Cultural appropriation of black people
Ben Forster
27th July, 2013
Dear Dodai,
I am writing to you in regard to the article you recently published titled ‘On Miley Cyrus, Ratchet Culture and Accessorizing With Black People’. After reading this article, it got to me that Miley is just trying too be ‘cool’. Now, that is perfectly fine, but as you said, it isn’t acceptable that she is trying to replicate black people. She is trying to culturally appropriate ‘black culture’.
In the video you wrote about, Miley is seen doing everything she can to show that she is from the ‘hood’. She is seen twerking with black women, which is as we understand just an act to try to get 'street cred’.
But I have to disagree with the part where you pointed out that white women are put in the centre, whereas black women are put off at the side. Maybe the directors thought that it looked better. It in no way shows that the black women are in service to her. All I’m trying to say here is it might not have been intentional.
You also brought up the popularisation of the ‘Ghetto’ culture over the past decade, which may have influenced the nature of her video. Before, being ghetto was looked down upon, as were black people. But soon, it just became the next cool thing! Everyone now talks about being ‘ghetto fabulous’ and white rappers like Macklemore now wear gold gold nameplates and necklaces, which is a part of black culture. This is very harmful and offensive, as the black community couldn’t do anything about it.
The analogy you made that compared Miley Cyrus trying to be from the hood and of dressing up kids as if they were homeless during Halloween also struck me. Miley Cyrus and her team need to keep in mind how the blacks, whose culture they have appropriated, are suffering. They are born in an environment where people are underprivileged, undereducated, oppressed, underrepresented, disenfranchised, systemically discriminated against and struggling in a system set up to insure that they fail. Todays artists have to be mindful, when they are trying to replicate another culture such as the black, hip-hop ghetto culture. As you have said ,”… blackness is not a piece of jewelry you can slip on when you want a confidence booster or a cool look. And playing at being poor — while earning a profit by doing so — is just distasteful.”
Yours sincerely,
Ben Forster
Ben Forster
27th July, 2013
Dear Dodai,
I am writing to you in regard to the article you recently published titled ‘On Miley Cyrus, Ratchet Culture and Accessorizing With Black People’. After reading this article, it got to me that Miley is just trying too be ‘cool’. Now, that is perfectly fine, but as you said, it isn’t acceptable that she is trying to replicate black people. She is trying to culturally appropriate ‘black culture’.
In the video you wrote about, Miley is seen doing everything she can to show that she is from the ‘hood’. She is seen twerking with black women, which is as we understand just an act to try to get 'street cred’.
But I have to disagree with the part where you pointed out that white women are put in the centre, whereas black women are put off at the side. Maybe the directors thought that it looked better. It in no way shows that the black women are in service to her. All I’m trying to say here is it might not have been intentional.
You also brought up the popularisation of the ‘Ghetto’ culture over the past decade, which may have influenced the nature of her video. Before, being ghetto was looked down upon, as were black people. But soon, it just became the next cool thing! Everyone now talks about being ‘ghetto fabulous’ and white rappers like Macklemore now wear gold gold nameplates and necklaces, which is a part of black culture. This is very harmful and offensive, as the black community couldn’t do anything about it.
The analogy you made that compared Miley Cyrus trying to be from the hood and of dressing up kids as if they were homeless during Halloween also struck me. Miley Cyrus and her team need to keep in mind how the blacks, whose culture they have appropriated, are suffering. They are born in an environment where people are underprivileged, undereducated, oppressed, underrepresented, disenfranchised, systemically discriminated against and struggling in a system set up to insure that they fail. Todays artists have to be mindful, when they are trying to replicate another culture such as the black, hip-hop ghetto culture. As you have said ,”… blackness is not a piece of jewelry you can slip on when you want a confidence booster or a cool look. And playing at being poor — while earning a profit by doing so — is just distasteful.”
Yours sincerely,
Ben Forster
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