Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats
- Thread starter GasBandit
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That's exactly what I thought would happen. They're shutting down? Fat fucking chance, they're just gonna close up shop and start Mambridge Hanalytica.
figmentPez
Staff member
I've been thinking about the Chinese dress at prom and the talk of cultural appropriation. First, let me say that I think the term needs to exist, because it descriptive of something that's observable in sociology. California sushi rolls, Washington D.C. buildings copying Greek style, and the use of Christian imagery in JRPGs among many other things. Cultural appropriation is a thing that happens, and my understanding is that the term is neutral as used in sociology to apply to what is inevitable any time two cultures interact.
However, based on my understanding, wearing a dress from another culture isn't cultural appropriation. That dress wasn't made part of white culture in any way. She didn't change it, she didn't make it part of prom tradition, she just wore it. It's like eating authentic sushi. Consumption of another culture. It's not cultural appropriation until a person or culture takes something and makes it part of it's own. Like how the California Roll has certainly been adopted into US culture, and is viewed as an American take on Japanese food.
And it's the cultural impact that's the important part. If I take Lemon Curd and use it to make PB&J, that's not cultural appropriation. No matter how British lemon curd is, or how uncommon PB&J is in the UK, my mixing of the two has no cultural impact, and is not a cultural statement. It's just a weird sandwich that I happen to find tasty. Now if I were a chef, and serving it in a restaurant started a trend, and it was associated with some food movement emblematic of the blending of the two cultures... then, yeah.
Western women have been wearing Chinese style dresses since the 50s, at least. There have been cases of it being cultural appropriation to do so, especially when it's been done in movies and other media as a type of symbolism. However, one teen girl wearing the dress is not her, as an individual, practicing cultural appropriation, and It's sad seeing the term misused that way, especially as a way to attack someone.
No real point to my rambling. Just my mind has been way too noisy while I'm sick, and I'm letting some of the noise out.
However, based on my understanding, wearing a dress from another culture isn't cultural appropriation. That dress wasn't made part of white culture in any way. She didn't change it, she didn't make it part of prom tradition, she just wore it. It's like eating authentic sushi. Consumption of another culture. It's not cultural appropriation until a person or culture takes something and makes it part of it's own. Like how the California Roll has certainly been adopted into US culture, and is viewed as an American take on Japanese food.
And it's the cultural impact that's the important part. If I take Lemon Curd and use it to make PB&J, that's not cultural appropriation. No matter how British lemon curd is, or how uncommon PB&J is in the UK, my mixing of the two has no cultural impact, and is not a cultural statement. It's just a weird sandwich that I happen to find tasty. Now if I were a chef, and serving it in a restaurant started a trend, and it was associated with some food movement emblematic of the blending of the two cultures... then, yeah.
Western women have been wearing Chinese style dresses since the 50s, at least. There have been cases of it being cultural appropriation to do so, especially when it's been done in movies and other media as a type of symbolism. However, one teen girl wearing the dress is not her, as an individual, practicing cultural appropriation, and It's sad seeing the term misused that way, especially as a way to attack someone.
No real point to my rambling. Just my mind has been way too noisy while I'm sick, and I'm letting some of the noise out.
In a similar vein, there's "crossing the color line" - which is basically when a white person gets a little comfortable in the company of people of color, and goes a little too far in trying to fit in. Like saying, "N-word please," even it's been said dozens of times by everyone else, is a huge no-no. Or, two examples from this week's "Showtime at the Apollo" - a white musician/comedian/magician was recording samples of the sounds he was making while doing tricks, and the crowd was kind of getting into it, until he went, "WHUT" like a rapper would. The crowd turned immediately, started booing, and he got pulled off the stage by The Sandman. Later in the show, a middle-aged white soccer mom was doing stand up comedy. She was winning over the crowd by getting a little raunchy. ie "It's true, I do like my coffee like I like my men.... hot and on the table. I know, you thought I was going to say I like my men black. *beat* I'm not that particular." The crowd was getting into it. Then she stepped right over the color line, and it was like she hit a landmine full of jeers. She said, "I'm so ashy...." and the crowd went from entertained to enraged instantly.
For those who don't know, "ashy" is when a black person's skin gets dry and looks like it's got a veneer of whitish-gray dust on it. She was I guess kind of implying that she was actually black, and, well...
For those who don't know, "ashy" is when a black person's skin gets dry and looks like it's got a veneer of whitish-gray dust on it. She was I guess kind of implying that she was actually black, and, well...
Is there a screen cap? The tweet seems to be gone.
figmentPez
Staff member
Not the tweet, but the story it was talking about:
Four Women Accuse New York’s Attorney General of Physical Abuse
Annnnnd he's gone. Just resigned.
If you're holding out for seppuku, fat chance.
Impressed of what? He's clearly a weakling that couldn't even double down on being a violent asshat... and, as history has shown, that only leads to you losing elections.
What he should have done is asked about Hillary's e-mails...
It seems nobody knows who his successor will be, either.
Many people appear to be pushing for that person to be a woman, and I assume no small number of these people are basing that recommendation solely on gender, as some sort of revenge thing for previously having had Schneiderman in the position (i.e., SJWs).
I sincerely hope whichever person gets the job is someone chosen for their ability to do the job, and not merely their phenotype.
--Patrick
Many people appear to be pushing for that person to be a woman, and I assume no small number of these people are basing that recommendation solely on gender, as some sort of revenge thing for previously having had Schneiderman in the position (i.e., SJWs).
I sincerely hope whichever person gets the job is someone chosen for their ability to do the job, and not merely their phenotype.
--Patrick
figmentPez
Staff member
In lighter political news, this is how you fail your diplomacy check:
Netanyahu puts wrong foot forward by serving Japan’s Abe dessert in a shoe
Who serves dessert in a shoe anyway? I thought the trend of serving food on dirty looking rocks and wood was bad enough.
Netanyahu puts wrong foot forward by serving Japan’s Abe dessert in a shoe
Who serves dessert in a shoe anyway? I thought the trend of serving food on dirty looking rocks and wood was bad enough.
figmentPez
Staff member
Yeah, and that's actual gold dust sprinkled on the chocolate, and not gold bond medicated powder, but I still wouldn't want to have that possible association looming around. That shoe looks realistic enough to bring to mind the scents of shoe polish an sweaty feet. Not things I want to bring to mind when eating or serving chocolate.
To be fair, my first reaction to that picture was "huh, looks like a Saint Nicholas treat". Like Americans hand stockings, we put out our shoes, and we get candy (chocolate, cookies, tangerines,...) in them.
While I'm not entirely aware of a similar thing in Israel or Jewish culture, I wouldn't bet against it.
If one of Israel's notable exports was wingtip shoes, then perhaps this would have been ok - odd, but understandable.
As-is, though, it's very strange at best.
But someone had to have sat down and thought about this and deliberately chosen it, and perhaps even had the shoes crafted just for this occasion.
That person is nuts.
"But why a shoe, cousin, why not a bowl ..."
As-is, though, it's very strange at best.
But someone had to have sat down and thought about this and deliberately chosen it, and perhaps even had the shoes crafted just for this occasion.
That person is nuts.
"But why a shoe, cousin, why not a bowl ..."
I figured they were just trying to copy Jose Andres and his ubiquitous glass shoes filled with bar snacks. I mean, you can't go a week on r/WeWantPlates without seeing one of his damn shoes full of fried mozz or poppers.
Because it's dumb you twit, it'll OFFEND more!
Of, right, you guys can get a licence at 16... but no booze until 21... that makes total sense...
"It's probably just me. If driving were as dangerous as it seems, hundreds of people would be dying every day! "
Playing Devil's Advocate...I wonder what the drink driving rate among new drivers is in America compared to other countries where the drinking/driving ages are closer together. Not that I think that's the reason for the high drinking age but like i said playing DA (not that one).
It's a valid question...should you learn how to drink responsibly before you drive, or drive responsibly before you drink?
--Patrick
The high drinking age in America has everything to do with the low driving age.
I grew up in East Texas when the drinking age changed to 19 then 21. Then Louisiana left their drinking age at 18 for at least a decade until the Federal Government forced the change. East Texas Teens died by the hundreds each year making the weekend pilgrimage to Shreveport.
There are lots of people who never learn to do either.
I like the concept that there may be alcohol change deniers - people who believe alcohol doesn't change people and is safe at any age.
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/alcohol-can-rewire-teenage-brain
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122765890
https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh284/205-212.htm
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol/understanding-affects-on-body.html
But, you know, if binge driving, driving addiction, and underage driving become prevalent among our youth we can then have a discussion about increasing the driving age.
Are you actually telling me that the government can't stop illegal drugs from getting to people, but it can stop teenagers from getting their hands on alcohol?