PC Principal thread

[Ksandra]

Outside of BG I always worry about saying my thoughts about cultural appropriation. No need to get it in the wrong ears. But Al Jazeera posted this opinion article that sums up my thoughts pretty nicely on the issue:

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opi...080237198.html

What the campaigns against cultural appropriation reveal is the disintegration of the meaning of "anti-racism". Once it meant to struggle for equal treatment for all.

Now it means defining the correct etiquette for a plural society. The campaign against cultural appropriation is about policing manners rather than transforming society.

[thetruepandagod]

When will you privileged shitlords accept that the only thing you can take from other cultures is their food if they sell it to you.

[Ksandra]

When will you privileged shitlords accept that the only thing you can take from other cultures is their food if they sell it to you.

Because that would mean I could no longer buy McDonald's.

[thetruepandagod]

White culture is for everyone, worry not.

[Ksandra]

White culture is for everyone, worry not.

I'm so privileged.

[zoobernut]

When will you privileged shitlords accept that the only thing you can take from other cultures is their food if they sell it to you.

But then they would be culturally appropriating their own culture! (I actually had someone tell me on facebook that this is what was happening when people made and sold trinkets in touristy areas.)

[Andalusian girls]

White culture is for everyone, worry not.

what culture

[thetruepandagod]

Potatoes mostly.

[Andalusian girls]

they're from the Andes

[Byrthnoth]

I'm so privileged.

nonono, it's their privilege.

[thetruepandagod]

they're from the Andes

vodka and caviar then

[Andalusian girls]

you win this round gringo

[Yuri-G]

interesting. from that article:


Cultural appropriation is, in the words of Susan Scafidi, professor of law at Fordham University, and author of Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law, "Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission". This can include the "unauthorised use of another culture's dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc."


my question is: who the fuck is 'authorizing use' on behalf of an entire race of people? if one of my Mexican friends is ok with my sombrero but another one isn't, do I have authorization? can I be like "yo, Pablo said it was ok tho mang?" is there a cultural exchange program? can I be like "it's cool for the Japanese to use rainbows and pink triangles if I can wear some badass samurai armor?" I mean, these things are important to know...


oh fuck I just compared being gay to being of a particular race. shit. I gotta run guys, Jesse Jackson's coming for me.

[thetruepandagod]

The loudest whiniest voice.

[Yuri-G]

The loudest whiniest voice.

ah, that would be Jerelyn Luther. welp we're boned.

[Byrthnoth]

We need to start treating people who don't do things because they're afraid of words (and blame other people for the consequences) as crazy instead of catering to them.

[TheDirtyHobo]

To be fair, there are occasionally times where it's fairly acceptable to do that. Mainly, public outcry after someone well known gets caught doing/saying something really stupid and are forced to step-down.

[Churchill]

When they step down/apologize, I immediately lose respect for them as a human.

[Niiro]

Generally when someone is forced to step down in such a way they've already lost the respect of a whole lot of other people.

[Ksandra]

my question is: who the fuck is 'authorizing use' on behalf of an entire race of people? if one of my Mexican friends is ok with my sombrero but another one isn't, do I have authorization? can I be like "yo, Pablo said it was ok tho mang?" is there a cultural exchange program? can I be like "it's cool for the Japanese to use rainbows and pink triangles if I can wear some badass samurai armor?" I mean, these things are important to know...

When I used to post on that crazy mommy forum, I was told as long as it upsets one person, then you shouldn't do it at all.


So basically we should all be naked and eat dirt.