Get the Feed
You Are What You Wear
After purchasing a "really cool messenger bag" — featuring a red star and a quote in Chinese lettering from Mao Zedong — Vincent Williams of the Baltimore City Paper begins contemplating the risks we are all taking "when cultural history gets appropriated into popular culture": One of the facets of our symbol-driven culture is that often we advertise aspects of our value system and beliefs just from what we're wearing. One of the most popular examples of this phenomenon is, of course, sports paraphernalia. You like a certain team and, to show that affection, you wear a cap or jersey. This concept can easily be applied to television shows, musicians, politicians, whatever.
Every now and then, however, this also means that you're putting yourself out there for people to challenge your fidelity to the subject matter.
He then discusses the time when a stranger confronted him about wearing a John Coltrane t-shirt: I think my man was going to take the shirt right off my back if I didn't know that McCoy Tyner was one of Coltrane's pianists. And, y'know, I don't really have any hard feelings over it. Every now and then, I see some young whippersnapper wearing a Run-DMC shirt and have to stifle the urge to grab 'em and demand they recite the lyrics to "Can You Rock It Like This." I mean, if you're wearing it, you should be able to talk about it, right? Of course, when it's politics you are advertising, things get "trickier." Ultimately, though, Williams only raises some interesting questions but doesn't pursue them. To get a more in-depth look at the complications — and costs — of cultural appropriation, check out Mimi Nguyen's analysis of "Orientalist Kitsch" — where she deconstructs the disturbing images that graced Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirts a few years back.
Posted at 7:05 PM | Permalink | | 
Email
| 
Print
