I generally try to be diplomatic steeming around, but in this case it will be difficult. This just irks me.
What is cultural appropriation? I won’t go into the various official definitions of the concept, everyone knows I assume. And it is all meaningless anyway. In the end everything is “cultural appropriation” since every culture ever developed alongside some other.
So let's get a-ranting. Cultural appropriation is a profoundly idiotic concept. I mean, it’s right there in the race for the most stupid things modern grievance culture hath spawned. If you feel like mentioning cultural appropriation, please do everyone a favor and shove it until said urge passes.
No one owns a culture. No culture is wholly original. Culture evolves and is transmitted all the goddamn time. Jesus M Buddha (M stands for Muhammad or associated spellings) this is stupid.
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But it is about my culture, you may say! It is not your culture. Or mine. You do not and cannot own it. You did not build that, to quote the philosopher kings. You most likely had nothing whatsoever to do with it. It is one more silly form of collectivism. You have no merit, except I assume being born the scion of people who contributed to some culture or other.
Especially if you are a 20 year old student, a class of the clueless who think they know everything, and oft bitch and moan about it, you probably never made shit. You didn’t contribute one goddamn thing yet to the greater culture. So shut it.
Culture always changed, always borrowed. Some of the greatest cultural achievement came from melting pots, from various cultures meeting and combining in unexpected ways. That is what culture is, living, constantly changing, diffuse. It is hard to even draw clear lines (Which food came from where? What is Bulgarian what is Serbian? What is Greek or Turkish? Syrian or Lebanese? Who give a fuck? It is either tasty or not). Millions of people and thousands of years contributed to culture. No one claims it.
The whole beauty is to profit from other’s experience and they profit from yours. Or dress up and have some fun. Who cares. This leads to great things instead of everyone reinventing the damn wheel.
Off course, as some Romanian dacologists will tell you, all culture originated with the ancient Dacians, a thing that was suppressed in history by the jealousy of other peoples. So in truth Romanians, as the true descendants of Free Dacians, own all culture in the world, so if anyone wants to do anything they need a note of approval from the closest Romanian.
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It is the same idiotic thing that leads to nationalism, racism, xenophobia and other fabulous products of collectivism - pride in other people’s accomplishments. The sad part is the fewer accomplishments people have themselves, the greater they lean to the crutch of collectivism.
Honor, pride or whatever should be reserved to what you do, what you accomplish and nothing else. I have not been or never will be either proud or shamed to be Romanian, white, tall or whatever because the geography of my birth and the language my parent speak are an accident of chance.
Same applies to culture. You may like the culture of your birth, respect it and try to further it. Great. Really. But you have no say in how others relate to it. Do you speak for an entire culture? Who made you spokesman? Is your culture some monolithic bloc of people with the same opinions based on their backgrounds and ethnicity? No country or group has a uniform culture.
Oh but what if others mock my people’s culture? Well so fucking what? That does not affect it in the slightest, and hell it’s their right to do so. I can praise and criticism whatever I please. Saying others misuse or shame a culture is just as silly as fans saying a movie adaptation will “ruin the book”. No it won’t, it won’t affect the book at all.
But the culture of oppressed groups is exploited by the oppressors!!! What does that mean? How the hell is a culture exploited? That makes no sense. And truly oppressed people don't give a shit about cultural appropriation. They have real problems to deal with.
Take a goddamn chill pill; enjoy as varied a cultural experience as you can. Now, don’t get me wrong, as with all things in life it does not hurt to go by the rule “try not to be an asshole”. Respect others and other cultures. Or don't. Whatever. Just don’t throw a goddamn hissy fit when someone doesn’t do what you like. Who gives a shit what some asshole does occasionally? I never got the modern outrage of “OMG there are assholes in the world”. Yes. So goddamn what? Just ignore them.