Cultural appropriation and sexism.

[FlyingWhistle]

Jesy Nelson is blasted on SM and in the national press for making herself look like a mixed race woman.

Yet Peter Andre's son whose mother is white British and his father of Greek Cypriot descent, has his hair cut to look like it's a shaved Afro hairstyle and nobody mentions a thing?

Nobody mentions the young men who are getting their hair premed on top, once again recreating a look first donned by those with Afro hair.

I struggle with the concept of appropriation, I'm a white woman, when does it cross the line from flattery? Why doesn't it help inclusivity? I find it an interesting topic on what is and isn't acceptable, why isn't gender appropriate a thing?

My AIBU? I don't know, some days I think it's fine, some days it makes me cross, some days I don't know how I feel.

I just ignore the whole thing

Nobody involved in any of it is adding anything to the world

Jesy Nelson has quite obviously darkened her skin on purpose - she’s more tanned than she used to be, and she’s had dreadlocks in her hair too. Her music uses language that originated with black Americans. I completely agree that she’s presenting herself as mixed race or black. Peter Andre on the other hand has his natural hair and skin colour.

FFS

Well. In all fairness, when you are of Greek descent some blonde people will call you the N-word, so .... Maybe he has just embraced it?

Or maybe it is a normal hairstyle in Greece and you actually don't know enough about the subject and should shut up?

yes, I am of Greek descent, and yes I have been called the N-word. Despite the fact that, until I moved to Britain I used to be so white I looked like I had been dead for a while but I have dark brown hair.

Also: Would you like to be criticized to the same level that British celebrities are criticized or would you feel that it was quite abusive? Because IT IS!

I would like that all reporters who write articles with the title "[This celebrity] used to be so cute but you will be shocked to see how she/he looks now should be forced to include a photo of themselves so we can criticize how they look. I bet most of those reporters NEVER looked attractive.

I've googled jr andre and he doesn't look like he's pretending to be a different race?

Jesy Nelson has changed many things about her appearance, not just one thing - her hairstyle, lips, colour of her skin, to the extent that people who didn't know what she looks like before are now mistaking her for a woman of colour.

My understanding is that it becomes cultural appropriation when something is used by someone not of that race/culture and they use to advance themselves. So I’m Jesy’s case she’s making money from music. Someone wearing a dress of African print that they bought from a designer from that background isn’t. That’s appreciation. However there’s a fine line of people wearing or doing something that has important religious or spiritual meaning, eg when loads of white girls wore bindis at festivals in the 90s or white men wear dreads.

Always interested to hear opinions on this.

In Jesy’s case

@araiwa

I just ignore the whole thing

Nobody involved in any of it is adding anything to the world

Agreed.

I don't understand the difference between "black fishing" (v bad) and "identifying as black" (must be validated and respected according to, for example the UCU trade union)

I also don't understand the difference between "black fishing" (pretending to me a member of an oppressed group = v bad) and putting on a dress and some lippy to "live as" a woman (pretending to be a member of an oppressed group = stunning and brave).

Oh ffs it's all bullshit. People can wear and do whatever they want. The whole idea of blackfishing is sheer twattery.

I also don't understand the difference between "black fishing" (pretending to me a member of an oppressed group = v bad) and putting on a dress and some lippy to "live as" a woman (pretending to be a member of an oppressed group = stunning and brave).

Well, I'm assuming Jesy Nelson doesn't actually believe she's black.

@FlyingWhistle How can cutting his hair make it look like a shaved Afro hairstyle? Surely it would just look shaved, if looks like Afro then that is just down to the texture of his hair.

"Well, I'm assuming Jesy Nelson doesn't actually believe she's black."

Well all she has do do is say she identifies as black and voila - she's not black fishing anymore and she can take a place on a shortlist or take up a grant or scholarship designed to promote opportunities for people in that group and that's totally fine. Apparently.

Is there any thread that people can't twist to have a go at trans people?

@Marelle

Jesy Nelson has quite obviously darkened her skin on purpose - she’s more tanned than she used to be, and she’s had dreadlocks in her hair too. Her music uses language that originated with black Americans. I completely agree that she’s presenting herself as mixed race or black. Peter Andre on the other hand has his natural hair and skin colour.

I'm glad you stated the difference for OP.

I’m not having a go at trans people. I’m having a go at identity politics.

I think you can only identify as black if you actually have black heritage. For example a person with a white mother and Jamaican father may not look black but can choose to identify as black or white as they see fit.

@Cactu not according to UCU

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/18/whites-can-black-wish-says-lecturers-union/

@catgirl1976

I’m not having a go at trans people. I’m having a go at identity politics.

putting on a dress and some lippy to "live as" a woman

Uh huh.

@Fimofriend

Well. In all fairness, when you are of Greek descent some blonde people will call you the N-word, so .... Maybe he has just embraced it?

Or maybe it is a normal hairstyle in Greece and you actually don't know enough about the subject and should shut up?

yes, I am of Greek descent, and yes I have been called the N-word. Despite the fact that, until I moved to Britain I used to be so white I looked like I had been dead for a while but I have dark brown hair.

Sorry, I thought my entire post made it clear that I don't know enough on the subject? I'm sorry that you have faced these issues but if I can't ask about them how am I meant to learn more about them?

I thought she was black until i saw a thread about her last week and saw photos of her very white parents. Granted i don't follow little mix, but i think most people would see a photo of her an assume she's black. She's putting it on like a costume and that's really not ok.