Is this marketing email from Fashionphile cultural appropriation?

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What do I think?
I think you have waaaaaaaaay too much time on your hands.
So sick of everyone being offended by everything.
News flash............every culture has been influenced/borrowed form others they have come into contact with.
My God when did pot stirring like this become ok? There are so many more important truly hurtful things to get worked up over.
Maybe you should wander over to the real Native American jewelry thread and tell those folks they have no right to wear squash blossoms and conchas.
It is Pandora's box.......once you open it there is no end of things to be offended over.
 
What do I think?
I think you have waaaaaaaaay too much time on your hands.
So sick of everyone being offended by everything.
News flash............every culture has been influenced/borrowed form others they have come into contact with.
My God when did pot stirring like this become ok? There are so many more important truly hurtful things to get worked up over.
Maybe you should wander over to the real Native American jewelry thread and tell those folks they have no right to wear squash blossoms and conchas.
It is Pandora's box.......once you open it there is no end of things to be offended over.

Unfortunately, this is so true, in my opinion. As far as the Fashionphile ad, I do not think their intent was to be culturally insensitive since animal prints have been in fashion forever. Their use of what now has become urban slang may be a bit too cheesy.
 
I agree with this though there are people who would consider those things you mentioned cultural appropriation. IMO, it is a first world problem to spend so much time worrying about cultural appropriation. A bunch of someones who had a lot of time in an academic setting developed it.

To the original post, the concept of spirit animals are used in many cultures.

As someone who is currently studying anthropology, I think the notion of cultural appropriation is nonsense especially when culture is shared,adaptive and learned. Culture survives through exchanges and it isn't a linear sequence someone can claim ownership of. An example of this would be the idea of individual creation that, by random chance, happened other places too such as the production of stone tools. Besides, where do we draw the line when it comes to cultural appropriation?
 
What do I think?
I think you have waaaaaaaaay too much time on your hands.
So sick of everyone being offended by everything.
News flash............every culture has been influenced/borrowed form others they have come into contact with.
My God when did pot stirring like this become ok? There are so many more important truly hurtful things to get worked up over.
Maybe you should wander over to the real Native American jewelry thread and tell those folks they have no right to wear squash blossoms and conchas.
It is Pandora's box.......once you open it there is no end of things to be offended over.
Calm down! :coolio:
I simply asked a question... I haven’t said that I found the marketing email offensive per se. I’m not Native American so I can’t be offended. However, it does make me cringe.

However, I sure love reading how so many people on tpf are “sick of sick of everyone being offended by everything.” ;)
 
As someone who is currently studying anthropology, I think the notion of cultural appropriation is nonsense especially when culture is shared,adaptive and learned. Culture survives through exchanges and it isn't a linear sequence someone can claim ownership of. An example of this would be the idea of individual creation that, by random chance, happened other places too such as the production of stone tools. Besides, where do we draw the line when it comes to cultural appropriation?

Well said. We are encouraged to be culturally diverse, but we are discouraged from adopting something from another culture that we find appealing? This makes no sense to me.
 
Calm down! :coolio:
I simply asked a question... I haven’t said that I found the marketing email offensive per se. I’m not Native American so I can’t be offended. However, it does make me cringe.

However, I sure love reading how so many people on tpf are “sick of sick of everyone being offended by everything.” ;)

We're calm. You have to admit it does get a bit tiring. Maybe we can all agree to:

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As someone who is currently studying anthropology, I think the notion of cultural appropriation is nonsense especially when culture is shared,adaptive and learned. Culture survives through exchanges and it isn't a linear sequence someone can claim ownership of. An example of this would be the idea of individual creation that, by random chance, happened other places too such as the production of stone tools. Besides, where do we draw the line when it comes to cultural appropriation?
What an interesting perspective!
In my field (performing arts and literature), cultural appropriation is a huge field of research in academia and topic of discussion in professional circles.
 
If this could be cultural appropriation, one had better be prepared to name the culture that is being appropriated. Or cultures. Can't? If not, how can there be an act of appropriation?

The term isn't from anthropology, it's a pop culture hazy thing. The phrase doesn't come from or point to any specific nation or society...which the notion of appropriation depends on.

Marketing wise, it promotes animal skins (even abstract vs. literal) as yummy fashion. That has ethical matters we could get into, but appropriation is separate from that.
 
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This is a very interesting Op-Ed from Teen Vogue (don’t laugh, their editorial staff is amazing and has been doing a fantastic job engaging young readers on controversial issues).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.te...le-is-normalized-from-mascots-to-costumes/amp

A noteworthy excerpt:

“Even common phrases can carry insulting innuendos: “My spirit animal is so and so,” “on the warpath,” “Indian-giver,” “low man on the totem pole,” “went off the reservation,” “the Natives are restless,” “too many chiefs, not enough Indians.” These phrases are actually microaggressions. Some just originated out of pure appropriation, taking something meaningful to a specific people and lessening it; for example, it’s not cute or funny to say “champagne is my spirit animal.” Also, quick meetings are not “pow-wows” either — pow-wows are gatherings for celebratory and ceremonial purposes and take considerable planning.

There’s genuine harm in these actions. Whether it’s micro-aggressions, appropriation, stereotypes, subtle or overt racism, they all hurt us. Non-Natives do not get to define or decide what is or isn’t racist or harmful to Native people or the degree of relevance of certain issues, only Natives can.”

Thank you to all who made constructive contributions to this discussions.
 
This is a very interesting Op-Ed from Teen Vogue (don’t laugh, their editorial staff is amazing and has been doing a fantastic job engaging young readers on controversial issues).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.te...le-is-normalized-from-mascots-to-costumes/amp

A noteworthy excerpt:

“Even common phrases can carry insulting innuendos: “My spirit animal is so and so,” “on the warpath,” “Indian-giver,” “low man on the totem pole,” “went off the reservation,” “the Natives are restless,” “too many chiefs, not enough Indians.” These phrases are actually microaggressions. Some just originated out of pure appropriation, taking something meaningful to a specific people and lessening it; for example, it’s not cute or funny to say “champagne is my spirit animal.” Also, quick meetings are not “pow-wows” either — pow-wows are gatherings for celebratory and ceremonial purposes and take considerable planning.

There’s genuine harm in these actions. Whether it’s micro-aggressions, appropriation, stereotypes, subtle or overt racism, they all hurt us. Non-Natives do not get to define or decide what is or isn’t racist or harmful to Native people or the degree of relevance of certain issues, only Natives can.”

Thank you to all who made constructive contributions to this discussions.
It never occurred to me to think of the spirit animal phrase this way! I appreciate you sharing about this, and props to Teen Vogue. I was obsessed with them and subscribed for 7-8 years as a teenager, so I know young people out there probably are too now and I'm glad this is what they read about.

I personally don't understand why people get so annoyed about discussion on cultural appropriation. There are such vehement reactions against it and I really don't get why. It's all about education and empathy, but people treat it like the devil lol. Ignorance is not bliss!
 
Does the frequency of use of a certain term make it more acceptable?
It doesn't have a meaning other than its pop culture usage, though. There's no authentic, culture-based prior meaning that "outsiders" can pervert/misuse.

An interesting contrast is with "pow wow," as you mentioned above: it has a specific and appropriate usage that can be compared to its inappropriate, exploitative usage. No so with spirit animal.
 
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I sure love reading how so many people on tpf are “sick of sick of everyone being offended by everything.”

Is that why you started the thread?
Oh, and as for the term "Indian giver" it was always my understanding that it was meant to be derogatory about the person giving to the Indians and then taking back at a later date. As such it would seem to me that it is the giver who is being maligned, not the Indian.
But you just carry on................what do facts and /or reason have to do with anything anyway?
 
I sure love reading how so many people on tpf are “sick of sick of everyone being offended by everything.”

Is that why you started the thread?
Oh, and as for the term "Indian giver" it was always my understanding that it was meant to be derogatory about the person giving to the Indians and then taking back at a later date. As such it would seem to me that it is the giver who is being maligned, not the Indian.
But you just carry on................what do facts and /or reason have to do with anything anyway?
Just trying to have a conversation here. Not sure why you’re being so aggressive.
 
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