"Cultural appropriation" is a phrase that's come up a lot in 2017 (mostly in the same breath as the Kardashians, ahem). Which makes sense, because when non-marginalized groups of people adopt the clothing, hair, or beauty traditions of another culture (especially a marginalized culture) and capitalize on it, that's a problem. But some people don't get what all the fuss is about, and apparently Paris Jackson is one of these people.
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Jackson hit social media to make it pretty clear that she thinks concerns about cultural appropriation are off base, dropping the following series of tweets:
Not to be preachy, but appropriation is a problem because too often people aren't simply paying homage to another culture. Especially white people, the most privileged demo in the USA, who have a pesky habit of adopting beauty traditions of marginalized groups and acting like they're doing something groundbreaking in the process. Interestingly, Katy Perry recently apologized for her own appropriation of Japanese culture, so let's go ahead and let her explain why paying homage can be damaging, even if the intentions are good:
In conclusion: appropriating other people's cultures usually isn't a great look.
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Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm. She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
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