Twitter mob goes after girl for cultural appropriation over prom dress

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pmv

Lifer
May 30, 2008
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I think this story is emblematic of the problems of our youth. Not because of any moral judgment I have on this cultural appropriation thing and whether wearing the dress was right or wrong. But because the assumption is that there is such an absolute right or wrong, and being on the side of right grants license to dehumanize. Social media makes that a whole lot easier.

Isn't a degree of dehumanisation inevitable, in a context where we are interacting with vastly greater numbers of people than evolution has equipped us to be socially in contact with?

And doesn't social-media make that even worse as it turns private choices into publicly-broadcast statements?

Looking at the pictures in the twitter link, I do find myself sympathising more than I expected with those objecting, because it triggers my own prejudices - they look so posh as well as white, _and_ they are doing those weird hand-gestures that seem like a combo of black culture and Nemasti gestures. That bugs me way more than just wearing a dress. I find myself thinking 'what are they thinking when they do that? What is it supposed to mean?'.

But normally that would be their private affair and give absolutely no offense because it wouldn't be directed at anyone who wasn't actually present, in their social group. But posting the pictures publicly has turned it into a public statement.

Social media seems to have made that issue of more social interactions than our brains can handle even worse.
 

Ancalagon44

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2010
3,274
202
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This whole cultural appropriation thing is nonsense.

All cultures learn and adapt from each other. This is how they grow and change. Cultures borrow from each other.

This is how the Phillipines has Adobo sauce that does not resemble Spanish Adobo. Does anyone accuse the Phillipines of Cultural appropriation? No!

The Japanese have assimilated things into their culture, ranging from breaded chicken cutlets to BBQ sauce to even bonsai itself.

Are they now saying that only non white cultures can borrow from other cultures? So white culture is not allowed to change or be influenced by other cultures?
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
15,244
10,817
136
Isn't a degree of dehumanisation inevitable, in a context where we are interacting with vastly greater numbers of people than evolution has equipped us to be socially in contact with?

And doesn't social-media make that even worse as it turns private choices into publicly-broadcast statements?

Looking at the pictures in the twitter link, I do find myself sympathising more than I expected with those objecting, because it triggers my own prejudices - they look so posh as well as white, _and_ they are doing those weird hand-gestures that seem like a combo of black culture and Nemasti gestures. That bugs me way more than just wearing a dress. I find myself thinking 'what are they thinking when they do that? What is it supposed to mean?'.

But normally that would be their private affair and give absolutely no offense because it wouldn't be directed at anyone who wasn't actually present, in their social group. But posting the pictures publicly has turned it into a public statement.

Social media seems to have made that issue of more social interactions than our brains can handle even worse.
So is America not supposed to be a melting pot any more? We want diversity, but can't share cultures? We are happy when white kids buy up rap music, black comedy, diverse Disney movies, but if those white kids use any symbols from those things it is racist "appropriation."

Of course their used to be many subcultures of white in the US but no one complains about cultural appropriation on St. Patrick's Day.

I understand complaints about appropriation if it a systematic objective of the government, but cultures mixed together should start to blend and become one. Promoting isolated sub cultures is a good way of promoting racism, IMHO.
 

Thebobo

Lifer
Jun 19, 2006
18,574
7,671
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You can't wear indian headdress, rega dredlock hats, african american skull caps because everyone is offended about everything. It's my culture you can't have it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Thanks you for your concern, now fuck off and go away.

:lollipop:
 
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HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
36,730
28,907
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It is appropriation when there is outright theft of a genre of music with out acknowledgment. Example earlier Led Zeppelin stealing.

It is also appropriation when the majority decides a cultural style is unacceptable until they deem it appropriate. Cornrows were unacceptable in the workplace and in formal settings until a pretty white girl named Bo Derek featured that style in a movie called "10". All of a sudden cornrow hairstyles were "acceptable"
 
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Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
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The people confronting her are as dumb as Flat Earthers. I can't even fathom the logic behind the criticism. Who is being harmed here? It seems to me that such an "appropriation" actually legitimizes and celebrates the culture from which it comes from.
Nah, we need to suppress cultural things. Especially pretty dresses.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
This whole cultural appropriation thing is nonsense.

All cultures learn and adapt from each other. This is how they grow and change. Cultures borrow from each other.

This is how the Phillipines has Adobo sauce that does not resemble Spanish Adobo. Does anyone accuse the Phillipines of Cultural appropriation? No!

The Japanese have assimilated things into their culture, ranging from breaded chicken cutlets to BBQ sauce to even bonsai itself.

Are they now saying that only non white cultures can borrow from other cultures? So white culture is not allowed to change or be influenced by other cultures?

What we call "Sriracha sauce" is a version made by a Chinese-Vietnamese man named David Tran who came to USA as a refugee and partnered with a jalapeño farmer in USA to make his own version of a sauce that was originally from Thailand.

...and that stuff is fucking amazing.

[edit]

In Sriracha, Thailand, the original sriracha sauce was made with chili peppers -- which have been insanely popular throughout Asia after Europeans discovered them in the Western Hemisphere.
 
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Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
15,244
10,817
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It is appropriation when there is outright left of a genre of music with out acknowledgment. Example earlier Led Zeppelin stealing.

It is also appropriation when the majority decides a cultural style is unacceptable until they deem it appropriate. Cornrows were unacceptable in the workplace and in formal settings until a pretty white girl named Bo Derek featured that style in a movie called "10". All of a sudden cornrow hairstyles were "acceptable"
So would it be better if dreadlocks were still looked down on? Or is it good that they became acceptable in the main stream? The music I can understand if they stole the actual songs or parts of them, but all music grows from each other. So Elivis listened to black gospel and early rock, he liked it and started singing it himself. It's not his fault he took off, but it ended up helping many black artists as well.

Why are you not offended by Asian cultures stealing from Western cultures?
 
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Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
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You can't wear indian headdress, rega dredlock hats, african american skull caps because everyone is offended about everything. It's my culture you can't have it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Thanks you for your concern, now fuck off and go away.

:lollipop:
Native Americans typically don't wear feathered headdresses anymore (only a tiny sub culture ever did, and mostly only individuals in specific roles). They've adopted a lot of our culture. Many of them wear blue jeans now.

If we suppress that there was ever any association between Native Americans and feathered headdresses, future generations may not know there was ever such a thing. It's actually sad. They're beautiful.
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
34,004
8,040
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So is cultural appropriation something one should be offended over? It seems to keep creeping back up as an issue, is it a legitimate one in yalls opinion?

I liken it to wanting forced segregation. It marks those who are xenophobic and/or racist.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,936
5,560
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Cultural appropriation is about control, and the desire to lash out at people you feel are doing better than you. If the attractive young lady in the picture had been a fat ugly black girl, no one would have said a word.
 
Nov 30, 2006
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For the people that seem to get upset whenever the OP posts a thread, what do you gain by telling everyone your opinion of the OP? Many times his threads start discussions, but there seems to be a core of people that post about how much they dislike the OP and nothing more. I fail to see the benefit of that.
Agree. This place is full of pea-brained trolls that contribute absolutely nothing to this forum...why this is allowed is well beyond me.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
85,632
50,853
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For the people that seem to get upset whenever the OP posts a thread, what do you gain by telling everyone your opinion of the OP? Many times his threads start discussions, but there seems to be a core of people that post about how much they dislike the OP and nothing more. I fail to see the benefit of that.

I think they doubt the OPs sincerity in asking these questions because...well... it's obvious concern trolling.
 

KMFJD

Lifer
Aug 11, 2005
30,031
45,270
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I mean, I've never encountered any (south) asians here being upset at the huge popularity of south-asian cuisine among white people, for example. But white people adopting dreadlocks isn't always received well by Afro-Carribbean people. Clearly there are all sorts of subtleties about how people experience and react to this stuff, and even members of the upset group aren't always going to agree.

We're all trapped by history, unfortunately.
I find that hilarious considering how many people make a good living roping tourists into getting their hair beaded while in the Caribbean
 

realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
12,337
898
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I think they doubt the OPs sincerity in asking these questions because...well... it's obvious concern trolling.

Then ignore it right? There is a valid enough topic even if you believe its concern trolling. If you want to talk about the topic, the I can understand. What I don't get is this policing of others.
 

realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
12,337
898
126
Agree. This place is full of pea-brained trolls that contribute absolutely nothing to this forum...why this is allowed is well beyond me.

Well why censor? If the position is that people are too sensitive to others, then, shutting up those people is just the other side of the coin no?
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
96,950
16,210
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That young man did very well for himself

DbZ-FvoUwAAFYiV.jpg


https://nextshark.com/non-asian-wom...assive-cultural-appropriation-debate-twitter/


Here’s her Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/daumkeziah/status/988115815068139520

Asian cultures are NOT an aesthetic you can just don for an evening. Your intentions are irrelevant, your poor judgment is cultural appropriation and contributes to the fetishization of Asian women and commercialization of our culture for white gain. Check your privilege.
12:42 PM · Apr 29, 2018

My culture is NOT your goddamn prom dress.


People will find anything to become "offended" about. I highly doubt the sincerity of those offended either sadly, it seems mostly about wanting to be part of some sort of social movement (real or imaginary).


How is it cultural appropriation? Chipao is considered formal wear. Not like she was claiming it is Western origin or something like that.
 
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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
85,632
50,853
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Then ignore it right? There is a valid enough topic even if you believe its concern trolling. If you want to talk about the topic, the I can understand. What I don't get is this policing of others.

It's pretty simple: concern trolling is shitty behavior so it's reasonable for people to say 'you're acting shitty'. The idea that people should not be criticized for their behavior is baffling to me.
 

realibrad

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
12,337
898
126
It's pretty simple: concern trolling is shitty behavior so it's reasonable for people to say 'you're acting shitty'. The idea that people should not be criticized for their behavior is baffling to me.

I thought the goal of trolling, concern or any other, is to get an emotional reaction. Are you not simply playing the puppet at that point? It would seem to give the troll what was desired and have no effect in stopping the troll. What is the benefit and or goal with the response that the people gave?