Sure. But I don't see how that's a bad thing. Cultural exchange is normal. It has existed for tens of thousands of years. It is the root of our human civilization; of innovation and progress. And with cultural exchange necessarily comes cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is all around us. If you go back far enough, there's practically nothing in this world that hasn't been somehow appropriated from another culture.
Also, let's keep it real... how many people actually wear their country's/culture's traditional garments? Not many. I am now 30 and I have not worn the traditional garments of Switzerland one single time. In the same way, I doubt many native Americans have ever worn feathers in a serious situation. In the case of East Asian cultures (the last one looks Chinese), people usually wear the traditional garments for VERY important events such as your own wedding. Other than that, though, they never wear them either. So, that's like 1-2 times in a lifetime. At least that's how it is in my wife's country South Korea. In the case of Mexico I'm not as well informed but I doubt it's any different. I have never been to Mexico but I've been to Costa Rica and nobody I saw there dressed in a traditional way like that (nor have I seen any Mexicans in the US who dress like that).
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As long they're not intentionally mocking someone like black/white face and similar, I don't get it why people gets offended. A culture don't belong to a race only and everyone can participate in a culture if they wants to. If people can learn new languages, eat new food etc, so why can't people dress like people of other cultures too? Maybe they just likes and appreciate that culture.
When it comes to costume balls, Halloween, acting etc. you're dressing up. When you dress up and acts a role, you're allowed to use your fantasy and be something different than in real life. In a role people are pretending just for fun. I'm not a bus driver in real life, but I can dress up as one if I wants to. Same thing applies to other jobs, culture and so on.
A costume is only offensive if it's black/white/red/yellow face, intentionally encourage to violence or make fun of people.
No. Its not. Im from Transylavia , and you all stole the "vampire "thing from our Vlad Dracula and have costumes , movies and even shirts with vampires , Hotel Transylvania 1,2,3. But we never sais its cultural appropriation , even if it was , I'm glad someone likes something from my country. People who get mad about that call other people racist. Man? How can someone who likes and wear something from your culture be racist? People complain way too much and try to get beef.
In my country , we have diffrent cultures , we have black people that came here for college , we have russian people in Moldova , we have Muslims and arabs that came here because their country was and is in war. Here most people will not point at you If you are black or make fun or your hijaab.
I feel like cultural appropriation refers to those who were harmfully oppressed as a group, ethnicity, etc. Like the Chief native American costume could be looked as making fun of them and the large majority of native Americans who were killed and shot at, in this country (their own country). Their are individual's today who have respect for their ancestors who had been oppressed over centuries, and I guess when they see someone unkown make a costume out of it, I guess this upsets some.
I said before, but I think anybody should be free to wear the costume they want. I wouldn't feel offended if someone dressed as any spaniard thing. You can dress like a flamenca or like a torero if you want. However, don't dress like nazarenos cause they look like KKK.
However, I thought Halloween point was to dress like something terrifying, so I don't know what is terrifying about those costumes. Better dress with a broken comdom costume, that's something to fear.
No. It's just a costume. It's not hurting anyone unless you're intending to mock a certain group of people by wearing it, or claiming that culture as your own. So as long as you're not doing either of those, I don't see a problem with dressing up in costumes like these.
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I think this appropriation thing is nonsense. If we discover that pants were invented in England, does that mean that everyone who is not English should stop wearing pants?
yes it is cultural appropriation
doesn't mean it's wrong or offensive. cultural appropriation exists and occurs for sure but is not necessarily bad or wrongCultural appropriation is simply not a valid concept.
@TadCurious has pointed out why, at some length. It needs to go into the bin.It's insensitive and people should think twice before dressing up like that.
It's an insult to people's culture. It's part of who they are. Joking about something they take very seriously isn't appropriate.
cultural appropriation is bullshit. When I was younger my white friends used to ask me to braid their hair and it made me the happiest little girl ever to know that I'd be sharing my culture and that other cultures like my culture. What put the icing on the cake is when my BLACK mom told me that I did a good job, and when my WHITE friends parents told me they liked it. But to grow up and basically get told that the happiness I felt from sharing my culture is racist is malarkey.
I think the concept of "cultural appropriation" (as used by the SJWs) is bullshit. All costumes are, to one extent or another, a product of culture. Take the example of a hypothetical kid who wants to dress up as potato for Halloween. Wouldn't that be offensive also to the SJWs? I think it should be, because where did we get potatoes? That's right --- indigenous Americans. Same thing for people who eat popcorn. Where did we get that? Should Americans stop eating at Chinese restaurants? Where does this concept end?
So, not appropriation or other leftist / socialist current buzzword. Pure and simple, it is just an insult to dress as an ethnicity because all it does is make it look like there is no individual - only an ethnic/race group where they should all be considered the same. Take a look at the Jew costume. same thing.
If you want to dress up a a black guy (and you are white) the LEAST racist way to do it would be a SPECIFIC PERSON (character), such as Martin Luther Kind Jr. It would not be racist to dress up as him, but it would be racist to dress up as just "a black guy".
This is my onion on it.No, they're not appropriation, they're perfectly fine. It's like saying no one of color can be a disney character because Walt Disney was white. It's Halloween, dress up as whatever you want.
Cultural appropriation in general is nonsense though. It requires cultural segregation. In a multi cultural world such as ours, it is nonsense to do such a thing, we would have to make a point of making sure different racial cultures didn't mix, for example black people doing "white people things" and white people doing "Asian people things", etc.if this is really an issue, people need to lighten up. I dont see prostitutes protesting when every other girl dresses like one for Halloween.
People need to stop being so damn sensitive. When you go and talk to a native American, do you see a feathered hat and animal skins on him? When you see a mexican, do you see him wearing an artsy poncho with a colored sombrero? The Chinese sexy dress one is pretty fucking stupid and insulting though. That Chinese dress is apart of the culture and they're using it as a sex item. In short, if the costume is not directly skewing an actual culture by showing it in a demeaning light than what it's supposed to be worn as, then it's fine. Just don't wear a sexed up Chinese dress...
I didn’t know it was racially insensitive until someone pointed it out. I know that sounds dumb, but Indian costumes have been around forever and I’ve never seen someone try and do black face. So it never occurred to me🤷🏾♀️
Being made aware of the racial insensitivity I have taken action NOT to offend other cultures with my Halloween costume.
Since America is a mosh pit of culture general fashion is open play. We wear whatever appeals as American has no cultural. Most have zero clue where they are natively from. So with that I find most cultural appropriation accusations non sense.. just don’t call yourself the originator of said styles and I couldn’t care less.I think its bit over the top with the correctness these day. If you look 50 years back, your glorious Americans wanted to enslave all who were not white and today you're like "is this appropriate?" dress how you want, if its not stalin/hitler or any other i think there is no reason to go apeshit... Here in Europe or at least in slavic countries we dont really care about this. We have people dressing up as SS officers just for videos on youtube and people dont care. Maybe in Germany or France they would but yeah. So go for it, if someone screams on you for dressing up just tell them to fuck off. These snowflakes are just weak cunts anyway.
Normally I'd say it's fine to wear a kimono or sari to say a night out where you're genuinely appreciating the dress, but in the context of Halloween it seems kinda rude to dress up humourously as someone of another culture "haha look at me i'm an indian so funny!!". It's mockery, I'd consider that particularly insensitive to wear.
Also I'm aware the head dress in the first costume carries a lot of significance to the native American culture and many find it offensive to just walk about so carelessly and completely dismiss the cultural meaning and use it as a costume. So i'd consider that not really appropriate either.if you're going somewhere in costume and think someone will be offended by your get-up, then rethink the costume or venue. for those easily offended, recommend they increase their medications and/or opt for a venue where everyone's willing to bow to your personal whims.
Yes. I also want all non-whites to stop wearing Jeans, T-Shirts, Cargo Shirts&Shorts, Khakis, Fleece Half-Zips, Boat Shoes, Polo Shirts, Critter Pants, Jogging Pants, Flip-Flops, Lumberjack shirts, etc. now. It's clearly offensive and unacceptable that anyone but whites are wearing those.
Does that sound ridiculous and racist to you? Exactly. Fuck this. You wear what you like. No one gets to tell you what you can use or don't use of another culture. And if we do that, all non-whites are really getting the short end of the stick (Phones, Computers, Cars, Electricity, etc)absolutely not. Also, I think they are more like colonization; other cultures can wear your clothes but you can't wear theirs'. WTF?
Are you BEING racist or trying to stop racists?
The exception is that "Mexican" costume because that is a caricature, not actual Mexican clothing. Same perhaps for the "native" costume. Not because it is "appropriation" but because it is inaccurate and the original version was made with the intention of insulting the culture.
I am a Pakistani, I don't care if you wear a shalwar kameez or sari or dhoti or sherwani (which is close to the costume of the Matrix) and I usually wear American type of clothes, I don't even wear shalwar kameez to the mosque.As long as they are respectful and not mocking I don't see a problem with it. The native American one, I don't think native americans (I am half native american) have a problem with dressing up like them. I think the problem comes with the head dress which is a spiritual symbol for them. I think same with going as a nun. I don't think dressing as a nun offends people but it's mor eof stuff like sexy nun and other things like that. I'd just say have good judgement and a bit of taste when dressig as another culture.
The whole point of Halloween is to dress up as something you're not. To pretend to be something whether it is scary, sexy, or funny.
This is not cultural appropriation, it is a bunch of people dressing up in stereotypical costumes to get a good laugh, it is not making fun of anybody.
The last one actually fits in the sexy department because the girl is dressed up in as a giesha from Japanese culture, who were known to be rather promiscuous.
People just need to calm down and accept something as a joke, or something as satire or making fun of a specific idea. It's not racist, get over it.what i dont get is why americans see Halloween as a time to wear any old thing... surely its a thing where you are supposed to dress as a ghost or a witch or vampire or something... at least it still is in the uk. i mean to me its like dressing up as santa to celebreate Easter
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