Culture Appropriation Throughout the Years
Culture Appropriation: The adoption, exploiting or profiting of a culture that is not their own. (Mostly done by a dominating culture upon oppressive minorities.)
Culture appropriation is such a deep widespread issue that happens everyday and is probably overlooked at times but before I get into detail about what culture appropriation is and why it's wrong I'll take you through examples of culture appropriation...Get ready folks!
WILLIAM H. WEST MINSTREL SHOW POSTER: 1900'S
This is more an example of Blackface which was is a whole other topic plus issue but Blackface and Culture Appropriation relate with each other. Since when you paint your skin to come across darker than it naturally is you are displaying yourself as a costume per say. The picture above dates back to the 1900's from William H. West Minstrel that shows a white actor "transformation" after using makeup to portray a black face. You can totally see the difference, this shows the appropriation of African Americans as well as the depiction of racial stereotypes.
GWEN STEFFANI: 1998 VMA
I love me some Gwen Stefani, her music and her style but that doesn't excuse the era where she sported bindi's just cause. Bindi's should not be worn for your liking or just as an accessory. The Bindi has many meanings let me give you some examples: The Hindu culture, a red Bindi signifies a married women and true love, spiritually the dedication towards realization and etc. Why is it that women of the Hindu culture get ridiculed and exotified for wearing a Bindi but when other people use it as an accessory they are seen as bold and cute?
MADONNA: NOTHING REALLY MATTERS GRAMMY AWARDS 1999
NICKI MINAJ: YOUR LOVE MUSIC VIDEO 2010
This song was everything y'all but lets not ignore that Kimono. Kimono's are significant to the Japanese culture. There's meaning in them through the sleeve lengths and colors. Once women were married their sleeves were shortened. The crane bird shown on some Kimono's mean longevity and good fortune. They are also worn at celebrations like weddings and festivals. As for colors red means passion and allure, purple undying love and black for water and wisdom.
KARLIE KLOSS: VICTORIA SECRET 2012
This outfit received many backlash and criticism for it's appropriation that Victoria Secret decided not to air this in their 2012 fashion show.
The native american headdress reserved for elders who have earned the right after many years to wear one through leadership. Bet people who have worn headdresses to be cool had no clue about that. It is worn spiritually and also culturally, so when random people wear headdress for Coachella festivals or just cause they think they'll look cute you're disregarding the people who wear them because of their hard work. The feathers in headdresses and the face paint are also earned through deeds and action for tradition.
SELENA GOMEZ: 2013 MTV MOVIE AWARDS
Above Selena Gomez wore a bindi and dress wear inspired from the Hindu culture as a costume and fashion statement at her "Come and Get It" performance.
KATY PERRY: DARK HORSE MUSIC VIDEO 2013
"Inspired" from Ancient Egypt, this isn't the first time Katy Perry has used a cultures entire identity into a costume for her own use. She has literally copied from every culture and has been called out for it many times but does nothing about it and claims that it was "pure" and done in the form of flattery. White privilege at it's finest.
Here's another examples of when Katy Perry has appropriated:
THIS IS HOW WE DO MUSIC VIDEO: 2013
Well well well another mockery of black women folks. The gelled down "baby hair" with cornrows and long nails. This portrays the ratchet or ghetto black girl stereotype. Young black girls and boys wear cornrows as a protective style and are ridiculed for it, so for Katy Perry to wear them and sport fake babyhairs it is a total mockery.
PHARRELL WILLIAMS: ELLE MAGAZINE 2014
Wearing the headdress originally from the Native American culture. Faced a lot of criticism as well as the other examples where he has now genuinely apologized for wearing it. Pharrell isn't the only one to blame what about Elle Magazine? and whoever the costume designer may have been?
TAYLOR SWIFT: SHAKE IT OFF MUSIC VIDEO 2014
In this music video she uses black women as props to twerk first of all. Secondly, in the gif used above as seen in the video she crawls under these girls legs as they twerk and she gazes in amazement which comes off as mocking black women and their culture. She is perpetuating black stereotypes for fun.
KYLIE JENNER: 2014 - NOW
Cornrows have been the new "it" thing but have been around for years by black men and women as protective styles to grow out our hair and keep it tucked away. Now adapted by non-black people and now popular it also being called "edgy" "cool" "a new hairstyle". Kim Kardashian has recently been wearing braids a lot and people have been calling it "Kim K braids". Isn't it ironic that there's all this new praise for cornrows when a white girl wears it but when black girls wore them they were called "ghetto", "ratchet" and "hood"? It's all good when a non-black wears this hairstyle, but black girls are being suspended for wearing their Afro. Plus dreadlocks, braids and other hairstyles black people wear to upkeep their hair is seen as un-professional in the workforce and even the military.
Let's not forget about the Kylie Jenner lip challenge. She's seen with bigger lips and now everyone yearns for full plump lips. Us black girls and men woke up like this! This is nothing new. What about the black girls and men who are constantly ridiculed for having full lips? Being called things like monkey, nasty and ugly for this feature and let's not forget those Jay Z meme's and how that black model was posted on MAC's Instagram page and faced terrible comments.
BEYONCE: HYMN FOR THE WEEKEND 2016
I'm sorry I love you Queen Bey but that doesn't excuse her outfit in this video. Coldplay is also to blame for having her out hear wearing India's culture as a costume for their music video. Checkout the headdress, henna, jewelry and etc. Why is it that western artists think it's okay to be using India's culture for visual presentation?
Henna also called Mehndi is apart of the Hindu, Muslim and Jewish culture and is done at these cultures weddings. Many different Henna tattoo designs hold different meanings: flowers represent joy and happiness, buds signify a start of new life, lotus designs signify creativity, beauty, femininity and purity, the water design means purification and there's so much more.
Why Culture Appropriation is wrong?
The borrowing and exploitation of different cultures that are not your own completely disregards and marginalizes that cultures history and tradition. Not knowing the culture's history and wearing their culture as a costume just because it's a new trend or seems cool mocks and belittles that minority group in particular and perpetuates racist stereotypes. This also misrepresents that culture. Culture appropriation shows no respect for that culture, you can say your "showing love" but if you are still prejudice towards that culture you entirely contradicting it. If you're not standing up for their oppression, killings, participating in protest to fight against unjust circumstances and etc you have no right to use your privilege to trivialize a culture. You played yourself! Also you could be profiting off wearing another culture traditions while that culture remains oppressed and doesn't get the credit they deserve.
So if you're thinking of wearing a bindi, headdress, kimono, cornrows or anything else apart of a culture that you know nothing about and isn't yours don't do it!
MY CULTURE IS NOT AN ACCESSORY.
*I don't own any of the images and no disrespect is intended*
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