On March 26th, 2016, a Youtube video from San Francisco State University went viral, as it features a white male student being attacked by a black female student verbally and physically for wearing dreadlocks. The female students repeatedly yells at the white male student, telling him that he was “culturally appropriating” her culture, therefore making it-the dreadlocks, offensive to wear. She later on asks a nearby student if he could fetch a pair of scissors so that she could cut it off, and the video ends there. This situation is not exactly uncommon anymore; in fact, the term “cultural appropriation” has been used in great abundance this year. For example, Coldplay’s music video starring Beyonce has been accused of Indian cultural appropriation, as it features Beyonce wearing traditional Desi clothes, and a …show more content…
The moment an Asian, European, or any other person not an American wears casual attire; jeans and t-shirt, they are technically culturally appropriating American clothing culture. To declare white people are culturally appropriating African American culture by wearing dreadlocks is inaccurate, as dreadlocks do not belong solely to African American culture, but rather, has been a hairstyle worn throughout the ages, where the Celtics, Egyptians, and Vikings have worn it often. Cultural appropriation is an extremely sensitive and neutral topic as there are certain aspects of culture that should not used for fashionable or aesthetic purposes, such as the Native American headdresses, the use of blackface, and certain Islamic clothing such Niqabs or Hijabs that may represent the oppression of women. Some grey areas such as dreadlocks, dream catchers, bindis, or other traditional wear around the world should be considered not as examples of cultural appropriation, but rather, cultural appreciation for the beauty and meaning behind
Caycee Cunningham is a typical 8th grade student in Pleasant Grove, Utah. She grew dreadlocks as a part of, as she explains, her spiritual journey in her Hindu beliefs (Kelley, 2015). She says that it is representative of her turning over a new leave and chapter in her life. Her mother received a call one day from the principle of the middle school saying that her daughter’s hair is against the schools dress code. Her mother believes that it is a racial problem, because there are other students at the school of other races, with the same hair style.
It is very ironic that “Cherokee” dress in this manner in order to cater to the interests of white tourists, who are expecting to see something reminiscent of old western films. To some, this is a “selling out” of culture and beliefs for money down the road (The). Misrepresenting a culture in this manner is an unacceptable action that perpetuates stereotypes and prolongs misunderstandings with that group. It also indirectly hinders Cherokee attempts at preserving their own
Cultural Appropriation is a problem because we do not choose to accept other people livelihoods. “ cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups.” (Little, Cultural). That is the society we live in today, we do not want to understand other cultures, race, and ideas. It is like when our mothers say don’t judge a book by its cover, it is the most important lesson we can all learn in this lifetime.
In schools we are educated and are taught about different cultures and ways in which we can avoid racial discrimination or cultural appropriation. When fans exert this kind of behavior they highlight issues that
It's especially terrible when those doing the stealing are "rich" […] and those they are stealing from are "poor." to define cultural appropriation. Not only does this definition not cover the complexity of this term, it gives no room to qualify the examples given by this author. Weiss' simplification of this term makes cultural appropriation seem blown out of proportion which in turn compliments his argument that cultural appropriation accusations are over dramatically labeling the simple blending of cultures that are directly related to the success of America. Aside from this, Weiss' examples of the MTV music awards, including references to Kendrick Lamar, accused of "borrowing Asian dress", Katy Perry, accused of "caricaturing African-American women", and Beyoncé, accused of "exploiting Persian culture", and their respective acts of cultural appropriation. Weiss effectively includes these examples of "cultural appropriation" to show his audience how the term "cultural appropriation" is excessively applied to "every corner of American life".
Festivals, beaches, and parties is where cultural appropriation is most commonly found. American people wearing Bindis, Traditional Native American clothing or headdresses, and kente cloth is incredibly common among those with the post colonial mindset. A mindset that American people believe they have the rights to everyone's art and culture. Cultural appropriation, which is seen in a lot of minority communities is caused by the post colonial mindset that American, or Europeans are entitled to other cultures arts, clothing, and religion. The Kente Cloth, made in western Africa exhibits beauty, pride, and culture all in one.
Why bands/ artists need music videos Unit 29 music video Sophie rainey Why are music videos needed? To Promote (the song and artist) To extend income To provide more outlets To create synergy To promote The primary purpose of a music video is to make profit- through video views and single sales. By creating a popular music video, in turn the song will then too become popular.
Even though America has become quite the diverse place with diverse cultures, the cultural appropriation found within the American society contributes to the loss of multiple minority culture’s identity. Native Americans are one of the minority groups most heavily impacted by cultural appropriation. From offensive sports, many American Indians feel as though their cultural identities are lost in the mass of stereotypes and false representations of them in popular culture. In literature and film, Indians are too often portrayed as some variation of “the Noble or Ignoble Savage” (Gordon, 30), violent and uneducated, and it is easy to imagine how this negative representation inspires resentment in the Native American community, who have no interest in having their cultures and peoples being reduced to mere savages,
In a recent article by CNN, pop artist Bruno Mars was found accused of “cultural appropriation,” by critics of his new album, “24k Magic.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines “cultural appropriation” as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture. " Writer and activist, Seren Sensei posits that Mars’ “takes pre-existing work and he just completely, word-for-word recreates it, extrapolates it," she added. "He does not create it, he does not improve upon it, he does not make it better.”
For example, both authors tell stories and give examples of racial discrimination that is partially caused by stereotyping based on clothing, or looks, and both articles were posted in magazines for an audience of 18-30 year olds. In Grace Hsiang’s “FOB’s vs Twinkies” regarding Asian discrimination, she says, “I 've heard ethnocentric Asians speak with disgust about Asians who wear Abercrombie and Fitch (which is viewed as the ultimate “white” brand), or make fun of those who don 't know their parents’ language” (343). In this article, Asian’s discriminate against other Asian’s based on the brand of clothing that they wear, regarding them as being “too white”. This is similar to the discrimination that Brent Staples personally received and writes about in his “Black Men and Public Space” where he states, “To her, the youngish black man-a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket- seemed menacingly close” (346). In this article, the young woman discriminated against Staples because of what he was wearing and how he looked.
In a few scenes of the the grades one through twelve the short story “Indian Education,” by the Native American author and filmmaker Sherman Alexie is able to show us what it is like growing up in the white, American culture. Sherman Alexie is able to give us a glimpse of the differences of what it means to be in a non-white student area that is struggling due to the effects of colonization. Even though it has been many years since the European explores “found” North America, the settlers and government continued to expand into Indian territories. The Native Americans gradually saw their land and culture diminishing as they were relocated to reservations. The feelings of oppression become obvious through the eyes of Victor, a young boy.
Nguyen and Brown explain the importance of clothing for identity, “Clothing and other forms of style are also reported to signify ethnic and cultural identity and used to differentiate among types of
Cultural appropriation has been in the limelight over the years and this controversial topic has sparked off many debates. According to Sherwood (2017), the term “cultural appropriation” is defined as the act of adopting the elements of one culture by members of the presiding culture. It comes in many different forms, ranging from food, fashion to even music. While it may be deemed to be necessary for one to appreciate another’s culture, cultural appropriation, when used with the wrong intention, can potentially harm the society. This is especially so in America’s music industry or more specifically, black music.
Introduction Roger’s and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is arguably one of the most well known films that many can admit to watching at least once in their lifetime. People all around the world have found this musical inspiring, as it documents growth and hope amidst the horrors of World War II. This incredibly well written film is based on the story of the Von Trapp family who escaped Austria when the Nazis invaded it during the war. Part of what made this movie so interesting on so many different accounts was the music that accompanied the vivid and exciting scenes. Without music, many could agree that our world would be a sad, quiet, dull and depressing place.
It’s hard to keep up with the beat of the world. Everything is at one's fingertips, one only has to press a button. This is true for Nick, a father of a five-year old son, named Gus, who was filmed riding a bicycle. Nick shared the video with his friends, who shared it with more friends. Soon the video and Nick’s life got out of hand.