It’s an established meme phrase, I would be reluctant to call it appropriation at this point. It’s just a phrase that’s made it into general circulation.
Online culture is inextricable from american and thus black culture, asking people to not use decade old memes won’t be fruitful. It’d be like asking someone with dreads to change their hair to make you more comfortable.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines cultural appropriation as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the practices, customs, or aesthetics of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society”. This act carries connotations of exploitation and dominance, particularly when a more powerful culture adopts elements from a marginalized or non-Western one. The term emerged in the context of post-colonial critique and gained traction in the late 20th century.
Anyone would, if asked say the phrase came from AAVE so it is acknowledged
It first became part of mainstream vocabulary through streaming and memes so it is an appropriate use of the phrase.
It is not meant to be exploitative or to establish dominance.
Making “it do be like that” memes meets none of the prerequisites for cultural appropriation because, primarily it’s use is not meant to belittle the black American population. However the “we wuz kangs” meme popular on 4chan definitely is. There is a clear difference between the two and not acknowledging that means people start to se all things dubbed as cultural appropriation as equally inconsequential.
Genuine acts of appropriation are harmful and you shouldn’t cheapen the term by associating it with harmless memes.
If you don’t see how this instance exactly fits the definition of cultural appropriation then we don’t think this is going to be a useful conversation.
Believe me, I understand cultural appropriation. Symbolism from my own country’s history are now more closely associated with white nationalism than their original use.
It’s an established meme phrase, I would be reluctant to call it appropriation at this point. It’s just a phrase that’s made it into general circulation.
No, it is, it came from AAE, it being a ‘meme phrase’ doesn’t change that.
Online culture is inextricable from american and thus black culture, asking people to not use decade old memes won’t be fruitful. It’d be like asking someone with dreads to change their hair to make you more comfortable.
sighs
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines cultural appropriation as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the practices, customs, or aesthetics of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society”. This act carries connotations of exploitation and dominance, particularly when a more powerful culture adopts elements from a marginalized or non-Western one. The term emerged in the context of post-colonial critique and gained traction in the late 20th century.
Anyone would, if asked say the phrase came from AAVE so it is acknowledged
It first became part of mainstream vocabulary through streaming and memes so it is an appropriate use of the phrase.
It is not meant to be exploitative or to establish dominance.
Making “it do be like that” memes meets none of the prerequisites for cultural appropriation because, primarily it’s use is not meant to belittle the black American population. However the “we wuz kangs” meme popular on 4chan definitely is. There is a clear difference between the two and not acknowledging that means people start to se all things dubbed as cultural appropriation as equally inconsequential.
Genuine acts of appropriation are harmful and you shouldn’t cheapen the term by associating it with harmless memes.
If you don’t see how this instance exactly fits the definition of cultural appropriation then we don’t think this is going to be a useful conversation.
It isn’t even AAE, it’s using the “emphatic do”. Like “I do sing really good”.
Nothing to do with “I be singing”, which would be the AAE form of “I sing”.
In this case, instead of “it is like that” the “is” becomes “do be” (although the correct form would be “does be”).
Believe me, I understand cultural appropriation. Symbolism from my own country’s history are now more closely associated with white nationalism than their original use.