My Thoughts On Cultural blah blah blah

I swore to myself that I would not give in to this little mound of bullshit labelled "Cultural Appropriation". I may break the corner off of that oath in this post. Some fact and some opinion will be driving this crazy train that's about go down, you have been warned.

Cultural Appropriation v.s. Cultural Appreciation

According to wikipedia:

Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of another culture.

But, there is no 'popular' definition of "Cultural Appreciation". Hmm, why is that? Well, we can all refer to what we have been told recently and understand that Cultural Appreciation is appreciating another culture by, pretty much, admiring it from a far but saying/doing absolutely nothing resembling their practices because white people are racist by default. *rolls eyes*

Why is Cultural Appropriation a current hot topic?

Well, I'm glad you asked! See, I have noticed the tiny march of tumblr warrior feet, pitter patter across social media as of late. Here are just a few examples.

Of course you do not have to watch the entire video, but I do have a long comment on it, pertaining to it. Let's get one thing straight, I LOVE this woman, there is no negativity going toward her in ANY WAY! My comment begins here: Pink, babe...I understand that this is a new term, and you are sweeter than candy, you have no idea the bullshit your "friend" fed you via twitter. Cultural Appropriation begins IF and when someone, i'll give a false example here, wears a Native American (warrior) headdress, made of eagle feathers and wolf skin, and ran around insisting they are a warrior of such and such tribe, though they are not of any tribe, nor are they Native American. THAT is cultural appropriation!! Pink, you did not practice this. You did not run around in box braids and practice black culture! YA DIDN'T! You tumblr warriors know better, too! This woman is absolutely excluded from the target zone. I get what these warriors are trying to say, but just like always, they take it too far and no one will EVER take them seriously! 

Next example:

She wants to cut his dreads off, PHYSICALLY ASSAULT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, because he is a white male with dreads. Please, tell us how successful you have been with getting your voice heard and taken seriously when speaking passionately about your "culture".

MOVING ON! 

I worked at Wal-mart a few years back, the store manager was a beautiful black man with gorgeous, natural dreads. He was kind of a douche nozzle, the point is, he is a successful man with dreads. While I was working there, I wore a few dreads in my hair, no one ever said a damn thing about it. I was just a stocker.

Goths getting shat on for wearing synthetic dreads. This is total asinine, let me explain one very important point.

I did not wear these

because of any culture other than the gothic subculture. I was not standing in a field with the dreads that I made, thinking "I am a black woman, oppressed in America in the 1940's!" 

Actually, this...

...is why I started making and wearing dreads! This is the most inspiring woman on the damn internet, if you ask me. 

This is also why I had such an interest in dreads...

lol, I was a 90's kid.

I can confidently say that I have never mocked or assumed a  position of any person in any culture outside of American culture, that goes for all of the innocent people being attacked for wearing or using dreads, braids, cornrows, weave, wigs, falls, hair dye, bleach, shampoo, conditioner, relaxer, etc.

Instead of attacking people and shoving your absurdity down their throats over HAIR!!!!! Try complimenting them, ask questions, communicate. Stop the divide. We are all in this together. No one will ever forget the history of how we ALL got where we are today. 

The great thing about being American is the "I Can". I can wear dreads, you can wear dreads, she can cornrow her hair, he can go all natural, no matter your skin color. I can, and so can you. And, HEY! If you don't like it, gtfo!

I will continue to make and wear synthetic dreads. When I explain that a set of dreads I made were inspired by the vikings and nature, that is it, period, that was the inspiration. Because, my dreads have nothing to do with the African culture, the black culture, the Native American culture. Nope, just nature and vikings, sorry not sorry.

If a woman wants to wear cornrows, why shame her? Why now, in this era of freedom?! All women are beautiful. All hair is beautiful. All skin is beautiful. Join the fucking club of love and acceptance, stop alienating yourselves from everyone else.

To the Tumblr warriors, get real or continue making a mockery of yourselves. If you want to be taken seriously, start acting like it! Incorporate intelligence into your 8 paragraph tumblr comment! If you want to fade into the laughter, go ahead. 

As per usual, I love ya and thank you for reading!