(Untitled)

[waitingroom]

Dreads, yes or no?

(I've basically made up my mind, I'm just interested in public opinion)

Comments

[optative]

i'd say no...
so what's your decision?

[waitingroom]

I'm thinking yes. They could be fun. And I wouldn't be gross about it.

[optative]

http://www.makezine.org/mohawksdreads.htm

this is more along the lines of things i would worry about, not really the grossness...

[hairkaraoke]

is morag's jealousy factor being taken into consideration?

[barbaranne]

It was quite clear you decided on 'yes' if you decided to post something about it, with your decision made. Therefore, you already made your decision, and no matter what people say, you will end up doing it in the end anyway... people's reactions may just slow you down. Therefore, GO FOR IT! (Despite the fact my vote is no). But I think that's just cause I'm very conservative/traditional by nature.
Barbara

[synergistica]

http://www.makezine.org/mohawksdreads.htm... )

On The Contrary

[optative]

Actually, I don't think the zine writers of the website are hysterical. Many people of color, including yours truly, find a lot of cultural appropriation offensive or at the very least, annoying. I think the zine writers had every reason to react the way they did. Don’t you think you would be pissed too if you suffered through decades of systemic oppression just to have your cultural practices become the new flavor of the week? As for appropriation being a physical matter, I don't think that it entirely accurate. What could be more physical than a hairstyle? I believe that appropriation of abstract cultural symbols is just as relevant and problematic. I am not too sure what you mean by "physical" appropriation

Re: On The Contrary

[synergistica]

Sorry, I hope I didn't imply that I thought assimilation was a solution to the oppression of cultures... I just meant that given the world circumstances today, it seems like a very difficult force to halt. I also didn't mean to imply that cultural practices seeping into main culture was a good way to preserve culture - I meant that perhaps while certain things are dissappearing, other things are surviving in a changed, evolved form, which may quite possibly change beyond all recognition, but the influence from something external was there, and that maybe that was better than having parts of different cultures dissapearing completely, without a trace. Do you see what I mean? Shades of gray I know...

note to bronwen

[optative]

i'd just like you to know that is not a personal attacks against your hairstyle choice. I would not hold you or anyone with dreadlocks personally responsible for cultural assimilation, but i have strong views on larger trends of cultural appropriation.