Welcome to brain Stuff, production of I Heart Radio. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren vog Obam. Here, let's talk about the complex definitions and pitfalls of cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. In May of twenty nineteen, Nordstrom had to apologize for advertising a turban designed by Gucci that they were selling for seven nine dollars, which closely resembled sacred turbans worn
by people of the Seek faith. Simwren Jeet Singh, a senior fellow with the New York based Seek Coalition, told the Associated Press, we feel that companies are commodifying and capitalizing on something that is dear and sacred to people around the world. Nordstrom stopped carrying the product, though Gucci has not yet responded to the criticism. In February, Gucci got in trouble for featuring a black sweater that could
be pulled over the chin and nose. The sweater had to cut out for the mouth, framed by giant red lips that called to mind images of black face for many people. Gucci ended up removing the offending garment. The health food restaurant Sweet Green also recently came under fire for using the hip hop lyrics of black artists to promote items on their menu in predominantly wealthier, wider neighborhoods.
The rise of social media has significantly contributed to public outcries against what some people see as the exploitation of cultures that historically have been marginalized. For instance, Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio was heavily criticized on Instagram for posting a picture of herself wearing a sacred Native American headpiece as a fashion item to Coachella Music Festival. Others argue that the movement has gone too far and persecuting people who
mean no harm. So where's the line? On the most basic level, cultural appropriation happens when a member of one culture uses the products, hair, clothing, customs, et cetera of another culture of which they are not a member. This in itself is not fundamentally wrong, says philosophy professor Eric Mathis, who teaches at Wesley College and has written about cultural appropriation. If it was, would all be in deep trouble given how interactions between cultures have been going on for millennia.
So when does it cross the line from something benign or even productive to something that causes harm. The reality is that there's simply no hard and fast rule. It depends on the context, and a few key factors make the determination power, intent and outcome. For example, if you're a white American and a close friend of yours invites you to their traditional Indian wedding, it would likely be fine for you to don traditional Indian clothing for the occasion.
Your intent would be to honor your friend's wish and show respect for their traditions. Now say, before the festivities, you're running a last minute errand and bump into a white American friend They can't get over how great you look in your sorry and snap a photo they posted on Instagram without mentioning the wedding tag you and add a hashtag Bollywood. You and or your friend might be in trouble for appropriating or perhaps mocking a culture. In this case, the style of dress that in the US
has historically been marginalized. And let's take it one step for there, say the sorry you're wearing was designed by a big name Western brand. Did the companies seek consent from an Indian culture to use traditional designs in their clothing. This is where the logic of cultural appropriation gets messy. Of course, you can't ask a culture for consent. Cultures
are fluid and often have ill defined boundaries. If you're a celebrity with millions of followers around the world, the possibility offending someone is compounded, as when Beyonce performed at an Indian wedding in twenty eighteen wearing an Indian inspired outfit including a deeply v necked in a high side slit dress plus quasi traditional jewelry. As Mathis said, taking a picture of something that might be viewed as wrong in one context and broadcasting that to the entire world
is inevitably going to result in disagreement. What's important in these cases of cultural exchange is due diligence. Mathis notes, if someone from a marginalized culture raises a concern, you should investigate to find out why. The best source for this information is always going to be people from that culture. Other people, even with the best of intentions, might misrepresent
the issues at hand. Mathis also advises against speaking out on behalf of other cultures, though I would personally say that if you do your research and perhaps consult with a friend or a public representative from that culture, it can be helpful for someone of a dominant culture to check their friends and family's behavior, though what constitutes good
ally ship is a whole other episode. Critics say that this whole movement against cultural appropriation is causing some people to be less open to cultural exchange at Jenny Avans, in an article for the Atlantic, said, no matter how much I love Cablenet sweaters and gree Aer cheese, I don't want to live in a world where the only cultural inspiration I'm entitled to comes from my roots in Ireland,
Switzerland and Eastern Europe. There are legitimate reasons to step carefully when dressing ourselves with the clothing, arts, artifacts, or ideas of other cultures, but please, let's banish the idea that appropriating elements from one another's cultures is in itself problematic. Mathis agrees that in some case as an overabundance of caution can also cause harm. For example, say you're traveling through New Mexico and stop at an arts and crafts show.
Because of how much negative attention there's been lately about Coachella attendees wearing Native American headdresses. You wind up not buying anything from the Native American booths for fear of acting offensively, but arts and crafts are how many Native Americans support themselves in their families. In fact, the U. S Government passed the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which outlaws marketing products in a way that suggests they were created by Native Americans if they were not. The intent
was to protect the livelihoods of Native crafts people. Learning about the art you're buying and the traditions behind it can help you purchase and display the art respectfully. Critics have also accused the movement against cultural appropriation for being
overly sensitive. Here, Mathis pushes back. He said, when you think about the changes in contemporary culture that allow for the possibility of making clear and public statements about ways in which you've been marginalized or oppressed, that's a good thing in a context in which people feel free to talk about those experiences. If it leads to people sometimes going overboard, that's a cost we can deal with. Today's episode was written by Daniel Duvies and produced by Tyler Clang.
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