Ellen’s response to the ‘Abercrombi& Fitch’ statement.
love her
FITCH PLEASE
And I thought my love for her couldn’t get any bigger.
This body of work is an exploration of the extent of cultural appropriation and encourages a discussion about it. I give the appropriator and the appropriated the opportunity to defend themselves and create a dialogue between them, while maintaining a neutral stance myself. I am not attacking those who appropriate, merely educating and creating awareness. I’m also exploring appropriation myself, and discovering the carying degrees of it within this visual conversation.
I’d like to make this a long term exploration, with a lot more participants as a form of generation-wide debate. If you’d like to be photographed to add your point of view, please do not hesitate to pop me a message here or an email at sanaahamid@yahoo.com and we could work something out!
I still don’t know where my opinion is on this topic. I know a line should be drawn but I don’t know where…
This is a fascinating idea but I’m fully not into the way OP has chosen to include rational, intelligent statements from the ‘appropriated’, whilst seemingly deliberately allowing only for short, closed-off quotes from the ‘appropriating’.
I would like to see some variation in opinions and the way each side is presented, because I know many people of colour who do not believe cultural appropriation is a real or important thing; conversely I know many many privileged white girls who get so up in arms about it that they may explode. I know people who wear bindi, sari, etc, who would have really interesting things to say on why they choose to borrow from cultures other than their own, and I know members of those cultures who have nothing to say aside from “I don’t give a shit.”
This project is ongoing and that’s great, but how about some diversity in perspective from both sides of the fence.
I really like this project and I love how it’s presented so simply as to generate discussion. I agree with the commenter above me and I hope that as the photographer expands on the project, there will be more diversity in the appropriated vs appropriators.
I think it’s also a really good point that many privileged white girls get more upset about this kind of thing than some people of color. I personally struggle with the issue of when I need to shut up as a white person and when I need to speak up as an ally, especially on matters of appropriation, which can get so muddied at times.
Basically, I need to cut down on my blanket statements, as liberal and progressive as they may be. Everyone draws the line at different spots and it’s not my place to decide what spot is the “right” spot.
❝ Marry your best friend. I do not say that lightly. Really, truly find the strongest, happiest friendship in the person you fall in love with. Someone who speaks highly of you. Someone you can laugh with. The kind of laughs that make your belly ache, and your nose snort. The embarrassing, earnest, healing kind of laughs. Wit is important. Life is too short not to love someone who lets you be a fool with them. Make sure they are somebody who lets you cry, too. Despair will come. Find someone that you want to be there with you through those times. Most importantly, marry the one that makes passion, love, and madness combine and course through you. A love that will never dilute - even when the waters get deep, and dark.
— N’tima (via artistsuffer)
(Source: mariaarroyo)
