Listen up folks, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room: cultural appropriation. Now, before you start freaking out and accusing me of being a politically correct snowflake, let me clarify something: cultural appropriation is a real thing, but it’s not what you think it is. It’s not about wearing a kimono to a Halloween party or eating sushi with chopsticks. It’s about making money off of someone else’s culture without giving anything back.
But here’s the thing, most people aren’t actually doing that. They’re just showing an interest in other cultures and trying to experience something new. And guess what? The rest of the world is totally cool with that. In fact, they’re flattered! But for some reason, Americans seem to be the only ones getting all bent out of shape about it.
Take Japan for example. Tourists dress up in kimonos and participate in festivals all the time, and the Japanese people aren’t offended. They actually appreciate the interest in their culture. But in the US, if someone wears a kimono to a party, they’re suddenly accused of being racist. It’s just ridiculous.
And let’s talk about ninja costumes for a second. Yes, actual ninja were real people who had certain skills and training. But guess what else they were? Rural samurai who had additional training in spying and scouting. They didn’t walk around wearing black pajamas with throwing stars all over them. They dressed like normal people, because they were normal people. So when you put on a ninja costume and go to a Halloween party, you’re not “appropriating” anything. You’re just having a little fun.
But here’s the real kicker: culture is not something that can be owned. It’s constantly evolving and spreading. So even if you are “appropriating” something, it’s not like you’re stealing it from someone. It’s just part of the natural flow of things.
So the next time you want to wear a kimono to a party or dress up like a ninja for Halloween, don’t let anyone tell you it’s wrong. Just be respectful and don’t be a jerk about it. And if someone from that culture tells you they’re cool with it, then you’re good to go. Now excuse me while I go eat some sushi with chopsticks, because I’m not about to let some made-up issue stop me from enjoying something delicious.
