Why cultural appropriation is bad, how it happens and why it should stop
Whether it’s a teenage girl wearing a headdress at a music festival or a guy wearing a shirt with the silhouette of a Native American warrior on it, we’ve all been witnesses to cultural appropriation within fashion.
Mase Matthews
If the definition of cultural appropriation doesn’t ring a bell, Urban Dictionary has a blunt and straightforward definition for it which reads, “When white people think it’s okay to steal ‘pretty’ or appealing things from cultures and use them for attention.”
A more precise source, like Oxford Reference, will define cultural appropriation as “A term used to describe the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another.”
Need more examples of how this is executed?
The music video for “Ride” by Lana Del Rey serves as a perfect example of cultural appropriation. During a large chunk of the video, she’s wearing a traditional Native American headdress. Keep in mind that Lana has no Native American affiliation, she’s simply glorifying cultural appropriation to the sounds of the awful music she writes.
Cultural appropriation is wrong for a number of reasons, and it can sometimes be difficult to explain why.
We can analyze history and look at the entire idea to prove the negative impacts of the act. First of all, white people appropriating Native American culture is a sheer form of mockery. Historically speaking, being white means you exist as part of a group who founded the United States by committing mass genocide.
Fast forward to 2014, and we have people like Lana Del Rey, running around in headdresses that are often considered traditionally sacred to Native Americans, which just plagues them with cultural genocide in a vain effort to look hip.
Additionally, white society has commoditized cultural tradition in the form of fashion so high-class clothing designers can make money off of those who engage in culturally appropriative fashion choices. As always, capitalist hierarchy survives off of the exploitation of others, in this case, the “others” are those who belong to a different culture.
Native Americans aren’t the only ones falling victim to cultural appropriation. Remember when pop artist Macklemore fell into hot water because he wore an afro wig, a fake nose and dirty clothes on stage? People were offended because he engaged in Jewish cultural appropriation to the point where it ascended to cultural mockery. Examples of cultural appropriation are everywhere, and they envelop groups like the Jewish community, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and more.
Are you a white woman thinking about dressing up as a geisha? Better think again. How about a white man thinking about dressing up as a Cherokee warrior? Sorry, the lipstick you smeared across your face and chest to look like war paint isn’t creative or cool. Go as a cat, or a bank robber or whatever you want, but there are plenty of costume ideas that don’t involve cultural appropriation.
Honestly, people are not bad if they accidentally engage in cultural appropriation. It’s an issue tons of people are unaware of, which is a shame, considering how wrong it is. Next time you’re walking through the mall and pass by a store flaunting those Native American silhouette shirts, think through your fashion choices and opt for the graphic baseball T-shirt on the other rack. Ending cultural appropriation is an act that involves everyone, so shop smart and make sure you look stylish rather than offensive.
Masen Matthews can be reached at [email protected]