Hipster Wife Hunting did a piece on appropriation of Native culture in fashion. I thought it was satire at first. I was wrong. Though, all my curiosities about the hipster headdress have been cleared up in this sentence: “Hipsters like to put things on their heads”. But of course! And here I was giving them credit for trying to make …
Why don’t you write?: Some reflections of 7 months of blogging
(Leather postcard found at an estate sale by Jodi–great use of the alcohol, right? geez.) Many of you have probably noticed the blog has been a bit quiet this summer, going from about five posts a week during the school year to, like, one–if that. I’m not going anywhere, I promise! I’ve just been finding it a bit hard to …
Random Appropriation of the Day! (Daufuski Korean Oysters)
Chrissy, one of my Twitter followers, came across this can of Korean Oysters while shopping at her local grocery store (I believe in Alabama?). From what I can gather with a quick google search, Dafuskie (with an “e”) Island in South Carolina used to be a big oyster producing area. But this website gives us this additional piece of Dafuskie …
Bonus Round: All the Awesome Tips in My Inbox
(screen shot from the new N.E.R.D. and Nelly Furtado video) Welcome to a new Friday feature, where I round-up all the awesome tips I get in my inbox, but don’t have a chance to write full posts about. Consider it a work-in-progress (I still need a name for it–ideas? let me know!). If anything in here strikes your fancy, and …
Batman and Superman as Indian Chiefs?
(source) Holy Headdress Batman! (omg I’m so creative I know). Reader Brianna sent over this image of Batman, in a headdress, punching what appears to be an Indian (POW!). She didn’t know the context, but a little googling this morning led me to this blog, with more images of Batman, plus other superheros, all dressed up in racial drag: (all …
Random Appropriation of the Day! (Eagle Medicine Woman Ball-Jointed Doll)
Reader Dawn spotted this beauty through a Facebook ad, and just like our other fabulous Facebook find (the “Spirit Guides” tomahawk), it comes from the company “Collectibles Today.” Ready for the description? “With her Medicine Wheel and her eagle spirit guide, she has the power to bring protection and healing to her people. The Eagle Medicine Woman alone can unlock …
Disney Appropriation–"Injun Donald"
One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn’t belong…let’s see: Minnie Mouse, Tom Sawyer’s Island, Fantasmic Logo…In’jun Donald?! Reader Audra sent over this image, taken at Disneyland, of the side of the penny-stretching machine (remember those? you stick a penny and like 50 cents in, and get a smooshed penny with a souvenir design …
Nudie Neon Indians and the Sexualization of Native Women
Neon Indian is a hipster-indie band that has been gaining some notoriety as of late. They performed on Jimmy Fallon, and have been making the music festival circuit as well. Though the name annoys me, I hadn’t actually associated them with any cultural appropriation, since nothing I’ve read about the band references anything Native. I figured maybe they were talking …
Educating non-Natives at Lightning in a Bottle
My friend Ricky (who made this awesome graphic I’ve posted before) headed out to the Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) music festival a few weeks ago, and was prepared to approach the concert-goers in headdresses and other forms of cultural appropriation in the mindset of an educator. He encountered many headdresses, and more. I’ll let him tell the story himself: …
TLC’s Extreme Poodles includes some Extreme Stereotyping
TLC is not exactly known for its normal, run of the mill programming. While I’m sure we can all admit to paying rapt attention to “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant” at one point or another, the network’s stunts for ratings have gotten weirder and weirder lately. I think the topper might be their recent special “Extreme Poodles,” a show …