#appropiation

[stoicmike]

Why did we allow these soulless shits of technology over to turn us into commodities? -- Michael Lipsey

[judaic-myth-n-mysticism]

Witches really be out here talking about how Christianity appropriated all of their holiday traditions and then turn around and burn white sage, practice “quabala”, and make sour jars...

[businessunusually]

Appropiation.

There needs to be a distinction between appropiation, integration and appreciation. Cultures mingle all the freaking time, it is normal and it is beautiful. But when is it theft?

[flowersintheattic254]

I love Darren and everything but he shouldn't have done the day of the dead skull costume since it's appropriating Mexican culture and it's an insult to what the holiday presents (I say this as a Mexican)

This is a tough one.   Like you I love him too and always try to support him, but if there’s one thing they ALL need calling out on this weekend - it’s this.  Unless either D or M claims some mexican blood I’m not even sure what their intention was in doing this.  Some will argue for them and claim it’s appreciation/admiration, others appropiation.  I suppose the main thing for me is was it done in a respectful way?

I was reading around the topic today and I don’t want to get into an indepth debate about appropiation because I’m no expert, but I came across a useful guide by Susan Scafidi  in USA Today, who is an expert, on basic ground rules for costumes X, so I thought I’d apply those to DM.

The three S’s

Source: Think first about the source culture. Is this a culture that has been historically discriminated against or oppressed. If so, proceed with caution.  I think we can agree under T/rump administration the answer to this is a resounding YES.

Significance (or sacredness): What’s the significance of what you’re taking? Is it something that is of major cultural significance, or maybe even something sacred, or is it just a run-of-the-mill ordinary item, an everyday commodity?  Sugar skulls are part of the Day of the Dead celebrations for prayer and remembrance of friends and family members who have died.  So again for me - YES something sacred. 

Similarity: And finally, think about the similarity of what you’re doing. Are you interpreting or being inspired by someone else’s culture, or are you just making an exact copy?  The skulls look like an add on to the R&J costume, and an afterthought to make it edgy and for aesthetic.  So unless they offer an explantion for this I have to say they are just copying it.

Halloween is the one time of the year when you should be mindful about your costumes. This could have been avoided.  I worked in a political environment for 4 years and my boss had a saying which was ‘Don’t walk into a punch’ , which meant don’t give people the opportunity to hit you because of something you did, didn’t do, think of, or see coming.  So I’m at a loss as to why they thought it was a good idea to do this and I would like to know how it happened.  They weren’t wearing them earlier in the day, so was it something offerred at the party or I assume the non make up ones were staged? I haven’t paid a great deal of attention to the timeline because I’m not dragging my eyes through that today.  TBH anon I’m scratching my head on why they did it and I understand why you find it offensive.

[ariesalpinesavi]

If you are thinking about calling somebody out on appropriation

Please don't. Not in public spaces or directed at individuals. I'm on the fence about whether I think appropriation is actually a negative mechanic of globalization but do not approach someone you don't know anything about and tell them they aren't allowed to wear certain clothes, speak certain languages, or act a certain way. Maybe appropriation is bad, but you don't know anything about the individual. They could come from a melting pot of different backgrounds and not look it, or even have been raised in a different culutre. You just don't know and can't know. So please save your well intentioned rhetoric for a public forum and do not use it to humiliate individuals. I think any negative consequence of appropiation is a grain of sand when compared to a culture that calls you out for not looking like your ethnic enough to be yourself.

[lowkeydimo]

[jedihersh]

Reposted from @urbanfarmsista Don’t hijack #RBG. This is the only one I care about. This was intentional. You google RBG now and only that Supreme Court justice that passed away shows up. The red, black, and green flag (RBG flag) was first designed and used by Marcus Garvey – a founding father of Pan-Africanism – and members of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1920. The flag meaning: Red: the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry, and shed for liberation; Black: for the people whose existence as a nation, though not a nation-state, is affirmed by the existence of the flag; Green: the abundant and vibrant natural wealth of Africa, the Motherland. #urbanfarmsista #blacksinagriculture #teachthehood #appropiation #marcusgarvey #rbgflag # https://www.instagram.com/p/CFYfEXjAGfZWXW5l167tXSrHP2zQ7oI4RzkK0I0/?igshid=f8sg1hskfqpn