Is this fleece coultural appropriation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohmygod.

Get a fucking grip.

THIS. I can't even take DCUM seriously anymore.

I agree completely that it's ridiculous. But there are parents out there teaching this nonsense to their kids. That everything and anything can be taken as 'offensive' or as 'cultural appropriation'. Where do you think the girls learned about this?

Yep. I was talking with my daughter and her friend the other day about a friend of mine. Just in passing, it came up that she (my friend) is black. My daughter's friend said, "I really don't think we should be referring to African Americans as 'black'." It's very offensive.

OMG. No doubt her parents have been feeding her this garbage.

I recently presented some research results about my company's "African American" customers to a team with a lot of Black people on it. In the research I referred to "African Amercians" and they told me "Black" is actually the preferred term. So I use that now. I'm sure at some point I'll be told that's wrong and it needs to be switched to some other term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I recently presented some research results about my company's "African American" customers to a team with a lot of Black people on it. In the research I referred to "African Amercians" and they told me "Black" is actually the preferred term. So I use that now. I'm sure at some point I'll be told that's wrong and it needs to be switched to some other term.

Here is the basic rule: call people what they want to be called.

It's easy to assume that different people have different opinions about what they want to be called, just to make your life difficult or to make you feel bad, but that's not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I recently presented some research results about my company's "African American" customers to a team with a lot of Black people on it. In the research I referred to "African Amercians" and they told me "Black" is actually the preferred term. So I use that now. I'm sure at some point I'll be told that's wrong and it needs to be switched to some other term.

Here is the basic rule: call people what they want to be called.

It's easy to assume that different people have different opinions about what they want to be called, just to make your life difficult or to make you feel bad, but that's not the case.

I have no problem with different people having different preferences about what they want to be called. That's totally fine and I'm happy to use what they prefer. But our language around race is clearly in flux (and has been for a long time) so they also need to recognize that others of their same group, whatever it is, do not have the same preferences. So best to assume the person not using your preferred term just needs to be told what you prefer, not that what they are using (that some people do prefer) is offensive or disparaging or means that you are racist. And sometimes, we can't poll the entire group that is going to read a communication so maybe we have to go with what we know at least some people prefer, for today anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I recently presented some research results about my company's "African American" customers to a team with a lot of Black people on it. In the research I referred to "African Amercians" and they told me "Black" is actually the preferred term. So I use that now. I'm sure at some point I'll be told that's wrong and it needs to be switched to some other term.

Here is the basic rule: call people what they want to be called.

It's easy to assume that different people have different opinions about what they want to be called, just to make your life difficult or to make you feel bad, but that's not the case.

I have no problem with different people having different preferences about what they want to be called. That's totally fine and I'm happy to use what they prefer. But our language around race is clearly in flux (and has been for a long time) so they also need to recognize that others of their same group, whatever it is, do not have the same preferences. So best to assume the person not using your preferred term just needs to be told what you prefer, not that what they are using (that some people do prefer) is offensive or disparaging or means that you are racist. And sometimes, we can't poll the entire group that is going to read a communication so maybe we have to go with what we know at least some people prefer, for today anyway.

Are you the PP who presented research results? Did the people in your audience say, "'Black' is the preferred term', you ignorant racist?" If not, the people in your audience were telling you what they prefer -- just as you say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it cultural appropriation for me to eat pizza? I'm not Italian.

Is it cultural appropriation for me to drink beer on St. Patty's day? I'm not Irish, bTW.

Is it cultural appropriation for me to drink margarita's on May 5th? I'm not Mexican.

Is it cultural appropriation for me to say "Happy Holidays" before Christmas if I am a non-believer?

Is it cultural appropriation for me to listen to Christmas music in December (for the same reasons)?

Is it cultural appropriation for me to braid my child's hair in corn rows when we visit an island?

No.

No.

No, but it is a bastardized Americanization of what the holiday means.

No.

No.

Yes.

But beer on St Patrick's day isn't? Nice job insulting the Irish there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I recently presented some research results about my company's "African American" customers to a team with a lot of Black people on it. In the research I referred to "African Amercians" and they told me "Black" is actually the preferred term. So I use that now. I'm sure at some point I'll be told that's wrong and it needs to be switched to some other term.

Here is the basic rule: call people what they want to be called.

It's easy to assume that different people have different opinions about what they want to be called, just to make your life difficult or to make you feel bad, but that's not the case.

I have no problem with different people having different preferences about what they want to be called. That's totally fine and I'm happy to use what they prefer. But our language around race is clearly in flux (and has been for a long time) so they also need to recognize that others of their same group, whatever it is, do not have the same preferences. So best to assume the person not using your preferred term just needs to be told what you prefer, not that what they are using (that some people do prefer) is offensive or disparaging or means that you are racist. And sometimes, we can't poll the entire group that is going to read a communication so maybe we have to go with what we know at least some people prefer, for today anyway.

Are you the PP who presented research results? Did the people in your audience say, "'Black' is the preferred term', you ignorant racist?" If not, the people in your audience were telling you what they prefer -- just as you say.

The way it was handled in my office was totally fine. Although I do have someone - not in that meeting - who's since sent me a correction to change Black back to African American. I just told him the team prefers "Black" and we left it at that.

I was referring earlier example of a teen saying you can't call people black because it's offensive. I've also seen people on message boards called ignorant or offensive for referring to "Native Americans" instead of "American Indians" since at some point that switched back -- for some people -- as the preferred term. A simple correction is fine, along with an understanding that not everyone agrees with you about what's the best term for your group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it cultural appropriation for me to eat pizza? I'm not Italian.

Is it cultural appropriation for me to drink beer on St. Patty's day? I'm not Irish, bTW.

Is it cultural appropriation for me to drink margarita's on May 5th? I'm not Mexican.

Is it cultural appropriation for me to say "Happy Holidays" before Christmas if I am a non-believer?

Is it cultural appropriation for me to listen to Christmas music in December (for the same reasons)?

Is it cultural appropriation for me to braid my child's hair in corn rows when we visit an island?

Christianity is a religion, not a culture. Also, "Happy Holidays" doesn't say anything about Christmas, as the people who insist on "Merry Christmas" keep telling us.

[Anonymous]

Chances , whenever people use the term cultural appropriation, they're wrong

And I am a foreigner of mixed heritage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Christianity is a religion, not a culture.

Christianity is also a culture. My spouse and I were raised christian, but we're atheists. We are culturally christian. We celebrate easter and christmas with our kids. I enjoy the season of advent and we mark those traditions as well. Hymns I grew up with are among the pieces I play on the piano.

[Anonymous]

These are replacing The North Face, aren't they?

My kid just bought one in purple. All of her friends have these instead of The North Face jackets this year.

Skinny jeans with funky wool socks & Birkenstocks and one of these coats is the "uniform" that I see many teen girls wearing into school the past few weeks since it started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Christianity is a religion, not a culture.

Christianity is also a culture. My spouse and I were raised christian, but we're atheists. We are culturally christian. We celebrate easter and christmas with our kids. I enjoy the season of advent and we mark those traditions as well. Hymns I grew up with are among the pieces I play on the piano.

There are 2.2 billion Christians in the world. They don't all have the same culture. They don't even all have the same culture of Christianity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's cultural appropriation. I can guarantee that whichever genius over at Patagonia designed this couldn't tell you the first thing about where they drew inspiration for the print or which indigenous group it may be associated with. Meanwhile, Patagonia is selling thousands and making money hand over fist. Also meanwhile, indigenous populations around the world continue to be marginalized and made invisible by corporations and the government at every turn.

Which part of this are you all okay with?

This is what I don't understand: If the genius at Patagonia is an expert in (insert culture here) and wrote his/her dissertation on the indigenous group this pattern is associated with, does that mean selling it is NOT cultural appropriation? Is it cultural appropriation to wear this if the genius designer was an expert but I am not? What about if I am an expert, regardless of the designer's expertise, does that make it okay? What about if I bought it from a gift shop owned by an indigenous group, and the proceeds go to support the indigenous group, does that make it okay?

And how can you know by looking at me and my fleece which of the above is true or not?

This is why the notion of cultural appropriation is so nebulous and kinda silly. You can look at me and be completely outraged that I am wearing x item. But you have no way of knowing whether I meet some objective standard that makes wearing it okay. So what is the point of applying this standard? There is no way to judge when it is being violated.

[Anonymous]

When black women stop straightening their hair to look and culturally appropriating others hair styles then come back and have this conversation with me, until then, I will wear what I want and do not give a shit what anyone things. Op you are part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are replacing The North Face, aren't they?

My kid just bought one in purple. All of her friends have these instead of The North Face jackets this year.

Skinny jeans with funky wool socks & Birkenstocks and one of these coats is the "uniform" that I see many teen girls wearing into school the past few weeks since it started.

Same here in Colorado. Birk Arizonas, and the ugliest Patagonia pullover they can find.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohmygod.

Get a fucking grip.

THIS. I can't even take DCUM seriously anymore.

I agree completely that it's ridiculous. But there are parents out there teaching this nonsense to their kids. That everything and anything can be taken as 'offensive' or as 'cultural appropriation'. Where do you think the girls learned about this?

Yep. I was talking with my daughter and her friend the other day about a friend of mine. Just in passing, it came up that she (my friend) is black. My daughter's friend said, "I really don't think we should be referring to African Americans as 'black'." It's very offensive.

OMG. No doubt her parents have been feeding her this garbage.

She sounds like the same ill-mannered and poorly reared twit who corrected me when speaking to an acquaintance, and it came up in conversation that my husband is black. Her daughter corrected me--my head almost exploded. I'm quite certain that I know how to refer to my husband and one half of my family, and I certainly don't need to be corrected by a bratty tween.