- They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.
But what happens when it's not so flattering?
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The more you learn about the world and the people in it,
you quickly realize just how beautiful and diverse it is.
So where's the line between cultural exchange,
appreciation, and appropriation?
Why does it even matter?
Here are seven myths about cultural appropriation debunked.
"You're just looking for something to be offended by.
"It's just clothing, hairstyles, decorations, whatever.
"Don't you have something better to worry about?"
Okay, first off, it's possible to care
about more than one issue at a time.
The main problem with cultural appropriation comes
from dominant groups borrowing
from marginalized groups, who face oppression
or have been stigmatized for their cultural practices
throughout history.
Like cornrows: I mean anyone can wear their hair
in cornrows, but black people still face stigmas
for wearing them, along with perfectly natural hairstyles
like braids and locks.
There are even companies and schools
that prohibit these natural hairstyles.
People have actually been fired for wearing braids.
Meanwhile, fashion models and celebs
like Kylie Jenner get praised for wearing cornrows.
And that's the main point, one group is being penalized
by institutions for wearing natural hairstyles,
while the other is called edgy and stylish
for doing the exact same thing.
"I'm doing it because I think it's beautiful and exotic.
"I'm just showing appreciation for the culture."
Look, it's great that you find another group's culture
beautiful, but in order to show you truly love it,
you need to have respect and understanding.
Take, for example, tribal tattoos.
The Maori of New Zealand have facial tattoos
with deep family meaning and cultural significance.
But fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier
used the tattoos in ads to sell sunglasses.
Now, that's a perfect example of cultural appropriation.
No matter how much the designer likes the look,
he's stripped the tattoo of all of its cultural meaning
just to sell a product.
Now if you really appreciate something,
you should respect it, instead of assuming
you can use it however you want.
"Well, I don't find it offensive and I asked someone
"from that culture, and they said it was okay."
Well, it's not your culture that's being disrespected,
so sure you don't find it offensive.
And if you know someone from that background
who doesn't mind your tattoo, costume, or whatever,
that's cool, but remember that one person doesn't
speak for all members of that community.
"Whatever, fashion, art, film, music always
"borrows from other sources.
"Plus, it doesn't hurt anyone."
Sure, cultural exchange has been goin' on
since the beginning of time.
But exchange is mutual; it needs to be done respectfully.
A couple of years ago, Katy Perry did a geisha-themed
performance with Japanese women dancing
in the background.
Not only was it super stereotypical, her outfit wasn't even
from the right country.
The Japanese-American Citizens League said it best,
"The thoughtless costuming and dance routines
"by Katy Perry played carelessly with stereotypes
"in an attempt to create a Japanese aesthetic."
And that kinda crushes the idea
that appropriation is harmless.
"You're just tryin' to tell everyone what to think."
"Hello, thought police!
"Have you ever heard of the First Amendment?"
Nobody's telling you what to think, wear, or say.
Marginalized people can't stop you
from doing your thing, even if they wanted to.
But if you think you have the right to use
any cultural tradition just 'cause,
that's where you get into oppressive territory.
And if you genuinely don't care if someone is hurt
by your appropriation, that's just crappy.
"So because I'm white, I'm automatically racist.
"And if I wear this clothing, I'm even more racist?"
This isn't about beating up on white people.
Anyone can appropriate elements of marginalized cultures.
Heck, Pharrell even made the mistake of wearing
a Native American headdress on the cover of Elle Magazine.
And after getting some much-deserved flak,
he actually issued an apology.
"If Chinese people wear blue jeans,
"aren't they appropriating my culture?
"Or what about black girls wearing blond weaves?
"Or how about speaking English?"
Okay, this is a tough one: Assimilation and appropriation
aren't the same thing.
Marginalized people conforming to standards set by dominant,
or in this case Western cultures,
is often a means of survival.
When your cultural heritage is looked down on,
often people change or hide things about themselves
in order to be accepted by majority culture.
For example, there are schools where students have been
punished or even suspended for speaking Spanish
or indigenous languages, so there are people who are
literally being forced to assimilate or else.
So it's not really a fair comparison.
"So, you're saying I should never enjoy another culture?
"That's not fair."
Not at all!
For example, say you're invited to an Indian wedding
and you're not Indian.
Wearing a traditional sari or getting henna would be
a great example of cultural exchange.
You're being invited to participate, enjoy the culture,
instead of just picking and choosing parts
of it for yourself.
You can also travel, take cooking classes, read books,
listen to music, and visit museums if you really
want to learn about and enjoy other cultures.
Here's the thing: Cultural appropriation is about
a privileged group misrepresenting
and disrespecting marginalized cultures.
The originators rarely get credit,
but always deal with the consequences.
The goal isn't to shame you out
of wearing or enjoying certain things.
But listening to the people from the culture
you're interested in shows you have a genuine love, respect,
and understanding for something that's not your own.
So what are some misconceptions
you've heard about cultural appropriation?
Or maybe you had some misunderstandings yourself.
Tell us in the comments below and we'll see you
next week here on Decoded.
In our last vlog, we talked about student loan debt
with Ben O'Keefe.
Here's what you had to say.
Oh, Schokohase, you don't have to pay for college?
Way to rub it in!
No really, I wish we did that here.
You know, Andrea, free college would be awesome, but I will
totally settle for affordable and no crushing debt.
Actually, AssassinSurreal, I use the skills I learned
getting my degree almost every single day,
but trade school's a great option for lots of people.
Our last sketch was all about whitesplaining
and since I have the talking stick,
I'm gonna respond to your comments.
You know what, Paul, I agree with you.
Everyone should have equal freedom of speech,
no matter their skin color.
But that's not what our video was about.
It's about not talking over people, because that's rude.
Ever heard of being rude?
Thanks, VGC, I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
And keep watching, 'cause you might like the next one.
Oh, Antoine, a YouTube Oscars would be awesome.
Not just 'cause you think we would win,
but 'cause I just wanna get dressed up.
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