"Cultural Appropriation"

[The Grand Nudger]

bennyboy Wrote:
Yeah, you know, I'm trying to get inside Tizheruk's skin, for two reasons: 1) I think the native population is way under-represented; 2) a LOT of people are crying about various forms of cultural appropriation, and my natural reaction is to tell them to fuck off and get a life. But I'm really trying to see something there, to see that these people have a valid point, and to better myself through it.

That's a great way to look at it and you're right to want to try and understand.
BUT, just because something is upsetting to someone, it doesn't follow that that is proof positive that something bad is going on. Feelings are not always rational and hurt feelings are not always warranted.
If people find some artifact or musical style or clothing to their liking and they start to "appropriate" it, what's the real harm

The "real harm"..is in air-quoting that and not mentioning all of the harm that is required for something to -be- cultural appropriation. To ignore the discussion entirely, talk about something else, and pretend until you;re blue in the face that it either never happened, or was a good thing™.

The harm has a name.  Racial apathy.  It's the new genteel racism.

There are so many examples of good things that have come from cultural appropriation. The sauna, tea, rock and roll, democracy... Maybe I'm just being optimistic but good ideas get appropriated far more often than bad ideas. 

Well, as long as we got something nifty out of it, no harm...no foul. Just look at all of this cool shit!   Look at all of these sweet, sweet profits - and all we had to do was exploit some browns? Deal.