[lbo-talk] cultural appropriation (was: Wish I Was In Dixie)

ravi ravi at platosbeard.org
Wed Nov 21 08:57:19 PST 2007


On Nov 21, 2007, at 8:46 AM, bitch at pulpculture.org wrote:
>
> What do you make of the arguments of late about cultural
> appropriation?
> There are some args floating around the Internet (and I assume
> elsewhere)
> about how people shouldn't do yoga, listen to rap, eat sashimi,
> wear ...

I have no beef about the West adopting this or that Eastern/Indian practice, modifying it, etc. I do find it amusing to note [what to me seems to be] the typical US packaging and implementation of the thing -- in this case 'yoga' -- in comparison to how it was done back in the day. One only need look at old Iyengar vs Madonna, two practitioners of yoga, to see that difference. With Indians now imitating the US more so than ever before, this creates interesting feedback loops, as Americanised Yoga seems to be spreading through the Indian upper classes at a rapid pace!

Ravi Shankar was not very happy with The Beatles. In my older years, I have sort of lost the sneeringly dismissive attitude that seems a standard response to such attempts (especially by celebrities), and come to view all these cross-cultural adventures as a net positive, particularly in contrast to that sneering response it invokes.

--ravi



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