A while ago Ijeoma Oluo (the Black woman who interviewed Rachel Dolezal ) wrote a great article about cultural appropriation. In it she wrote...
"The system is its own means and ends. It will do little to simply remove one of the players from its place on the ladder — the system has reserves to put in its place. To change the hierarchy, we must take a sledgehammer to the pillars that make the system itself."
Basically what you guys said on the podcast, systematic racism makes cultural appropriation possible and not Bruno and definitely not Black people. In a better world without racism Bruno would just be a guy influenced by Black music. Unfortunately we do live in world with racism and blaming Black people isn't going to make it go away. I wish Black people would stop saying shit like y'all let so & so into the culture and look what happen! We don't have that much control or power!
With that being said, peoples response was to that lady was over the top.
When it comes to cultural appropriation in the United States, I am sometimes hesitant to call it because how can you tell if someone is appropriating? Things like Hip-hop culture and gay-drag culture have become so ubiquitous it could should slip into your regular routine or style. I've been saying things like "shade," "tea," and "y'aaaaaas queen" without actually knowing where it came from because it was just around me all the time. I use yiddish words like Mazel Tov and Puerto Rican slang because I live in NYC not because I'm appropriating. Listening to Bruno Mars second album, I definitely heard a Michael Jackson and Prince influence but I don't think I would consider him stealing that style. He always talked about his influences.
A while ago Ijeoma Oluo (the Black woman who interviewed Rachel Dolezal ) wrote a great article about cultural appropriation. In it she wrote...
"The system is its own means and ends. It will do little to simply remove one of the players from its place on the ladder — the system has reserves to put in its place. To change the hierarchy, we must take a sledgehammer to the pillars that make the system itself."
Basically what you guys said on the podcast, systematic racism makes cultural appropriation possible and not Bruno and definitely not Black people. In a better world without racism Bruno would just be a guy influenced by Black music. Unfortunately we do live in world with racism and blaming Black people isn't going to make it go away. I wish Black people would stop saying shit like y'all let so & so into the culture and look what happen! We don't have that much control or power!
With that being said, peoples response was to that lady was over the top.
Ijeoma Oluo's article https://tinyurl.com/ya4r8hm7
When it comes to cultural appropriation in the United States, I am sometimes hesitant to call it because how can you tell if someone is appropriating? Things like Hip-hop culture and gay-drag culture have become so ubiquitous it could should slip into your regular routine or style. I've been saying things like "shade," "tea," and "y'aaaaaas queen" without actually knowing where it came from because it was just around me all the time. I use yiddish words like Mazel Tov and Puerto Rican slang because I live in NYC not because I'm appropriating. Listening to Bruno Mars second album, I definitely heard a Michael Jackson and Prince influence but I don't think I would consider him stealing that style. He always talked about his influences.