Everyday Appropriation

About a month ago I was comfortably reclined, with a mug of Tea Pigs, getting royally engrossed in the Great Sport Relief Bake Off. Now, not only is The Great British Bake Off probably the best thing ever to air on British television, but, Bake Off for charity? With hilarious celebrity lineups? I was in heaven. Until the fateful moment when Maddy Hill (Eastenders, for all you cultured folks) was shoddily piping ‘Namaste’ onto her yoga-inspired show-stopper. She looked up to the camera and said…

“It’s a Yogi greeting. It means, like.. good health.”

I sat up in shock. It was mostly shock that she’d overtaken SamCam for the person I hated most in that episode. But it was also shock that, for someone who claims to be a lifelong Yoga lover, Maddy appeared to have absolutely no fucking inch of knowledge about the cultural past behind the widespread popularity of yoga.

 Namaste is a respectful form of greeting in the Hindu culture, and stems its most widespread usage from India, the Indian diaspora, and Nepal. It’s derived from Sanskrit, and is usually spoken alongside a slight bow, and gesturing in a prayer-like movement with your hands pressed together. Originally, it had nothing to do with yoga. It’s also used within temples as an expression of politeness, curtesy, and hospitality to guests, and is one of the 16 Upacharas used in deity worship. Literally, nothing to do with yoga.

The history of Yoga is filled with unknowns, but it’s more or less accepted that it originated in India around 5000 years ago. It’s a method whereby one unifies their body and their mind through meditation and movement, to achieve the perfect, balanced state. In sanskrit, yoga originates from ‘yuj’, which literally means ‘to join’, or ‘to yoke’. Yoga first hit Western scenes around the 50s, when Indra Devi, the owner of a Hollywood studio, started publishing books about the meditative process. Richard Hittleman returned to Hollywood from India and started his own Yoga-based tv show in the 60s, and the rest’s history. It caught on. Now white girls strut all over Shoreditch with a Yoga mat in tow.

It’s more or less accepted that, given the spirituality that practicing yoga originally came with, Namaste was used in respectfully acknowledging the spirit within one another before or after practicing. So, yeah… “like good health”.

Other than this, from what I’ve seen, Maddy Hill looks like an all-round great gal. She shared a shit load of great, empowering, inter-sectional posts for International Women’s Day, and she ripped into The Sun after their countdown of the best cleavages at this year’s Oscars. (They called in the Titsee Index. It’s 2016, for fuck’s sake…)

So, I don’t wanna go off on one about how Maddy Hill is an ignorant dickhead. I mean, I think she was a lil’ bit, but, I think that at the end of the day she’s just part of a much ignorant-ier, dickhead-ier problem with everyday cultural appropriation. Things within our everyday lives which have come so far from their original cultural setting that we apparently completely dismiss their heritage altogether.

For a no-nonsense explanation of Cultural Appropriation, check out the short video by Marina over here. So basically anything Katy Perry does, right? Prettymuch. There’s a very fine line between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Exchange, but generally you’ll know it’s appropriation if there’s no real understanding of the heritage, significance or meaning of whatever it is you might be worried about appropriating.

Examples where the lines, in my eyes, are a little blurred, include the recent obsession with Sak Yant tattoos amongst travellers in Thailand. Angelina Jolie has one and, yes, it’s fucking beautiful. But that doesn’t excuse the millions of tourists rocking up onto Koh Samui and getting the cheapest bamboo Sak Yant they can find. This isn’t a particularly new phenomenon- Sak Yant tattoos have been appearing in the West ever since the American GIs who passed through Bangkok for some R&R during the Vietnam war.  But then Angelina sported one, and, with Thailand quickly becoming the number one fashionable destination for young travellers, it was inevitable that they’d want to follow suit.

The problematic element of Sak Yant appropriation is that little try to understand the significance of such a strongly spiritual inking. Many Thai’s believe that the tattoo’d scripture can make them literally bulletproof, and all would agree that it brings prosperity and protection. In Thai culture, the head is the most sacred part of the body, and so the tradition for Sak Yant to be placed on the upper shoulder blades is ancient- with many Buddhist monks even inking their entire head and neck. When many Westerners are seen with their tattoos lower than the shoulder blades, or even lower than the waist, this says to the Thais that the scripture bares no spiritual significance to them, or, that they don’t understand it. It becomes even more problematic when depictions of religious deities are built into the design, as many buddhists believe it to be disrespectful to use the depiction of buddha for decoration. Some are even calling for a complete ban on the use of buddha in any tattoos. In April 2014, a British nurse was thrown out of Sri Lanka when it was noticed that she sported a tattoo of Buddha on her arm. She insisted that she was a devout buddhist who bore the tattoo as a sign of respect, but considering the traditional attitude towards the depiction of buddha, many felt this was a little ironic. Myanmar have also been recently cracking down on appropriation, jailing a New Zealand bar manager in March 2015 when he used an image of Buddha wearing headphones to advertise a cheap drinks night.

 I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of this is some Grade A Cultural Appropriation, but I guess the lines can get a little blurred when a genuine buddhist traveller might actually spend a considerable amount of time engrossing themselves into Thai culture, fully understanding the significance of Sak Yant, and having it performed according to the traditional ritual. Which, usually takes a huge amount of time with ones Ajarn (or master) when studying buddhism, and the scripture tattooed are their rules for you to live by in order for you to receive full spiritual potential. Then, I think, it counts as cultural exchange. But, hell, if I see a white girl with a Sak Yant tattoo I’m still probably going to jump to the immediate conclusion that she has no idea of the cultural significance of what’s on her body. But, at least the money she paid went to the country from which the trend originated, rather than buying it from a western tattooist, right? 

Adding up every part of our Western fashion that could come under the heading of cultural appropriation can start to get very messy very quickly. There’s been a huge debate following the recent explosion of the ‘Aztec’ print trend (see blogs This is not Aztec and Cultures Are Not Trends), and the development behind the mass production of traditional patterns for Western capital gain, with little or no knowledge of the origin or significance by the producer or the consumer. And I think that’s where we’re going wrong. I think if we were fully aware of the ritual significance behind most of the things we buy from Topshop, many of us wouldn’t buy them at all. I don’t think this is necessarily the fault of the consumer. Yes, we should all be more culturally aware, but at the end of the day, maybe the Western producers and designers should finally stop screwing over indigenous populations for their own capital gain.

Go to Thailand and get your Sak Yant, just make sure your money is benefiting those to whom this ritual is of traditional significance. Bake your shitty Bake-Off showstopper, but learn where in the hell the word Namaste came from. As I’ve wanted to say in almost every discussion I’ve ever had- This is not about you. 

 

Still Confused? Still wonder why you feel guilty every time you go into Urban Outfitters? Check These… 

OKNAMASTE: Should We Stop Saying Namaste At The End Of Yoga Class?

Fashionista’s The Good, The Bad And The Offensive, a run-through of 2015’s biggest appropriation culprits

An capsule window into the sacred practices of Sak Yant over on Thailand’s Independent Newspaper The Nation

An in-depth discussion of the cultural insensitivity of Western Yoga: Like It Or Not, Western Yoga Is A Textbook Example Of Cultural Appropriation

And then, just, Katy Perry.

Response: 18 Things Females Seem To Not Understand (Because, Female Privilege)

Or 18 Things Mark Saunders Doesn’t Realise Gender Equality is Just The Answer To

If you haven’t read the original post, go have a look at it over here first

1.“Female privilege is being able to walk down the street at night without people crossing the street because they’re automatically afraid of you.”

Boohoo. People cross the street when they see you. It must be so hard for you- almost as hard as not wanting to walk home alone in the first place for fear of being attacked. But you’re right, Mark, it must be so awful to have your feelings hurt by someone crossing the road. Your life is so hard.

2.“Female privilege is being able to approach someone and ask them out without being labeled “creepy.””

I think we’d all agree that respectfully and politely asking a woman if she’d like to go out with you is not creepy. Maybe if we finally break down these ridiculous gender boundaries, both women and men will be able to have open and honest conversations without the fear of being judged. How are we going to achieve that, Mark? That’s right. You said it… with promoting gender equality.

3. “Female privilege is being able to get drunk and have sex without being considered a rapist. Female privilege is being able to engage in the same action as another person but be considered the innocent party by default.”

If anyone, a man or woman, is too drunk to consent, then it’s rape. The article you’ve linked doesn’t specify exactly how drunk or sober the accused rapist was compared to the victim, and so we’re only to assume that he was lesser inebriated than she was. It does, however, mention her “near-asleep body”, which I think speaks volumes in itself.

Do you disagree with the claim made in this article? Do you think it wasn’t rape because he might’ve been drunk too? Do you think it wasn’t rape because she flirted with him? Because she kissed him? Because she invited him in (after he’d followed her home…)?

Do you think it wasn’t rape when he carried on having sex with her lifeless, “near-asleep” body?

Do you think that because she didn’t say no, she said yes?

If these roles were reversed, and a sexually assaulted man were to speak up, then I would treat it just as seriously. Sadly, the society we live in makes it very difficult for men to admit when a woman overpowers or harms them, and the only way that that’s ever going to change is by promoting gender equality.

4. Female privilege is being able to turn on the TV and see yourself represented in a positive way. Female privilege is shows like King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond where women are portrayed as attractive, competent people while men are shown as ugly, lazy slobs.

So this is the part of the article that I got to and realised it was satire. Wait… is it? No. No this article is serious. This man seriously thinks that women are portrayed positively in television sitcoms. Has this man ever actually watched a TV?

I am just going to let the shit loads of studies on female representation in sitcoms and the negative impact this has on opinions of women speak for me here.

Numero Uno

More here

Look, another one

This could go on for days

5. “Female privilege is the idea that women and children should be the first rescued from any sort of emergency situation. Female privilege is saving yourself before you save others and not being viewed as a monster.”

This is another argument in favour of gender equality, Mark, isn’t it. This is all starting to get a bit tedious.

Shall we stop portraying men as macho-hunks, and women as delicate little flowers? YES. OF COURSE WE SHOULD. THAT IS LITERALLY THE BASIS UPON WHICH FEMINISM WAS FORMED.

…although I would like to question your point a little here. Are you saying that children shouldn’t be rescued first? I’d like to hear your reasoning on that one.

6. “Female privilege is being able to decide not to have a child.”

Shit. You’re so right. I am so privileged when it comes to my reproductive rights. I am honestly swimming in guilt-free, de-stigmatised options and… oh, what’s that? ABORTION IS STILL ILLEGAL IN 25% OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD? AND ANTI-ABORTION PROTESTERS WILL HARASS ME OUTSIDE A CLINIC IF I CHOOSE TERMINATION?

It sounds a lot like most women don’t have a decision, actually Mark…

7. “Female privilege is not having to support a child financially for 18 years when you didn’t want to have it in the first place.”

Here is a nice website called Dad Info which nicely clarifies how both parents are legally obliged to pay child support only if they want involvement with the child. 

Want nothing to do with you kid? Your call. No legal obligations to pay child support. None. Literally none. Gender neutral.

8. “Female privilege is never being told to “take it like a man” or “man up.””

Yeeeeeeeeeeeah and this is another argument for gender equality, isn’t it. I’m starting to think you’re probably just a feminist in denial.

9. “Female privilege is knowing that people would take it as a gravely serious issue if someone raped you. Female privilege is being able to laugh at a “prison rape” joke.”

When you say ‘take it as a gravely serious issue’, did you in fact mean ‘ask what you were wearing/ whether you’d been drinking/ whether you were walking home alone late at night?’.

It’s also not female privilege to be able to laugh at a rape joke. Women get raped in all-female prisons, too.

I’m just going to direct you to this little gem, which I think highlights that the real rape joke prevalence is that against women…

Really funny. Is that a bit of male privilege I can see?

10. “Female privilege is being able to divorce your spouse when your marriage is no longer working because you know you will most likely be granted custody of your children.”

Is it though? Or it is the knowledge that if your male spouse is the breadwinner and you’ve been raising the children for 20 years, you’ll have no finances in which to fund a divorce or a new life outside of your marriage? We can argue about traditional family values and the shit that family law puts that through, but at the end of the day, this is just another argument for gender equality. Ffs.

11. “Female privilege is being able to call the police in a domestic dispute knowing they will take your side. Female privilege is not having your gender work against where police are involved.”

Gender. Equality.

12. “Female privilege is being able to be caring or empathetic without people being surprised.”

Like I don’t want to say it again. Don’t make me.

13. “Female privilege is not having to take your career seriously because you can depend on marrying someone who makes more money than you do. Female privilege is being able to be a “stay at home mom” and not seem like a loser.”

Fuck you. All kinds of fuck off. And also go fuck yourself.

This is not a privilege. Being seen as the weaker sex, and unable to provide for oneself and needing the help of a man, is not. a fucking. privilege.

…also, is this another reason we need gender equality? MIGHT BE.

14. “Female privilege is being able to cry your way out of a speeding ticket.”

I’m going to assume you got this point from the high-profile comments made by celebrity lawyer ‘Mr.Loophole’, who said that women appear ‘complex, emotional, hormonal and different’ in court.

Even though this guy totally got Andrew Flintoff off on a loophole for his speeding charge.

I’m not going to say the words again. I’m just going to put the initials G.E. here.

15. “Female privilege is being favored by teachers in elementary, middle and high school. Female privilege is graduating high school more often, being accepted to more colleges, and generally being encouraged and supported along the way.”

Oooooooh, you mean along the way to all the high profile jobs we get into? All the equal representation we have in parliament?

That’s probably why women hold only 14% of CEO positions, and only 29% of MPs are women (embarrassingly, this is praised as an all-time high).

You wanna argue women are favoured in schools? Cool. I haven’t got any statistics to prove you wrong. I’ve actually found some really reliable sources proving that girls are  statistically outperforming boys at school. Whatever your reasoning for this (and, in the article, it’s voluntary extra participation, rather that teachers favouritism), you can’t argue against the fact that the educational advancement of women has not as yet translated into female inclusion at the very top echelons of society. No privilege here, soz.

16. “Female privilege being able to have an opinion without someone tell you you’re just “a butthurt fedora-wearing neckbeard who can’t get any.””

Yes. Because women’s opinions always get heard and valued.

 

Just to clarify, those were the words “there was blood coming out of her wherever”.

This is another point on the list that makes me think it must all just be hilarious satire…

17. “Female privilege is being able to talk about sexism without appearing self-serving.”

Get more men talking. Get more EVERYONE talking. The sooner all of us start talking about sexism, the sooner you’ll just look like another guy addressing the issues.

18. “Female privilege is arrogantly believing that sexism only applies to women.”

Nope. Think we’ve all just come through 17 points proving that sexism hurts both men and women. Think we’ve all just agreed that gender equality is the answer… #oopsIsaiditagain

 

Want a concise response where ‘Gender Equality’ wasn’t the only answer? 

Have a look at this little gem.

Oh and there’s another one here.

This one, too. Seems a load of us don’t agree with this guy, huh?

People think you’re just a massive example of Male Privilege, Mark. Look.

They think that the concept of female privilege might be quite dangerous, actually.

How odd.