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Shay Mitchell gets called out for cultural appropriation: ‘Why would you choose box braids?’

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Shay Mitchell gets called out for cultural appropriation: ‘Why would you choose box braids?’

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Shay Mitchell is being called out for cultural appropriation after posting a TikTok video in which she's seen in box braids.
The 34-year-old Pretty Little Liars alum posted the video on Wednesday showcasing "fits on fits" that were styled for a photoshoot. And while some praised Mitchell's clothes, many people were up in arms about the Canadian actress styling her hair in braids for some of the looks.
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Isn't social media grand?
 
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ARTICLE:

Their unnecessary outcries take attention away from the very real and very problematic conversations around the topic of appropriation. While many were up in arms over the recent exposure of blackfishing Instagram models, another ugly monster reared its ugly head, moving along somewhat unnoticed. Lurking in the comments section, nestled next to quips of “let’s all love one another,” “borrowing is flattery in the highest form,” and other kumbaya nonsense was an evident generation of misguided individuals inside the Black community posing a rather demonizing question over and over again – “Why can’t White women tan their skin and wear braids when Black women wear weaves and dye their hair blonde? It’s the same thing.” The sentiments continued with similar phrases like, “And this is coming from someone with a straightened weave in her hair.” Sigh…

  • To merely suggest a Black woman wearing a weave to look white is the same as a white woman excessively tanning and adopting Black hairstyles to appear Black showcases a clear misunderstanding of cultural appropriation and the history of beauty culture in America.
  • First off, the question is essentially null and void. Cultural appropriation is the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own (typically a minority culture), especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture while benefiting from it. Dr. Zinga Fraser, Assistant Professor in Africana Studies at Brooklyn College adds cultural appropriation “dehumanizes” the culture it takes from because honestly wearing another culture’s traditional garb and face as a fast pass to “cool” is mockery people.

Moreover, a white woman can tan her skin and braid her hair when it benefits her and drop the look when it’s not working in her favor. The same cannot be said for a Black woman who wears a weave, bleaches her skin, and lives in culture where she’s systematically told her looks are not desirable. Speaking in the context of hair, Fraser says “Whether one indoctrinates forms of hair accessories to their hair or not, one cannot look like a white woman. [The idea] doesn’t operate in the same way.” In layman’s terms that means weaves, coloring, and so forth cannot make a Black woman look like white – period.

In addition, “There is no significant benefits specifically for African American women who wear a variety of hairstyles. There is significant impact on African American women who wear natural hair, their change of styles of hair. There are significant repercussions,” Fraser adds. These natural hairstyles including cornrows, afros, curls, faux locs and twists have led to Black children being dismissed from schools, Black adults denied employment opportunities and unnecessary issues surrounding military duty. The same cannot be said for whites wearing their own natural hairstyles.

There isn’t any evidence of any white women or white children who have been dismissed for doing their hair in a certain way even if it’s the appropriation of Black hairstyles,” Fraser expands. “We can’t equalize Black women’s and Black girls’ experiences in terms of hair and beauty in the same way that we look at white women’s hair and beauty culture,” says Fraser. Historically, adornments, braids, weaves, extensions, wigs and the like have always been a part of Black beauty culture. Dating back thousands of years, early African artifacts depicted African women with braids. Various tribes in Africa differentiated themselves by braiding patterns, feathers, cloth, and other decorations into their hair. In America, African Americans created their own beauty culture. “We operate in a culture that tells us we are less than and then we create a culture of beauty for ourselves, whether it be lotions for our faces and skin, our hair…
And let’s be real. Black women are not the only groups to wear wigs, extensions, and clip-ins, but we are constantly demonized for it when White women are not. There are groups of white women who wear wigs due to religious practices and others who do so for some inches. “No one asks the question if they are appropriating to be something. I don’t think that it should be relevant to ask the same thing for African American women,” Fraser points out.

So, to those confused individuals within our community (and those outside of it too), educate yourselves. Any argument trying to validate cultural appropriation by policing Black women dressing up or dressing down our hair in any way we so please just doesn’t hold up. Black women have and will continue to drive our own beauty culture. Unfortunately, it will continue to be plucked by others for cool points, but know the aforementioned and let the ridiculous counter argument die along with 2018’s awful fishtail brow trend.
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Anyone and everyone who has an emotional meltdown about "cultural appropriation" can take a flying leap.
I will wear whatever I feel like wearing, eat whatever I want, listen to and create any style of music I want, and if pressed further, my reaction may become a little bit more intense than the PC police were banking on.
And I am a liberal, and I've always felt the same way my entire 64 years on this planet. NO ONE tells me what I can or can't do, say, sing, wear or eat.
 
Link to ARTICLE listed in Post #3 (character count exceed limit, so here's the link)

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We see people do many things with their hair, I see black women in wigs that look like the hair styles of white women, so I don't see why there is a big issue with white women styling their hair in braid styles that black women use.

No one own's braids.... the same as no one own's a pony tail. or various other things people do with their hair. I see black men dye their hair blond, I see white people who make dreadlock's. I see white women in baseball hats with a pony tail sticking out, I see Asian women with baseball hats with a ponytail sticking out and I see black women wearing baseball hats with a ponytail sticking out.

There are far more matter that are important in racial and ethnicity work that needs to be done... I'd say it more a thing of people "acceptingly adopting, stylings from and with each other".

There are white men who sag their pants, I don't see black men making an issue because white men like the style of saggin....

Black people created "Rap", but white men "Rap" and these black and white Rappers seem to get along and have no issue with each other "Rappin".

I see people draw those lines with make up on the corner of their eyes, which as something that Mexican women did, who were part of the cultural styling of what was called "Cholo". Now, black, and white women, use that make up style around their eyes. I see black women, white women, asian women, mexican women who wear extended false eye lashes, and no one seems to make a claim of ownership of the style.

__________
quote
Bo Derrick said:
“I get in trouble for it now,” she told the publication. “I get a lot of criticism for being a culture vulture, that I’m being insulting and even worse, hurtful to African American women that I copied their hairstyle.”
However, she says that back then, the reaction was totally different. Now she can’t escape it. “I can’t tell you how many African American women came up to me and said things like, ‘Thank you so much. I work at a bank and my boss would never let me have that hairstyle at work but now I can.’”

This isn’t Derek’s first time talking about the look. Back in 2015, the Bolero star told New York magazine that “It’s a hairdo! That’s all it is,” when asked about the effects of cultural appropriation.
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A fascinating topic. "Educate yourself" is good advice. Read about the history of jazz and pop music to learn a lot about the culture appropriation of black culture by whites - for fun and profit.
 
I understand that this is 2021.

And the zeitgeist is to appreciate and respect all hair styles.

My state of California recently passed a law that outlawed job discrimination based on hair style.

Because I am so old (84), I still believe that a company should be able to dictate the look of its employees.

I believe that most customers find employees with braids to be off-putting.

Now if a Caucasian or Asian or Hispanic wants to wear braids, that is his/her right here in California.

I do not think that it has anything to do with so-called "cultural appropriation."

I think that it has to do with the way a person sees him-, herself.

I also think that some employers really do NOT like prospective employees wearing "unusual" hair styles, but they know enough to smile and keep their mouths shut.

Although this is the "progressive" 2020s, I suspect that some voters would still would be put off by a candidate who wore his/her hair in an "unusual" style. That is why, I believe, all candidates both Dem and Repub wear hair in the traditional manner.
 
Why can't anyone have any cultural appreciation anymore? If you like the style, it should be a good thing you want to wear it. I love braids but there's a "limit" to my braid style? I don't know, I just feel like if you are not mocking it but rocking it, what's the issue?
 
Women are always going to do what they think looks good to them.... !!!!

The Fashion and Modeling Business is built upon that premise.

Society is learning to stop criticizing black hair styles: Black kids have been kicked out of school and sent home because of their hair styles, black student who had his hair cut because they would not let him play because of his hair.

It should not take "white people adopting the styles", before the styles are considered with respect.

I think this is what really upset's people is:

Black people have been discriminated against for the hair styles, but when white people choose the same style, then suddenly, its considered not an issue.

It was the same thing with 'saggin" or wearing "hoodies"...

  • when white people started wearing saggin, suddenly it was no longer a problem,
  • when white people started wearing "hoodies" suddenly its no longer a problem, or
  • when white boys started wearing "bandana's", suddenly "bandana's" are no longer a problem.
It was the same thing with 'dredlocks',
  • when white people started wearing "dreadlocks" it was no longer a problem.
it was the same thing with Rap Music
  • when white men and women started "Rappin", suddenly it was no longer a problem.

This is the kind of stuff that "frustrates black people"...
  • Black People don't need white people to endorse anything, as a claim of it then being acceptable and respected.




 
I understand that this is 2021.

And the zeitgeist is to appreciate and respect all hair styles.

My state of California recently passed a law that outlawed job discrimination based on hair style.

Because I am so old (84), I still believe that a company should be able to dictate the look of its employees.

I believe that most customers find employees with braids to be off-putting.

Now if a Caucasian or Asian or Hispanic wants to wear braids, that is his/her right here in California.

I do not think that it has anything to do with so-called "cultural appropriation."

I think that it has to do with the way a person sees him-, herself.

I also think that some employers really do NOT like prospective employees wearing "unusual" hair styles, but they know enough to smile and keep their mouths shut.

Although this is the "progressive" 2020s, I suspect that some voters would still would be put off by a candidate who wore his/her hair in an "unusual" style. That is why, I believe, all candidates both Dem and Repub wear hair in the traditional manner.
I see people now with orange flaming colored hair, fire red hair, purple hair, bluish green hair, rainbow colored hair, shaved heads of men and women, and black and white with "hair that does not looked combed", and its all types of styles, people wear.

Women of all ethnicities wear weaves, extension, wigs and any other type of thing they want to do with their hair.

There never should have been anything in the public arena "telling black people how they can and cannot wear their hair". ( except the military did cut men's hair regardless of what his race and ethnicity is)

What's crazy is how society tried to set standards based on "white imagery".

It led to black people straightening, getting what was called "a process" to straighten their hair, to wearing straight hair wigs, but then black people began to develop their own hair styles and adopt styles that were from ancient African hair styles, and I think its why there is such "sensitivity about it"... Because of the long fight through many incessant discriminations about their hair, to have styles that black people chose themselves.

It's the same thing when it comes to "Names'... White people expected every one to have names they considered acceptable, so in the late 1960's black people began to choose "names they wanted" and to "pronounce them how they wanted to pronounce them". And still today, many black people are criticized and even discriminated against because of their names, in some places people make derogatory comments about black peoples choice of names.
Heck, people made fun of Barrack Obama's Name....

Everyone does not want to be named, Jack, Bob, Ben, and Judy, Jane and Heather...... I think white people are beginning to figure out, they don't get to dictate names, as they did during slavery, when they denied people their own names and forced them to adopt the names the slave owner forced on them.

Malcolm X chose X because he did not feel he had to carry on his slave owners last name, Muhammed Ali, chose the names because he no longer wanted the name that former slave owners thrust upon his family.
 
There never should have been anything in the public arena "telling black people how they can and cannot wear their hair". ( except the military did cut men's hair regardless of what his race and ethnicity is)

1. I am glad that you "except the military."

a. How could the military expect respect if soldiers wore all different kinds of "weird" hair styles? And does the military now allow mustaches and beards?

2. Because I am 84, I still believe in the image of the clean-cut All-American look when it comes to males and females. If that is a "Caucasian look," then so be it.

a. Yes, I realize that is not today's zeitgeist.

b. But I have the feeling that a lot of people (of all ethnicities) at least secretly respect people who dress in the traditional manner. That is why almost all political candidates (regardless of ethnicity) still dress in traditional clothing and wear "respectable" hair styles.
 
A fascinating topic. "Educate yourself" is good advice. Read about the history of jazz and pop music to learn a lot about the culture appropriation of black culture by whites - for fun and profit.
That has been the history in America for generations... Black people are very creative, and much has been adopted from black culture and it won't stop happening.
Many of the things blacks were criticized for, have continually became things that white society adopted....
  • The issue has always been, "the delusion that white adoption gives it validity... when fact is it was already valid for black people when they created it.
We hear white people say, "what's up Bro"... "what's happenin dog", 'this is my crib", "I'm Chillin", "That's Cool", "That's Hot", "That's Dope" and etc, and white people adopted those phrases.
Marvin Gaye said "Let's Get It On" and white people adopted it and it gave them a more openness about 'addressing sexual desires'... or they used it, when it was a phrase to 'get an actions underway".

People did not like Elvis at one point because they considered his music to have black influences, White Rock Musicians, copied Jimi Hendrick for decades and still do. white people adopted Carlos Santana, and still do. They copy it and when they get it down, they consider it as a measure of musical skill achievement.

When more black people are accepted into "technology development" that too will bring some changes, and its likely that it will first be fought against, and like the other things, it will become adopted. It should NOT need white adoption to consider it as "Valid".

I recall programs I created in Industry, that some fought against, then then the white people came to adopt it, and then it became widely accepted.. it never should have taken that, because it was an efficiency improvement, that did not need validation by white people, it validated itself by its performance achievements.

I've changed some things where I work now... where I bring many groups together, that were never brought together before to address issue collectively, at first it was fought against, but white people basically had no choice but to adopt it, because it improved efficiency.

We simply have to realize... as people... the creativity of people, is not limited to a race or ethnicity. and the old delusion that white people created and set the standards... will continue to be challenged, because we don't live in a white only society, nor does white people get to say determine what is acceptable and what is respected.

Remember, MTV for the started would not play black music, then came Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"... it was such a transformative beat, they began to play it, then Madonna mimicked the beat, and suddenly it was all over MTV...

The Allman Brother and Eric Clapton played the Core Level Blues and then white people figured out the greatness of it, Joe Cocker, sang the blues and brought in other segments of white people, to learn to appreciate the blues.

The many white groups that now adopt Jazz stylings... has made many of them highly recognizable as good musicians, and became very profitable for them.

and we all know, Rap Music has made many white people Millionaires, who once stood in opposition to it. Now, black, white, asian, and other ethnicities play Rap music, and its now played on every continent on the planet. It's not just music it has an entire culture created around it... the same as Jazz created a culture, Blues created a culture of its own, R&B created a culture of its own, and everyone knows Rock Music has its roots from The Blues.

Country music even evolved to incorporate R&B stylings and well as Rock stylings, Country Rock now has evolved to convey a mixture of these stylings.
 
1. I am glad that you "except the military."

a. How could the military expect respect if soldiers wore all different kinds of "weird" hair styles? And does the military now allow mustaches and beards?

2. Because I am 84, I still believe in the image of the clean-cut All-American look when it comes to males and females. If that is a "Caucasian look," then so be it.

a. Yes, I realize that is not today's zeitgeist.

b. But I have the feeling that a lot of people (of all ethnicities) at least secretly respect people who dress in the traditional manner. That is why almost all political candidates (regardless of ethnicity) still dress in traditional clothing and wear "respectable" hair styles.
You might based on age and era of grooming, adhere to the Caucasian look, but today... young people don't relegate themselves to it in general. Times change and the era where white styling dominated the determination of acceptable styles, is no longer "valid for society'... not white society nor black society or other ethnicity of society.

I grew up with the concept of business attire was, dress slack, dress shirt and tie.... that's how I dress for work, sometimes I don't wear a tie, but even with that, things changed, because what I grew up with as business attire also included a jacket. Now, I seem people who wear dress slacks and many not wear a tie with their dress shirt..
The Era of "white shirt and tie' ... has changed, people wear all sort of color of dress shirts and casual wear shirts with their dress slacks, and some don't even wear dress slacks, they were the "Dockers, style kakis slacks, with various patterned shirts.
Some no longer wear well shined shoes, but different types of leather finishes where some won't even take a shine. I generally like "well shined shoes", but I also remember the "Rockport wing tips" that a lot of white business men wore, as well as the Stacy Adams, cap toe with high shine that black men wore, I personally like the "Stacy Adams" Madison, cap toe. ( I send by UPS my shoes to Los Angeles, to have them shined, because they have a place that I've never seen anyone shine a shoe like they do, its called "Chamber's Shine Parlor") I know how to shine them myself but this place is exceptional in their shine work.

We went through an era where people came to business meeting in Jogging Suits. and before that, it was the Polyester Jump suits. :)

There was an ear where men in business suits wore Hats, its not frequent that you find men in business suits wearing a hat.. (unless weather indicates a need for it)..
For Me, casual Fridays, in the 1980's was dress slacks with a polo shirt or Hawaiian shirt... now, Casual Friday is very very very different. It's flat out "casual".

People use to dress up to go to the office, today... its far from the fancy dressing of the past... even school teachers use to dress up for the class room, but that has changed dramatically, many no longer dress up for the class room, some of the teachers today, dress as casual as the students dress.

I remember when the socks had to match well... now there are every kind of design and pattern and color of socks.
There was a time where men did not wear pink tennis shoes, or pink shirts, but now its not a big deal. We even have days that people are asked to wear a pink shirt in honor of "women's breast cancer awareness".

My Closet is full of various shirt styles, various necktie styles... (I personally don't care for ties with slogans on it) I'm sure you can remember the era of the very wide neckties, then the skinny neckties, and now the medium size neckties, but there are many who still mix and wear the various style of neckties.

When it comes to banking, its still rather conservative as regard to "tellers" and executives, but they are not so much restrictive on hair styles, but its not to likely to see rainbow colored hair...

Heck, now day's one might see people in Pajama bottoms in public, as well as Yoga tights, even some were them as flesh tone, that from a distance they may even look naked.

I'm sure everyone remembers the "Mini Skirt" then came the Micro Mini Skirt.... "wow"!!!! I'm sure some remember the women's jeans with the "camel toe" !!!

Women went from wearing dresses to business meeting to wearing women blazer and slacks suits... which is now a common standard.

Heck at one time, women were criticized if their dress came above the knee.... or even the time when the "calf muscle did not show"
 
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Cries of cultural appropriation in a country where everyone is intermingled was and still is an incredibly dumb ass thing to cry about.

It is divisive.
It is stupid.
and it will not ever benefit the US as a whole.
 
1. I am glad that you "except the military."

a. How could the military expect respect if soldiers wore all different kinds of "weird" hair styles? And does the military now allow mustaches and beards?

2. Because I am 84, I still believe in the image of the clean-cut All-American look when it comes to males and females. If that is a "Caucasian look," then so be it.

a. Yes, I realize that is not today's zeitgeist.

b. But I have the feeling that a lot of people (of all ethnicities) at least secretly respect people who dress in the traditional manner. That is why almost all political candidates (regardless of ethnicity) still dress in traditional clothing and wear "respectable" hair styles.

Being clean cut is really not a "Caucasian look". Any Walmart visit will tell you that.
 
I think the outrage will fade... because people now know more about accepting the styles that black people create, and with that it will be less critique of other people embracing those styles.

Everything black people seem to create and do seems to meet opposition, until it does not..
  • What society should gather from that is: it should never be dependent on "white people to validate it'...
It's a matter of simplicity, if you like it, learn about the culture it came from, and if you like the culture behind it, then embrace it.
 
Being clean cut is really not a "Caucasian look". Any Walmart visit will tell you that.
You are right about conditions in 2021.

That is why when people actually see a young man or young lady dressed nicely, they tend to stare in disbelief.

I live near West Hollywood, California. When I walk on the sidewalk, I often see older Russian woman emigrants doing their daily round of grocery shopping. They are always dressed in the kind of nice clothes that they presumably wore before they left Russia. Quite a contrast to how many girls and women of all ethnicities dress today.

I was a teenager in the 1950s. That's when people still dressed nicely.
 
1) She's a smoke show and can have her hair however she wants

2) One of the biggest problems that exists in society is that what someone says on social media is somehow considered "news". This is the media's fault but responsibility is also shared by the people who are fueled by stupidity. People who support this and feed it should be mocked. Don't feed the trolls.






Shay Mitchell gets called out for cultural appropriation: ‘Why would you choose box braids?’

quote
Shay Mitchell is being called out for cultural appropriation after posting a TikTok video in which she's seen in box braids.
The 34-year-old Pretty Little Liars alum posted the video on Wednesday showcasing "fits on fits" that were styled for a photoshoot. And while some praised Mitchell's clothes, many people were up in arms about the Canadian actress styling her hair in braids for some of the looks.
end quote
 
All culture is appropriation. Thats how culture evolves.


Why can't anyone have any cultural appreciation anymore? If you like the style, it should be a good thing you want to wear it. I love braids but there's a "limit" to my braid style? I don't know, I just feel like if you are not mocking it but rocking it, what's the issue?
 
Rapper Look's Evolve ..... and have many variations
They seem not to have a problem with their variations of stylings
1624635178967.png 1624635245738.png 1624635441250.png
 
You are right about conditions in 2021.

That is why when people actually see a young man or young lady dressed nicely, they tend to stare in disbelief.

I live near West Hollywood, California. When I walk on the sidewalk, I often see older Russian woman emigrants doing their daily round of grocery shopping. They are always dressed in the kind of nice clothes that they presumably wore before they left Russia. Quite a contrast to how many girls and women of all ethnicities dress today.

I was a teenager in the 1950s. That's when people still dressed nicely.

Thankfully we have moved on from there. I ain't about to vacuum in a dress and heels thank you very much.

I bet you don't complain about yoga pants.
 
1) She's a smoke show and can have her hair however she wants 1624635558141.png

2) One of the biggest problems that exists in society is that what someone says on social media is somehow considered "news". This is the media's fault but responsibility is also shared by the people who are fueled by stupidity. People who support this and feed it should be mocked. Don't feed the trolls.
Yes, she does Look Good!!!!
 
Yes, she does Look Good!!!!
She can come with her hair like that in the front yard, back yard, living room, kitchen, bedroom, with or without clothes ... and I would not have a problem with it !!!!! :):cool: ...... well,... I'd prefer the clothes on in the front yard. (unless I lived out in the country side !!)

( she could braid the other hair too! :oops: )
 
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You are right about conditions in 2021.

That is why when people actually see a young man or young lady dressed nicely, they tend to stare in disbelief.

I live near West Hollywood, California. When I walk on the sidewalk, I often see older Russian woman emigrants doing their daily round of grocery shopping. They are always dressed in the kind of nice clothes that they presumably wore before they left Russia. Quite a contrast to how many girls and women of all ethnicities dress today.

I was a teenager in the 1950s. That's when people still dressed nicely.
When I was growing up.... if we were going to leave home, even to go to the store... we had to make sure our hair was combed and our clothes were neat.

I don't leave home ungroomed, I don't even like being ungroomed while I'm at home. I do like my worn jeans because they feel comfortable, but they are always clean. I'll often wash new ones over and over and over to try and get the material to relax.

Among the first things I bought since my very first house, was a washing machine... I hated the idea of a Laundry Mat. ... even my first apt, had a laundry room.
one period of time, I even took my tee cotton shirts to the cleaners (because, I had a friend who owned the cleaners).... I don't send them to the cleaners any more...
I still wear cotton tee under a dress shirt, but I buy the type tee's for everyday wear with jeans that are wrinkle free material.

Today, no one like wearing "worn looking tennis shoes' and people spend a lot of time keeping them clean... so do I... Before, when they got old, they were used for lawn work, gardening and such stuff. Now, when they get a bit of wear, its easier to wash them and give them to Goodwill, so someone else can get some usage out of them.

Lately, I just buy a lower cost brand for lawn and gardening work, and then I put them in the washing machine, when they get where they don't look right, they get tossed.
 
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