Lululemon abruptly removed their best selling "namaste put" underwear because a woman in Seattle said it was cultural appropriation and that it white-washed her culture.
From my understanding on black culture appropriation, the offensiveness part comes from the history of black people being stigmatized for their appearance and other cultural things. So when white people start doing those things and it's suddenly trendy, it's a big slap in the face. For example, dreadlocks were for a long time (and many would still agree) associated with with being informal and dirty. So when it showed up on white girls on high fashion runways, it was offensive to a lot of black people.
On the other hand, I've had white friends invited to Indian wedding ceremonies that were invited to "dress up" in saris and join in on the other festivities. And I've heard that people in Japan (not Japanese Americans) actually think it's nice when Americans start wearing kimonos or other Japanese things because they see it as interest and admiration of their culture. So these two things have further supported my understanding that it was the social oppression that leads to objection to cultural appropriation.
So... Is using "namaste" in this manner (ie. naming Lululemon underwear) really offensive to many Indian people? Is it different with Indian-American people? How about shirts that say "namaste in bed"? Have Indian people really faced so much prejudice in America as to make this intolerable? Or is it still offensive regardless?
Please let me know your thoughts below. Let me know if you're Indian or not, too.
I don’t know if it’s offensive of not I’m leaning to the side of not offensive but who am I to say what is and is not offensive. But I’ve stopped supporting lulu lemon because the owner is very racist and he admitted that he chose the name lulu lemon because he thought it would be so funny that Asian people could not pronounce it. He also said some other pretty offensive things. If this was any other brand I wouldn’t think it was racist but it’s lulu lemon so it could be racist because of their back round and history
The proper response to any allegation of 'cultural appropriation' is to say "you are attempting to communicate using spoken language, and in doing so are appropriating the cultural of my neanderthal ancestors. Cease immediately!". Cultures influence and interact with one another; that is simply how humans work. We see good ideas and we imitate them. (Nor is it just us- fishermen from Borneo have observed orangutans watching them, then sharpening sticks and using them for spearfishing!). Now, I am a white American of Irish descent. My ancestors game here after world war 2, and I'm only the third American-born generation. So far as I know, no one in my family has ever even visited Mexico. Does this mean that I can't make tacos?
Claiming that a person is mocking or insulting your culture is one thing; there's room for real grievance there. But "stop copying me!" is no more worthy of respect now than it was on the playground.
I dunno cultural appropriation or not that girl has a nice butt (and she’s 18 and over right?)
As for you girls saying that above is “sexist” I swear if there was a pic of a young athletic guys butt in underwear many of you would be openly drooling. Don’t be a hypocrite.
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Anonymous
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I find it very offensive that she is wearing underwear in that picture. You should post a picture of her taking them off.
To a rational person this isn't offensive. But we're living in an era where the Wokesters have made pure cowards out of too many people and companies. These people don't have any sense of humor or irony.
