Yes it does. Look at the context and apply some critical thinking.
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Overwatch's new Mei skin draws criticism for cultural appropriation (Read staff post)
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In case you didn't mean to be as insensitive as you came across and legitimately thought something was off with what you were seeing because of the crop, her legs are crossed
I don't watch women's MMA but now that I think about it wearing your hair in cornrows makes a lot of sense. It won't get caught in something or come loose during a fight.
The fact that multiple women did this, or did it before Blizzard doesn't change a thing.
This is one of them non issue in my opinion given that the aesthetic is from the sport. That being said, the calls of cultural appropriation also shouldn't be ignored considering the long history of appropriation in a multitude of media. But in this particular case, I would call no foul.
User Banned (2 Weeks): Dismissing concerns about cultural appropriation
Must be a slow news day if people getting up in arms over this.
I mean I don't know what to tell you. The fact that it's a defacto hair style for women in high impact sports isn't going to change and Blizzards decision to use it for a high impact sports skin also isn't going to change that fact. There's nothing to be gained here.
User Banned (Permanent): Concern trolling in a thread about cultural appropriation, previous egregious offenses for racism and dismissing transphobia
I totally agree. I think we should list up every race's unique hairstyles and make sure no other race uses them. Especially fictional characters, because that could set a bad precedent for impressionable children who might want to have the freedom to look and feel the way they wanted during their very limited time existing in this world.
The article is not even a stretch, it's an outright NO. Cornrows in the context of fighting is an obvious functional style, not appropriation.
However this revelation is more of a shock to me, I don't play Overwatch either, but I figured by the number of characters in that game, surely at least on black female was in it. I thought recalled concept art of Ashe being designed as a black woman, not sure why that didn't happen.
User Banned (2 Weeks): Dismissing concerns of cultural appropriation
I fully get that there's a history around black hair, and if people take issue with it, who am I or anyone else to say they can't.
But I personally just can't get behind saying some people are only allowed to do their hair in certain ways. It's hair, most people have it, and while it comes it different textures, colours, and temperaments, it's still hair at the end of the day. Were it being done to mock a culture, or as a costume, that's a whole other thing, but it doesn't sound like that's the case here.
To the other strand in this thread, it is absolutely baffling there is not a black woman in Overwatch. It's been 4 years since I played it, and it's wild none of the characters added have been black women.
But I personally just can't get behind saying some people are only allowed to do their hair in certain ways. It's hair, most people have it, and while it comes it different textures, colours, and temperaments, it's still hair at the end of the day. Were it being done to mock a culture, or as a costume, that's a whole other thing, but it doesn't sound like that's the case here.
To the other strand in this thread, it is absolutely baffling there is not a black woman in Overwatch. It's been 4 years since I played it, and it's wild none of the characters added have been black women.
Yea as mentioned this hairstyle is common in MMA. If anyone is getting upset then they clearly don't follow MMA or boxing very much.
yeah
well ok i'm not black to be completely honest
if i see a white person with dreads i don't so much think 'cultural appropriation' i think 'ew man dude you can't pull that off just stop we're not friends'
You might be thinking of Sojourn, who's an announced black female character for OW2.
Hairstyles hold cultural significance. Folks get discriminated against just for wearing hair a certain way all the time. So please stop being dismissive because of ignorance.
I'm neutral on this specific story however. It's still appropriation, ultimately, though.
I'm neutral on this specific story however. It's still appropriation, ultimately, though.
I loaded up Overwatch the other day and it's right on the first screen, caught me off guard but as soon as I noticed the gloves and that it's a fighter skin... Made sense for me. I know Cyborg did that and I've seen her beat on other girls with the same.. It's probably the safest way to put up long hair for a match.
Loool. I do kickboxing as a hobby and like 50% of the women I know have this kind of hairstyle when fighting. It's a very popular hairstyle.
If this is considered cultural appropriation, then the criticism shouldn't be directed at a videogame skin but at the whole fighting world.
If this is considered cultural appropriation, then the criticism shouldn't be directed at a videogame skin but at the whole fighting world.
User banned (2 weeks): dismissing cultural appropriation as a non-issue
An article on this popped up on my Twitter feed a few days back and I was so confused as to what the source of the criticism is. I've not seen one thread on Reddit, or Era, about this until now. Publications jumping on stories that are, in my opinon, not an issue, while ignoring real issues that need highlighting.
One thing is clear, the vast majority of people in this thread are truly tone deaf when it comes to issues with black hair and discrimination
The fact that it's widespread doesn't make it ok. Nor does it absolve Blizzard.
Same thread, every few months.
As someone who is black, I share this stance. I'm not going to tell someone what they can do to their own body. Nor will anyone tell me what the hell I can do to my own.
At this point I expect nothing less. It was also like this at the old house for the 13 or so years that I participated. The more things change...
I'm okay with the skin conceptually... I just think it looks bad in execution.
It is also some BS that we still don't have a black femme hero in OW after all this time though.
It is also some BS that we still don't have a black femme hero in OW after all this time though.
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Not necessarily no, but if you want to address the "problem" properly you should look at the root cause, the inspiration for this skin. Which is the fighting industry. Should probably write an article about that instead if they really want to talk about it.
User Banned (2 Weeks): Dismissing concerns about cultural appropriation
I mean, anyone that is a sportsperson is tired to see this hairstyle when training basically because is a very comfortable way for long haired persons to practice sports without getting tangled with hairs.
Ps: just noticef that it is based on an actual person. Clickbaity af article.
Ps: just noticef that it is based on an actual person. Clickbaity af article.
Would you mind explaining to everyone what they did wrong, or do you typically make low quality drive by posts because *big company bad*
So did that article edit in the paragraph talking about the fighter she was based on or was that already in there and they went "Fuck it, gotta stick to my guns"
Plenty of other things to criticize Blizzard about (like waiting for the sequel to add a black woman as a playable character) without reaching like this.
Plenty of other things to criticize Blizzard about (like waiting for the sequel to add a black woman as a playable character) without reaching like this.
User banned (2 weeks): dismissing concerns around appropriation
Im a half blood myself and showed this to my family and the respons was who cares there are bigger problems with cultural appropiation, discrimination and racisme then this. Its a hairstyle and clearly because of a functional reason in MMA or any fighting sport for that matter.
I must admit I find it strange that this MMA champion had her look put into the game as a costume at all.
Is it a sponsorship thing?
Is it a sponsorship thing?
A company that has not yet managed to create and release a female black character in like 5 years tips their toes in the cultural appropriation of a part of black culture. And I'm supposed to find that good or okay?
People like to point out the MMA fighter. But are you trying to say that black culture is now fair game for anyone to appropriate as they wish? Because if not then why should I be fine with Blizzard replicating that cultural appropriation just because it's common in another context?
It's "widespread" because it's a great hairstyle to not get your hair ripped out when participating in MMA. They aren't saying they created it, nor flaunting it as if they had. And Absolve blizzard of what? Blizzard is a shit company that deserves to be buried for a whole host of reasons, but this one seems a bit of a reach.
User banned (1 month): false equivalence around concerns of cultural appropriation
I'll admit, I've always been a bit confused by applying "cultural appropriation" to hairstyles and fashion. I can completely understand the upset if it's something religious or spiritual, or if the adopters are deliberately trying to rewrite the history of the fashion choice in question, but otherwise... Isn't this just a sign that your culture is awesome? You're heading towards a Civ culture victory.
Maybe America should be mad that the world is wearing blue jeans? I don't think anyone using this hairstyle, in games or MMA, is trying to hide the fact that it's a traditionally black hairstyle. I think they just recognise its value. Is that bad?
Maybe America should be mad that the world is wearing blue jeans? I don't think anyone using this hairstyle, in games or MMA, is trying to hide the fact that it's a traditionally black hairstyle. I think they just recognise its value. Is that bad?
User Banned (2 Weeks): Dismissing concerns about cultural appropriation
So we are hating on Overwatch because it doesn't have a black woman? It is coming in OW2 which is good, but Overwatch has one of the best diverse cast of characters. It is one of the few (or only?) big games with good Arab representation from its cast to the maps. Ana is one of my favorite video game characters of all time.
Also, please don't get anger at me if you hate Blizzard for other reasons that I'm not aware of. I'm just talking about Overwatch here as someone who played the game.
Also, please don't get anger at me if you hate Blizzard for other reasons that I'm not aware of. I'm just talking about Overwatch here as someone who played the game.
Hair discrimination while real is less of a thing in contact sports. That said, once someone black leaves that confine and walks outside with that same hairstyle or wants to work another form of employment its back to business as usual. To some it might be a useful, utility hairstyle but to others its what you gotta do with your hair to keep it neat. Appreciate it everywhere damn it
The rub, as far as I understand it, is that these elements of black culture that people 'value' are valued when applied to others but not necessarily when Black people themselves exhibit them.
So the blue jeans comparison, which is a pretty awful one to draw in the first place, would be more like if Americans were mocked, derided and denied jobs for wearing blue jeans by Europeans, but then when Europeans wore those same blue jeans it was seen as cool.
So I think things like this are hard to be taken as "your culture is awesome" when there are Black people out there still facing hardship over displaying elements of their culture with pride, while others are seen as cool for adopting those same elements.
But validation / outrage bait are really good for click farms and engagement. Pro x view readers will love this article and then when the daily Murdoch takes the same article contents but change it to "liberals OFFENDED by fictional characters hairstyle" to loop in the other crowd and it's just a big pinwheel of dunks on Twitter and think pieces that do nothing to solve anything
It's intellectual nicotine
What a load of nonsense. My sister does kickboxing and women wearing their hair like that during a fight is extemely common, regardless of skin colour.
User banned (2 weeks): Dismissive drive by in a thread regarding race
This is the most non-issue among all non-issues.
It's borderline insanity.
It's borderline insanity.
User Banned (2 Weeks): Dismissing concerns of cultural appropriation
This seems like a total non issue to me =/
User Banned (2 Weeks): Dismissing concerns of cultural appropriation
Sounds like the usual morons who are way too keen to find anything to be amped at. I don't watch much fighting but even I've seen plenty of female athletes with that exact hairstyle. This is a non story, its completely fine.
Cultural appropriation is a more complicated dynamic than just "someone not of culture X used/replicated something of culture X." It's about the diluting of origins, lack of giving the originators their due, or giving others elevated status over the originators. There's some tangible losses that can be incurred from it. And we can talk about things like Elvis and rock music in general for days. I would also say something like Yoga has been bastardized into oblivion at this point.
But I kind of hate the idea of a Black Delegation™ going around policing every instance of "you can't use that slang, it originated in AAVE or Black Twitter and you're not AA" or "you can't braid your hair that specific way because Black people popularized it in modern context." I don't know who'd be qualified to decide when it'd be okay, if ever, and who'd get a pass, if ever. It's not tenable, especially in the case of cornrows when they're being used functionally. Policing that is not going to improve the status of Black people in America or elsewhere. And personally, I'm more concerned with that.
There's a problem with common Black hairstyles being seen as less "professional" and Black people have long since had to do things like straighten their hair to conform. Luckily, we're finally cracking that paradigm. If anything, I would hope that the proliferation of something like cornrows as a utility will further make it less of a big deal. There are not a lot of financial incentives or authoritative experts to be parsed here to complicate the situation. And it's not really a situation where a rando is trying to pass something off as "authentic traditional Korean cooking" or something to a wide audience, yet they wholly fucked it up.
Hell, cornrows are B.C.E. old, and it wasn't only Black people doing it. Just stop discriminating against Black people if and when they do it, and leave it alone. Oh, Jeremy Lin and Justin Bieber put locs in their hair? Good for them. Stop discriminating against Black people with locs. That's always where I'm going to take it.
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