“It is okay to find our stuff beautiful, because it is. It is okay to admire our culture. However I then think it is reasonable to ask that if you admire a culture, you should learn more about it. Especially when the details are so much more fascinating than say, outdated stereotypes. You do not have to be an expert on our culture to have access to certain aspects of it. If you aren’t sure if something is restricted or not, please ask someone who is from that culture. If people from within that culture tell you that what you are doing is disrespectful, dismissing their concerns because you just don’t agree is not indicative of admiration.” — Chelsea Vowel -- I've seen lots of white people using parts of another culture ( of people that have been oppressed by, guess who, white people) as a sort of trendy fashion statement. How pissed would you be if your people have been mercilessly attacked for years on end for expressing their religion and culture, and when you walk down the street all you get is looks of disgust and fear, then you see some white person taking your core beliefs and twisting them into some sort of fashion statement? Then, those same people who looked at you in disgust, praise said white people for how groundbreakingly fashionable they are? There is a fine line between appreciating another culture and then appropriating it. I'm not going to sit here and tell you about what is and isn't appropriation because that also isn't my place - I'm a white American. I have a good understanding of what it means to be offensive and indirectly racist, but again, it's not my place to explain. It's a very important topic to me and the quote above is fantastic. Please, before you attempt to take something from another culture and wear it, read up on it, ask people of that culture if it is offensive to do so, and if they tell you it is, then don't do it. What do you guys think? Please remember to treat everyone with respect and do not let your anger get the best of you here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oblbLHYu6uY"]Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is - YouTube Do you know what you are? You are what you is You is what you am, a cow don't make ham You ain't what you're not, so see what you got You are what you is and that's all it is A foolish young man from a middle class fam'ly Started singin' the blues, 'cause he thought it was manly Now he talks like the Kingfish ("Saffiiiee!") from Amos 'n Andy ("Holy mack'l dere, holy mack'l dere") He tells you that Chitlins (Chitlins), well, they taste just like candy He thinks that he's got the whole thing down From the Nivea Lotion to The Royal Crown Do you know what you are? You are what you is You is what you am, a cow don't make ham You ain't what you're not, so see what you got You are what you is and that's all it is A foolish young man of the Negro Persuasion (Well, well, well) Devoted his life to become a Caucasian (Well, well, well) He stopped eating pork, he stopped eating greens (Well, well, well) He traded his dashiki ("Uhuru!") for some Jordache Jeans (Well, well, well) He learned to play golf and he got a good score (Well, well, well) Now he says to himself, "I ain't no ****** no more" (Hey, hey, hey) (I want everybody together***) I don't understand you (***) Bwana ma-coo-bah (***) Would you please speak more clearly Mercedes Benz Who is who (I don't know) and what is what (Somethin' I just don't know) And why is this (Tell me now) appropriate (That's a funny pronunciation if 'n ever I heard one) If you don't like (Where'd you get that word?), what you has got (Appropriate? The word is not) Drop it in the dirt (Drop it yeah) and let it rot (I can smell it now) Someone else (Here they come, here they come) will surely come (I told you he was comin') And pick it up (That's right) 'cause he wants some (And he wants it for free) And when one day (There will come a day) you wonder who (I wonder too) you used to was (Who I was anyway) And what you do (I, I, I used to work at the post office) You'll scratch your head (But I don't wanna un-do my doo) and look around (To see what's goin' on) But what you lost (Can't seem to find it) will not be found (A Mercedes Benz) Do you know what you are? (I know) You are what you is (I'm the kinda guy) You is what you am (That ought to be drivin'), a cow don't make a ham (A four-fifty SLC) You ain't what your not (A big ol' red one) so see what you got (With some golf clubs stickin' out de trunk) You are what you is (I'm gwine down to the links on Saturday mornin') and that's all it is (Gimme a five dollar bill) You are what you is (And an overcoat too) and that's all it is (Walk my way fast yeah) You are what you is (Robbie, take me to Creek Town) And that's all it is (I'm harder than yer husband; harder than yer husband) You are what you is (I'm goin down to White Street, to the Mudd Club y'all) And that's all it is (I'm goin' down to work the wall and work the floor) You are what you is (And work the pipes and work the wall some more) And that's all it is
I don't know if you have specific things in mind but in regard to the things that came to mind when I read your post I disagree. The idea that a culture can own a particular style of clothing, or a type of music, or a hair style, or piercings, or tattoos is silly to me. Rastas don't own dreads, aborigines don't own scarification, native Americans (strange name since people aren't native to the Americas) don't own Mohawks. It doesn't matter if they were the first culture to adopt the style or not (I don't know if so called natives were the first in history to wear so called Mohawks, but I know for a fact Rastas were not the first to wear dreads). Anyone can wear any style for any reason. I play traditional west African djembe and dun dun music. Because I find it interesting I make it a point to know what tribe the music comes from, and what purpose each song was played for, but I don't think that is really necessary. I've had people express anger towards me for playing the music of their ancestors. That is ludicrous. Because their ancestors played a drum a certain way, and I'm not related to them, I can't play my drum the same way? (I've also experienced people from west Africa express happiness that I play the music of their ancestors, I've even taught some of them that didn't know how to drum). If people are offended they can grow up and grow thicker skins.
Yes, I agree. It's time to tear the walls down. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That's a saying I believe to be true.
if you want to learn more about other cultures, Google it! read both sides. go to the library. Talk to people. It's quite fun!
You can easily miss the essence of other cultures if you only read about them. It can give you much insight for starters but if you do not visit the culture's origin or if you are scared to cross your border look for traces of that culture in your own area. If you can't be bothered by that and think all a person has to do is read up on a culture to indulge in it my take is the person is not really interested in the culture anyway but merely looks to adapt something cool to add to their own 'style' or something. I'm not saying that's got to be a despicable thing, I just think it is worthy to point out.
Do the Jews own Christianity and Islam? The Old Testament is Jewish. The New Testament was written partly by Gentiles, but the Guy it's about was Jewish? The Qur'an acknowledges the Jewish prophets. Can the Germans lay exclusive claim to Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Hayden, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, etc.? Do the Greeks have copyright to philosophy? Do we concede opera to the Italians, along with pasta and gravity? The Chinese should have first rights to explosives. Arabs to algebra. Native Americans to America. How far are we going to push this thing?
