#western appropriation
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The Parthenon marbles this, the Parthenon marbles that...
I don´t know how known the extent of Greek antiquity looting by West Europeans is to most people or most have a limited image painting the British Museum or Lord Elgin as the sole / main villain.
Here we have the Piraeus Lion (Italian: Leone del Pireo) , one of the four lions decorating the Venetian arsenal in Italy. The prominence of the 3 meter tall lion statue in the port is such that it is also known as Porto Leone ("Lion Port").
We are eternally thankful for the massive courtesy of calling the statue the Piraeus Lion, indicating its origin from Piraeus, the port city of Athens. The statue was sculpted around 360 BC and remained a famous landmark of Piraeus, Athens until 1687.
In 1687, it was looted by Venetian naval commander Francesco Morosini, the man also notoriously responsible for the bombardment of the Parthenon during the wars of the Venetians with the Ottoman Turks, therefore in fact the most irreversible destruction it suffered in its 2,500 year long history. Somehow they were fighting the Turks but it was the Greeks paying for it.
Is it totally and universally acknowledged that Morosini illegally looted this sculpture among so many others? Yes. Does the Piraeus Lion still sit casually in the Venetian port in 2024 as if Venice has a shortage of artefacts to decorate itself with? Also yes. Meanwhile, the Greeks have to limit themselves to a replica in the Piraeus Archaeological Museum.
The Horses of Saint Mark in Venice are also Greek artefacts, this time looted from Constantinople during the crusades, although their original display was in Chios island. Another thing little known is how many ancient and medieval Greek artefacts were looted from the Eastern Roman / Byzantine Empire because people tend to focus on classical antiquities looted in the 19th century.
[Fun fact: The Piraeus Lion has runic inscriptions carved by Swedes in the 11th century. These were either Viking explorers or Varangian mercenaries of the Byzantine Empire.]
#greece#europe#greek culture#ancient greece#western appropriation#crusades#antiquity looting#ancient greek statues#piraeus lion#venice
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i think all quiet on the western front and the lord of the rings are in direct conversation with each other, as in theyre the retelling of the same war with one saying here's what happened, we all died, and it did not matter at all and another going hush little boy, of course we won, of course your friends came back
#all quiet on the western front#lord of the rings#like ppl contrast lotr and narnia because like yay fantasy but all quiet seems way more appropriate#lotr is the fantasy of a ww1 soldier age 17 joined up to be a hero wanted to be back home by christmas currently bleeding to death in the#trenches
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forewarning that this is mostly just an observational ramble
one thing I've gathered from looking around older western fantasy otaku sites is that, presumably in large part because of the order in which things entered mainstream consciousness, sauron is talked about pretty consistently as the final boss of the lord of the rings
technically, this is true of everywhere, but I want to emphasise that it is extremely common to see younger fantasy otaku a decade or two ago use ラスボス when explaining who he is, as a primary descriptor
[before going any further on this, it probably bears mentioning that the japanese translation of lord of the rings is a bit divisive. when it comes up, it's either in the context of how impressive the translation is (skews older) or in how unreadable it is (skews younger), because it's translated into antiquity prose. apparently exceptionally so, even for a fantasy novel, so it was very much extreme nerd shit]
a big part of this is, of course, just the idea of the final boss having more awareness than tolkien at the time the movies were coming out. I imagine almost the exact same thing would happen more or less anywhere that video games hit mainstream nerd awareness before tolkien did, but there's something else that I think might have something to do with it, because if you're looking at old enough threads, you notice that not only is sauron being explained as the final boss, but this is being mentioned in contrast to morgoth not being the final boss
which seems a bit random (morgoth doesn't exactly come up enough in lotr proper to cause this confusion), if you don't know that angband, where morgoth is the final boss and sauron is just the midboss, was pretty popular with western fantasy otaku. well, popular in the way that cult classics are, but you know how it goes
with that in mind, it makes sense that it was (at one point, before tolkien was more accessible through other channels) something people called each other fake fans over
so in a kind of interesting way, namedropping sauron in fantasy otaku spaces that skewed younger (for a time) was almost equivalent to namedropping morgoth in western fantasy nerd spaces. that all kind of stops being the case once you have the peter jackson movies immediately at hand, though
there's also the fact that, because it's a little harder to read lord of the rings in japanese, someone who's casually into the book is much more likely to also go ahead and read the silmarillion, which helped rings of power get incredibly popular with older audiences in japan when it came out. as a fun side effect of all this, there's a bit more morgoth x sauron shipping around
#also should be clarified that the specific way that tolkien is translated in japanese is like#seemingly made to create a generational divide in people who have strong opinions on whether you should use kanji in western location names#same argument as always: do you translate for western sound or period-appropriate language#and its answer is a resounding 'both'
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If anyone has a problem with saying "rest in power" to the white man that self-immolated himself and yelled "Free Palestine" till he burned to death then I want you to block me right the fuck now. You are so morally bankrupt and brainwashed by western neoliberal identity politics that you aren't worth spitting on. There's nobody resting in more power than that kid.
#first y'all harrass that poor dead trans girl's family and friends into apologizing#for chanting Say Her Name at her being misgendered in her death#when Black activists in the UK themselves tried to tell y'all to shut up#and now this#you cannot appropriate a social justice slogan between liberationists#if you honestly can't see a difference between Aaron Bushnell and that bitch RBG#then you might as well give your brain away to someone who'll use it#identity does not confer authority. nor does it confer conscience and good sense#sancitifying the identity of the victims over building solidarity among those sharing a common oppressor is how we build own cages#fuck westerners man. there's something deeply twisted in y'all#free palestine#aaron bushnell#racism#decolonization#solidarity#neoliberalism#identity politics#knee of huss
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#Seeing the dune part 2 american centric red carpet and as a devoted aficionado of the books and yk a moroccan person here are my 2 cents#Dune was one of the few Western works inspired by MENA culture that that felt genuine and respectful#But ofc despite the profound symbiosis with Middle Eastern and North African culture evident within the pages of the novels#the movie adaptation lack of substantive representation from these communities both in on-screen portrayals and within production roles was#very much disappointing in part 1 and i doubt there are any change now#While drawing inspiration from the Amazigh peoples of Algeria and Morocco#the film barely skims the surface of its MENA influences leaving substantial potential untapped#Herbert openly acknowledged the profound impact of Islam and MENA culture on his noveIs#from the metaphorical representation of Spice as oil#to the allegorical parallels drawn between the occupation of Arrakis and real-world MENA geopolitics#By marginalizing Arabs from the narrative fabric of Dune the essence of the story is being undermined particularly its anti-colonial core#the irony of this is kiIIing me because this was a direct resuIt of us impérialism on the middIe east#But the reality is that Dune is an American production tailored for an American audience so it makes sense for it to be what it is now#a big production running from its original essence#What adds to my disappointment is the fact that I liked Villeneuve's adaptation of Incendies and I had what you call foolish hope hfhg#Dune feIt Iike a squandered opportunity to authentically depict the cultural milieu that inspired it#Given the narrative's inherent anti-colonial themes#the omission of Arab and North African voices dilute its message if any of it is even left#without representation from Arabs and Amazigh people the cultural essence becomes another appropriated resource watered down to an aestheti#rather than serving as a critique of the destructive actions of colonialists seeking power and dominance#the narrative becomes susceptible to distortion and co-option by the very entities it was intended to condemn and hold accountable
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#thinking about all these ‘palestine is everywhere’ stickers i’ve been seeing in the subway#and like……..how do none of these people see that that sort of attitude IS actually in fact ‘cultural appropriation’#it gives random westerners the license to comment on a geopolitical conflict they don’t understand and have no connection to#twitter
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As an ex-fan I saw a really good take that I want to expand on that I think also applies to a lot of people who like (or defend, despite not liking) Peggy Carter, her (often impulsive and violent) abusive behaviour, and especially her Nazi ties; which go beyond being based off a Nazi (which should be more than enough on its own), and reaches into actively welcoming Nazis into the organization she created to "honor" a man who not only died trying to fight them, but was created to fight American complacency, and giving them the resources and access to infiltrate every single level of SHIELD.
Allowing themselves to understand and accept criticism against her, instead of brushing it off or twisting it, requires they sit with their own culpability, their own guilt in ignoring it and defending her for so long. For a lot of them, the ones that are generally pretty understanding people, they aren't really defending her, they're defending themselves for liking her.
They'd rather preform apologetics (including Nazi apologetics), embrace rad/fem ideology, intentionally misrepresent people and arguments against her, and silence or ignore the voices of groups negatively impacted by her deification (especially SA survivors, Jews, and fans of colour) so they can maintain a feeling of righteousness and innocence, rather than admit that they've made a mistake. To admit that is to admit their own biases and moral vulnerability. To admit they've perpetuated harm against groups they claim to ally with.
Admitting she's not an innocent angel/feminist icon who is the poor defenseless victim of hypocritical womanhaters, requires a level of maturity to be able to confront and admit one's own guilt, to acknowledge where one's privileges warp one's perspective, to hold oneself accountable, to learn and grow and be better, are skills they do not possess.
#marvel#mcu#marvel criticism#marvel critical#mcu criticism#mcu critical#peggy carter critical#anti marvel#anti mcu#anti marvel fandom#antisemitism#fandom antisemitism#fandom racism#i have a lot of thoughts specifically about the weaponization of white ciswomanhood and appropriation of feminism in western society#but like is the emotional labour worth it?
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John Collier (English, 1850-1934) • Souvenir of Chu Chin Chow • Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.
In 19th and early 20th century western art, wearing theatrical costumes instead of one's usual attire was not limited to professional actors on stage. It was also a popular form of entertainment: for costume balls, tableaux vivants, masquerades, parades, meetings of fraternal organizations, amateur theater. Inspiration came from art, history, mythology, folk traditions, and non-European cultures. Popular magazines and books offered ideas and instructions.
Portraits of western women in "exotic" costumes, such as the one above, are often encountered bearing the label "Orientalism". Scenes of everyday life, whether realistic or imagined, were a particular source of interest to the Orientalist painters. Some images focused on a single individual, while others engaged with a multitude. Similarly, they ranged from quiet and contemplative pictures to wildly dramatic scenes. The most detailed were perhaps drawn from life, or betrayed the influence of photography – a newly emerging discipline. Others were clearly the products of a studio setting, where objects and clothes from different periods and places were liberally mixed as props.
Today, such images may spark dialogue about what it means to wear the dress of a culture that is not your own. The term "cultural appropriation" describes the co-opting of one culture's traditions by another, historically dominant group. One of its most persistent and visible forms involves clothing-such as members of European or American society donning the dress of populations they have controlled politically, economically, or culturally. Intentionally or not, such actions reflect uneven power dynamics and can reinforce histories of oppression.
Sources:
• Museum of Fine Arts,Boston
• British Museum
• The Museum at FIT
#art#painting#fine art#art history#19th century art#orientalism#cultural appropriation#john collier#british artist#women in paintings#paintings of women#pagan sphinx art blog#art history lesson#art blog#british museum#MFA boston#western art traditions
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"why do white people dig into their ancestry for a smidgen of culture" because they think they're not allowed to meaningfully associate with anything outside their own immediate cultural context. Even *universalist* traditions like, idk, buddhism, are tainted by the perception of cultural appropriation because their most recent adherents tend to come from the sinosphere or SE asia
#with buddhism its doubly ironic#because some of the earliest converts were greeks#who they're totally happy to associate with as western/northern europeans#at least *classical* greeks#East asian buddhism was appropriated. i mean transmitted. from central asian sources who in turn received it from northern india#though of course in those days india didnt even exist. so they received it from Gandhara as did the Greeks#I get that white adoption of subaltern cultural elements is fraught#but if you dont want a culture exclusively derived from whitebread protestantism and odinist larping#you will need to be somewhat more nuanced in how you talk about it
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Credentials for speaking about Tulpamancy, as a term:
For the term: Be for the term.
Against the term: You need to be ethnically Tibetan, living in Tibet, having been raised in the practice of Tibetan Buddhism (and can't be a convert, either), and need to be pro-endo.
........ Racists do be having double standards, huh?
#tulpamancy mention#thoughtforms#pro-endo#pro-endo sysmed#tulpa as a term is appropriation#if a white westerner can argue for it a white westerner can argue against it#armageddon comes while i'm sleeping
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For the instrumental ask game. This is one of my favorites to listen to when painting.
"The Ecstasy of Gold" from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
https://youtu.be/PYI09PMNazw
Ilia wandered out into the chilly air as the sky began to blush with the promise of dawn. Kakariko was much quieter than Castle Town, and she found herself liking it. It was a relief to be here; less overwhelming. But the quiet made her feel incredibly empty too - the bustle of Castle Town kept her overwhelmed and distracted enough to almost ignore the fact that she had so little memory of who she was or where she came from.
But...
She took another step, her eyes catching sight of the person she was looking for. It was the swordsman who had protected her and Telma, escorting them into town across the perilous field. She had thought she was going to die when the wagon had caught fire, yet somehow he'd extinguished the flames and warded the beasts away.
She had gone outside to find him and thank him, but the sight of him made her pause. He had seemed so strong, and she had taken his silence for stoicism, but now...
The swordsman, Link, stood face to face with his steed, holding her head in a gentle hug, his hand stroking against her mane. His eyes were closed as if he were taking a moment to himself, lost in the embrace of his steed, who silently leaned into the touch. He looked very different in this light, much softer and much more alone.
His dark hair fell into his face a little as the breeze played with it. The green hat he was wearing before was tucked into his belt, leaving him looking freer and at ease.
Ilia had come out here to thank him again for his assistance, but she found herself lost for words. Why... why did her heart stir this way? Why did something about him make her feel more than just thankful but safe and warm and at home?
Now she was just staring, and that was rude. Shaking her head, Ilia approached the swordsman. His shadow seemed to move, a trick of the light of some sort, and he opened his eyes, turning and looking at her.
"H-hi," she said hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I saw that you were getting ready to leave, and... I just wanted to say thank you again for your help."
Link watched her, a strange sadness shadowing his face as if a veil had fallen over it, but he smiled nonetheless. He gave a nod in acknowledgement and put his green cap on before swiftly mounting his horse. Ilia took a few steps back to give them room, and the pair trotted by her, their silhouette cutting into the dawn light. When he reached the edge of town, he turned to face her in profile. Based on the glimmering of his eyes, she could tell he was looking at her, and she felt her breath catch in her chest, held hostage at the sight.
Link gave one last smile and a bow of sorts, a farewell. She waved hesitantly in return. With a yip, he encouraged his steed to run, and she neighed into the morning air, a battle cry for the times to come, and the pair dashed away into the morning.
Ilia watched him go, hand over her heart, and she prayed for his safety.
And she hoped she would see him again someday.
#you ask skye answers#lovely anon#music ask game#ahhhh I know this one#my dad used to watch westerns all the time and he loved Clint Eastwood#ok but like I couldn't listen to music from a western with vocals without writing about our good ol' cowboy#who also had vocals in his game's intro#it was just too appropriate of a match#ilia#twilight princess link#tp link#epona#twilight princess#legend of zelda#writing
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always thought it was fucked up that there's a brand of hummus sold by an Israeli company called sabra
like not only are they appropriating an arab food but they then name the company after a fucking massacre they committed in Lebanon.
like how could they do that who would to something so unthinkable evil. like they're bragging about it
and then I remembered...
the colonialism apple does not fall fall from the imperialism tree
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and i gotta wonder do these ppl not realize this sort of mentality also hurts businisses??? it hurts ppl trying to make a living??
like you've got indigenous people for example making indigenous jewerly and clothing and selling it to people but youve straight up got ppl who arent indigenous afraid to buy it because some looney on the street will stare at them badly or yell at them or give them a woke 101 lecture and theyre supposed to do what agains that, keep the reciet that they bought said thing authentically on them just to not get shit?
#weve lost the thread so hard on what cultural appropriation actually means#i know ive talked abt this before on here extensively but it just keeps popping up and getting on my nerves#literally like everywhere in the world outside of like america snd western euro and whatever people are so happy to share their culture and#to see foreigners appreciating their culture. ive seen it over and over again#but here weve completely lost it on whats Actual appropriation and whats not
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secular western buddhism is just another form of colonialism and i'm tired of pretending its not. Its incredibly condescending towards buddhism in asia and says shit like how western buddhism is the way it was meant to be taught.
It's a cutesy little product to sell to middle class moms and annoying entrepreneurs, basically.
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I'm throwing my crystal ball at the next Westerner/white person who opens their mouth about shamanism.
I'm not kidding, I swear to the gods and my Tungusic ancestors.
#shamanism#tungusic people#eastern spirituality#witches of color#white people's bullshit#westerners' bullshit#cultural appropriation#closed practices#women of color
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ok, you are so valid for disliking Mihoyo games for whatever reason you want. (I play them and they drive me up the walls sometimes). but seeing someone accuse the games of orientalism is so funny???
hello??? the games are literally made by Chinese devs. yes, it's marketed globally but claiming that they are fetishizing their own culture is A Take TM for sure.
#like yes#it's more complicated than that#but using the term “orientalism” which is appropriation/imitation done by westerners without a deeper understanding of the source culture#tells me you don't actually know what the word means!#and you probably just don't like East Asian cultures?#watch me regret opening my mouth and delete this later
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