hey this is regarding the 'alexis not appropriating native culture' post - can you elaborate as to how she didn't appropriate and as you said some of the other queens have in the past, how did they appropriate? ( just wanting to be a little more educated thanks :)
Putting it here as well so that the explanation shows up in the tags:
Ok so since making what was essentially a rant post this has gotten quite a few notes and has some people questioning it about cultural appropriation.
And tbh they are fair questions. As a matter of fact, I came across an article while writing this that states that what was done was cultural appropriation, but it was written by a white woman who resides in England so safe to say that they are not a) educated enough to say it was and b) it’s not her culture so really like this original post said, she should stay out of it and inform herself what it is before putting together a sham article with the only other people weighing in on it are white, (I noticed not a single native tweet was put in there nor was there a single native person weighing in on the topic). But that’s another topic for another day.
Now the general definition of cultural appropriation is this: something that is taken from another culture that is very sacred and used in inappropriate means.
Now let’s take a look at Alexis’s outfit (please excuse John Polly):
Let’s see there’s a bow in her hair, a turquoise corset, and a printed generic skirt. Let’s see turquoise has been in fashion since the hippy’s discovered them from native’s in the 70′s, the print on the skirt is so generic tbh you could find that in any place, and a literal bow in her hair CAUSE PUNS. Actually this outfit was so generic when I showed it to my mother she asked, “How is THAT native?”
This is honestly so fricking innocent, it’s not taking anything sacred or disrespecting in any kind of way. (TBH I know several dancers who really want that corset right now). Nothing sacred is used that hasn’t been in fashion for forever and is honestly so generic. I literally find nothing wrong (cultural appropriation wise, that wig is another story) with this outfit. If anything she honors it and is inspired and NOT TRYING TO RIP IT OFF AND PASS IT OFF AS SOMETHING NEW ENTIRELY (which is another important part of cultural appropriation).
Now let’s get onto the other queens who did:
Please note I love these queens myself so this is not hate, as a Native, I just have a serious issue with these outfits and the judgement that went into them, or complete lack of judgement.
The most obvious one is Raja:
Like where the fuck do you even start with how fucking cultural l insensitive that is? YOU DO NOT USE HEADDRESSES LIKE THIS! You don’t! Not only that but the fact that most queens/people when they hear Native they think scantily clad and just no. These are SACRED! You don’t use them in cosplay, you don’t use them as “costumes.” Just no!
If it wasn’t alright for Karlie Kloss to go down the Victoria’s Secret runway in a headdress it’s not alright for Raja either (who might I remind you is Indonesian, not Native American).
And then let’s go to the biggest pet peeve of mine for this whole situation that happened JUST THIS SEASON:
Hypersexualized, mismatched, totally misses the mark. The bones around her neck, are used as armor, not as a pretty necklace. They were used to protect warriors from arrows.
Not only is Alexis’s so much tamer, but I DID NOT SEE Y’ALL COMING FOR TRINITY EARLIER WHEN SHE DID THIS SHIT. I DID NOT SEE ONE OF Y’ALL SAY “GIVE IT A BOOT FOR CULTURAL APPROPRIATION!” NOT ONE OF YOU. And honestly this is if I remember correctly she described as a Tiger Lily fantasy. You know get reference the British man’s wetdream of a native woman.
So no, unless y’all are gonna go in on Trinity and her way worse interpretation of native american that is actual appropriation, I don’t want to hear one peep from y’all about Alexis’s innocent getup.
lord! how ya’ll gonna mess up and simplify cultural appropriation so damn bad like this person who said Alexis’ costume is not cultural appropriation .. it is. So was Rajas, and so was Trinity’s. Your definition of cultural appropriation needs some work. I need citations.
Alexis’ costume is not innocent, Turquoise is sacred to some indigenous people in the south. Regardless, Alexis’ look makes a fucking costume out of Native people… which is problematic and again erasing of people. BUT the issue is that Native American is a fucking category to begin with.
Ya’ll I came back to my tumblr after 3 years of not logging on just to write how ridiculous this explanation of cultural appropriation is.
goes to say… don’t get your education from tumblr alone. Read some stufffff.
