriation? According to the dictionary, it is "the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture."
Okay, so for those alleging Sting of culturally appropriating, what did he do which showcased a lack of understanding or respect for that culture? I have a feeling I'll be waiting a while on that... With regard to the other case, the most offensive picture posted was of the young lady and her friends appearing to mock Asian peoples with certain stereotypical hand gestures. In my mind, that could be construed as racist. The dress, though? Why is that the thing being most talked about? Why is a young woman's prom dress being more widely discussed and criticized for being borderline racist than the blatantly racist hand gestures? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
While satirists like me tend to walk a very fine line on political correctness, I tend to agree with and abide by most of the standards set forth by that evolving movement. However, I do think we go too far with it at times, especially when it comes to comedy. I'm also an ardent supporter of equality up and down the board. I've always felt it's wrong on every level to disregard someone due to their age, sex, race, orientation, or creed. Having said all that, I think there's a stark contrast between racism and most examples of cultural appropriation. We are all of mixed backgrounds. While I've yet to find the specifics of my heritage via Ancestry.com or such a site, to my knowledge, I'm of Polish, German, English, and French descent. Does this mean I'm only allowed to partake in the cultures of these four European countries? How far back do we take this? James Naismith invented basketball. Does this mean only he is allowed to participate in the sport? Individuals evolve and cultures evolve. Just in the U.S., with the diversity of the population ever increasing, and with that, so too are mixed marriages, we may one day be a nation where just about every person is "mixed," in terms of race and culture. What do we do then? To what culture should these kids follow and what are their guidelines on appropriation?
Racism is "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior." Displaying curiosity in a culture different from one's own isn't showcasing a belief that one's own race is superior. Adopting a belief or tradition typically practiced by a culture different from one's own isn't displaying that one believes his or her own race is superior. Artists, black, white, and purple, have consistently been influenced by one another, and mixed those influences with their own ideas in order to come up with their final products. Are all artists thereby guilty of cultural appropriation? What is so wrong about trying to expand our horizons, learn from people different from ourselves, and attempt to garner a grander appreciation of the world around us, evolving in the process? Making a mockery of a culture is one thing; but showing curiosity in it is quite another. Instead of trying to take full ownership of an item or custom, perhaps we should share them with those around us, help each other learn, and grow as a result. Instead of criticizing a rock artist for collaborating with a Jamaican musician on a reggae album, we should criticize the government and legal system for doing little to do away with implemented policies which often keep races segregated. Instead of pointing fingers at those who try bind different cultures, we should start pointing fingers at those who divide.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/cultural-appropriation
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/teenager-prom-dress-cultural-appropriation-chinese-culture-criticism-debate-appreciation-a8330006.html
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/cultural-appropriation
Let me first give a brief overview of the two stories. It was announced that Sting has collaborated with Jamaican star Shaggy on a reggae album. After receiving criticism that he was guilty of cultural appropriation, the Police lead singer said this:
"It's such an ugly term. For me, reggae is something I respect and value, and take seriously. It's something I've learned from. I owe a great deal to the whole reggae bass community. My spiritual, musical mentor was Bob Marley - who I knew - and I really feel that I'm doing something that feels authentic to me..."
Keziah, an 18-year-old from Utah, also came under social media fire for cultural appropriation after she posted a photo of herself in a Chinese dress known as a qipao at her prom. For the record, the teenager is not of Chinese, or even Asian descent. After she was heavily criticized for her attire, Keziah said the following:
"To everyone causing so much negativity: I mean no disrespect to the Chinese culture. I'm simply showing my appreciation to their culture. I'm not deleting my post because I've done nothing but show my love for the culture."
Before delving into these specific instances of alleged appropriation, we must first ask what is cultural appropriation? According to the dictionary, it is "the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture."
Okay, so for those alleging Sting of culturally appropriating, what did he do which showcased a lack of understanding or respect for that culture? I have a feeling I'll be waiting a while on that... With regard to the other case, the most offensive picture posted was of the young lady and her friends appearing to mock Asian peoples with certain stereotypical hand gestures. In my mind, that could be construed as racist. The dress, though? Why is that the thing being most talked about? Why is a young woman's prom dress being more widely discussed and criticized for being borderline racist than the blatantly racist hand gestures? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
While satirists like me tend to walk a very fine line on political correctness, I tend to agree with and abide by most of the standards set forth by that evolving movement. However, I do think we go too far with it at times, especially when it comes to comedy. I'm also an ardent supporter of equality up and down the board. I've always felt it's wrong on every level to disregard someone due to their age, sex, race, orientation, or creed. Having said all that, I think there's a stark contrast between racism and most examples of cultural appropriation. We are all of mixed backgrounds. While I've yet to find the specifics of my heritage via Ancestry.com or such a site, to my knowledge, I'm of Polish, German, English, and French descent. Does this mean I'm only allowed to partake in the cultures of these four European countries? How far back do we take this? James Naismith invented basketball. Does this mean only he is allowed to participate in the sport? Individuals evolve and cultures evolve. Just in the U.S., with the diversity of the population ever increasing, and with that, so too are mixed marriages, we may one day be a nation where just about every person is "mixed," in terms of race and culture. What do we do then? To what culture should these kids follow and what are their guidelines on appropriation?
Racism is "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior." Displaying curiosity in a culture different from one's own isn't showcasing a belief that one's own race is superior. Adopting a belief or tradition typically practiced by a culture different from one's own isn't displaying that one believes his or her own race is superior. Artists, black, white, and purple, have consistently been influenced by one another, and mixed those influences with their own ideas in order to come up with their final products. Are all artists thereby guilty of cultural appropriation? What is so wrong about trying to expand our horizons, learn from people different from ourselves, and attempt to garner a grander appreciation of the world around us, evolving in the process? Making a mockery of a culture is one thing; but showing curiosity in it is quite another. Instead of trying to take full ownership of an item or custom, perhaps we should share them with those around us, help each other learn, and grow as a result. Instead of criticizing a rock artist for collaborating with a Jamaican musician on a reggae album, we should criticize the government and legal system for doing little to do away with implemented policies which often keep races segregated. Instead of pointing fingers at those who try bind different cultures, we should start pointing fingers at those who divide.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/cultural-appropriation
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/teenager-prom-dress-cultural-appropriation-chinese-culture-criticism-debate-appreciation-a8330006.html
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/cultural-appropriation
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