Cultural Appropriation Accusations

To answer the question I posted in the description, no, unless it is taken to be offensive and/or purposefully misrepresenting of the culture.

Allow me to elaborate my proposition to this topic.

There is nothing wrong if/when someone takes a component of a culture and presents it. Most people don't really consider the idea when a culture is recognized, it is recognized for the better of itself because someone else is putting their personal repertoire on the line.

Why would a celebrity or artist or a random person on the street portray a culture in a bad way?

I have three ideas.

1. The person is uneducated on the culture they are representing
2. They are looking for attention no matter what kind it is (bad, "good", get a rise out of others)
3. They just don't care

For this topic, I took to the internet to find some stories about this. Most of them were about Katy Perry and her AMA performance and I took the time to watch it and after I read a few sites about it.

A few articles were good and looked at both sides, a few swung on either side. But there was one site that made me question, "Why?".

The Atlantic wrote an article on Katy Perry's 'Geisha-style' performance. They said as a whole perspective of their article that it was not okay for Katy Perry to do such a performance because it misrepresents a culture of young Japanese women. Basically they are saying in a nice way that it was racist because of cultural appropriation.

I didn't see/notice anything bad about it, but apparently social media did (surprise, surprise).

There are 3 main 'problems' I see brought up (this includes other sites also) with the performance from these sites.

First, the set-up of the stage is stereotypical.

Wait a minute...

Are they saying that Japanese culture wasn't/isn't of that style? If anything, that would be a pretty darn accurate representation of Japanese culture. Beautiful architecture with the pink cherry blossom tree/leaves and the dressing screens, those are/were part of Japanese culture. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.

Second problem was that she and the dancers dressed up in a way that sexualizes Japanese women.

Well, when you're moving around on stage and doing fancy stuff, I'm sure you would want less clothing restricting you. I don't think many theatrical teachers wearing jeans when they do choreography practices. Also, if that is so bad that she cut a slit down the leg, then women artists in music videos shouldn't be wearing mesh/sheer clothing showing thongs and bras and god-forbid skin or moving in 'sexualizing' ways because that is misrepresenting women saying that they (women) are sexual objects and beings.
For the makeup, apparently that was ''overdone''. This I can understand, but it's not their call. Not all Japanese women wear a "3 inch-layer of makeup" of course, but based on the idea of Japanese art and literature, it's how it is described and drawn mostly. Makeup is considered 'well-mannered' for women in Japan and wherever you walk, you are most likely going to see usually all Japanese women wearing at least the ''bare minimum''.

Third, it wasn't a 'celebration' of Japanese culture.

Okay, so when you claim it isn't a 'celebration' of a culture, you immediately go to the 'appropriation'/'racist' idea?

Well if that's the case then I guess African Americans can't eat Chinese food. Can't wear a sombrero unless you are Mexican-descent. You also can't build a snow cave or igloo unless you belong to the Inuit or Eskimo culture.
Why?
Because no one is 'appreciating' the culture when they/you do it.

I'll just say that's a load of bs.

You can't 'own' a culture. You can only adopt and/or represent a culture. When someone represents a culture and isn't making it offensive or isn't giving it a factually-false light, what exactly makes it "bad" and "racist"?

Those who say that you can't do something because you "aren't part of that culture" and "it's cultural appropriation and/or racist", just ask them, "Then what should I be doing?".

I bet they won't have/give an answer.
Why?
Because then they would be, and are, the cultural appropriationist/racist.

Funny how that works.

All of this reminds me of a funny story.
(Real-life example from a comedian)

I forgot his name, but he appeared on DryBar Comedy and was talking about how crazy our climate on culture is today. He told a story where he was making jokes about blind people and everyone was laughing, but in the midst of the laughing a voice rang out saying, "That's offensive." He then turned towards the person and the audience member said, "You have to stop." He questioned this person, "Why is that? Why should I stop?" She pointed towards an audience member, "I'm offended for him". He pointed to a blind man, "This guy? The blind guy?". She responded, yes. The comedian then asked the blind man, "Sir, do you take offense to my jokes." The blind man said, "No. I think they're funny." He told the "offended" audience member, he's enjoying it. She still says, "Well, I'm offended for him." The comedian then again asks the blind guy, "Sir, do you know that woman?" The blind man responded, "I've never seen her in my life."

This comedian brings up a good point.

Why are people offended for others when it doesn't affect and/or directly impact them?

That would be like me, a white person, getting offended by another white person for playing hip-hop music because they aren't of the black culture.

If a large portion of the group you are representing doesn't like what you are doing, then maybe you gotta reconsider it or maybe do some more research because there may be something misrepresented (usually of a negative light) in what you are presenting.

So in all,

If someone is representing a culture in a bad way in a prejudice form of exploitation, then yes, call them out because they are giving a group of people a bad rap because of 'pretentionous' (if that is the appropiate word to use).

Other than that, I don't see what the problem is with people having other cultures not being their own be represented.

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