Is Cultural Appropriation Sinful?

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Defining Cultural Appropriation

Welcome to Bible Bash, where we aim to equip the saints for the works of ministry by answering the questions you're not allowed to ask. We're your hosts, Harrison Kerrig and Pastor Tim Mullett, and today we'll answer the age-old question, is cultural appropriation sinful?

Now, it seems like this is one of those topics that, while it is very prevalent today, it's not necessarily something that has been discussed over the course of centuries. Tim, I doubt there's very many writings from Augustine on the topic of cultural appropriation.

Is this a relatively recent sort of controversy that's come up?

Yeah, I mean, it's definitely the kind of thing that, I mean, it's been going on in academic discourse since the 80s, so it's not necessarily a new idea, but then I think there's been, over the past few years, just an increasing awareness of some of these knee-jerk impulses that people have had.

So people, I mean, most of us for many decades now, we've just been subconsciously brainwashed by some of these nonsensical ideas like cultural appropriation. And then I think with Trump's presidency in general, once he declared war on critical theory, a lot of people just became much more aware of a vocabulary for what intuitively they've been trained in.

And so there's been a lot more talk about these kind of things in a post-Trump world in general, where a lot of these things that are currents that are operating under the surface, they've kind of been brought to light.

But now, I mean, cultural appropriation is like a term that's being used much more regularly, so it's not just like some sort of intuitive, you know, you can't do certain things, you don't necessarily know why, but you're being told they're racist, so you can't do certain things.

Now it's like much more like in your face, like it's labeled, it has a name now. So, you know, I mean, I think like growing up, like there's been, I won't say necessarily growing up, but I've seen like things like in the past decade of like seminary professors who basically adopting like rap poses while making a rap video and like getting like in trouble for being like racially insensitive.

And so that kind of thing used to be talked about under the language of like racial insensitivity. So like if you get a bunch of like old white guys doing a rap video dressing, acting like gangsters, like throwing gang signs and doing all that, like you would think, oh man, this is like offensive, like this is offensive, this is culturally, or this is racially insensitive or whatever.

Like that's kind of the language like that would be used about 10 years ago. And now we're just, now we have, we realized like the name that's been behind the, like the scandal or the whole time kind of thing.

And that name is cultural appropriation.

Power Dynamics, Code Switching, and Punching Up

So cultural appropriation, what is it? Is it just pretending that you're from a different culture? Is that what you're saying?

So Oxford defines it as the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, et cetera, of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.

And so there's like an asymmetrical standard here. So like cultural appropriation is just, like it's a big nothing burger, right? Like it's just nonsense. Like, I mean, it's, so like you think about it, like as it relates to, if you think about it relates like from a minority acting like a white person, right?

Or something like that. So like a black person acting like a white person, like it's just like, there's nothing to this. I mean, there's like, there's always going to be a dominant group in society. So if I go to China, I'm going to have to adopt the practices, the cultures, the habits of Chinese people in order to fit in, right?

Right.

Like that's what I'm going to have to do. Like meaning, like if I want to get ahead in the, I mean, I could just go there and just be myself, right? And not learn the language, not learn the customs, not learn the practices, like just build like a strange unconventional house, like in the middle of like all the Chinese houses or something like that.

Like you could just like, you could just be like a wrecking ball of culture if you want, right? Make no effort whatsoever to fit in. But like, if you were to do that kind of thing, no one would literally blink an eye, right?

Like meaning if I were to go to China and I would need to, in some sense, adopt some Chinese cultures and practices, being not a Chinese person myself, I would have to kind of do that in order to relate to that society.

And that's just generally like what you do, right?

Right.

That's just like, that's just generally how the world works. But then like now we're, the idea of cultural appropriation happens is like when you have like, why that would not be considered cultural appropriation for me to do that, to adopt those practices or habits would be because like, if the dominant culture is Chinese and me as like a, you know, 75 white guy goes to China, right?

Then I would be considered like a minority in that way. And so then I'm just kind of conforming myself to maturity, right? So what's happened though, is like critical theory has taught us to problematize like every single cultural interaction in those ways.

And so like in America, like in particular, you know, white males are seen as like the dominant oppressive group of people, right? So like a black person can basically like act in like a stereotypical white way and no one would blink an eye whatsoever, right?

And so like what's happening though, is like you can have like Hispanic people come here. Like there's no, like because like white people are viewed as kind of like, or, you know, whatever you want to call it, white culture is viewed as like a oppressor, like due to critical theory, then there's no impulse that anyone has, like no expectation anyone has that anyone should assimilate to that because that would be assimilating to like the suppressor class, right?

The people? In a way that like,.

If you were to go to another country, there would be some sort of expectation that you would like assimilate. Now I understand that like America's history is complicated, just like every history is complicated, right?

So, but then when you think about like, what's actually being communicated here, like if you're a member of a, like if you view the world through like oppressor and oppressed classes of people, then like with the idea of cultural appropriation, like one of these like dominant or oppressor classes, when they adopt like these cultural practices of like a oppressed, you know, or marginalized quote unquote group of people, then like that's when you have like cultural appropriation, you know, quote unquote occurring.

So that would be the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of customs, practices, ideas of one people or society by members of another typically more dominant. So like if, you know, the white seminary professors are making the rap video where they're, you know, dressed up as like thugs and gang members and throwing up gang signs, then like basically that's viewed through the language of like a power dynamic, right?

Through power dynamics.

And so functionally,.

Then when they do something like that, they're like basically othering like black people in that way, right? And so then like, that's just an exercise of patriarchal, like oppressive, like dominance on, you know, this other class of people.

Colonizer dominance, yeah.

Colonizer dominance, yeah. So that's essentially what's happening. But I mean, like, you know, going the other way, I mean, I did a, I did a appliance delivery job and, you know, I, when I was just getting out of seminary, I did an appliance delivery job and my, you know, quote unquote partner, you can't even say that word anymore because it sounds weird, but my delivery partner, you know, he was a black dude, right?

And so now he, you know, he would talk to the, like, he would talk like he had all the bass, like in his voice that you can imagine, gravelly bass, like, I mean, you can almost not even understand what he was saying while he's sitting there talking to his girlfriend on the phone, like next to me or whatever.

And then when he,.

When he would call a customer up,.

He like,.

He would switch from like full on, like gravelly bass voice to, you know, Hey, this is James from Bailey's delivery.

Well, Tim, Tim, that's just, that's code switching. Code switching is perfectly fine.

I mean, I looked at him, I looked at him, I was like,.

What are you doing?

He's like,.

You got to take the bass out of your voice or you scare white folks.

You know,.

That's kind of what he said.

You got to take the bass out of your voice or you'll scare the white folks.

But, all right.

So, but like, all right. So thinking about that though, like, all right, that's not him mocking, that's not him mocking white people by getting like the nerdiest white voice that you could possibly imagine.

Like that, that's so, because he's like viewed through the lens, like he's viewed as a member of a marginalized group of people. And so him making fun of white people by like, you know, doing the nerd white voice while he's calling up customers, like that, I was like,.

What do you think they're going to do when they see you.

And you're talking in your normal voice? You're going to talk in the, the nerd voice, like you can't pull it off, man. But anyways, no, that's not cultural appropriation. But then if you were to do it in the reverse, then, you know, like basically you have a worldview that problematizes every kind of normal thing.

So, you know, going one direction, it's considered like really, really bad. And then, you know, going the other direction is perfectly fine, which is why, I mean, you could like, you can watch comedy shows and you can have a black dude, you know, on a comedy show, just sitting there like mercilessly, like mocking white people, like over and over and over again.

And that's, you know, that's called punching up.

Right.

So that's punching up, like meaning like, because black people in our society are viewed as victims, you can kind of, that's just like speaking truth to power. That's punching up. That's just like, like it's okay when,.

You know,.

Like a member who is oppressed picks on his oppressors. But then if you do it in the reverse,.

Like,.

And this is how it's viewed. It's basically kind of,.

It's viewed like,.

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Mentally handicapped person.

Or something like that.

Like,.

That's called punching down. And so then if you,.

Like,.

If you make a joke the opposite way, then like, that's an exercise of,.

You know,.

Colonialism of dominance, like that's othering, that's oppressing.

Right.

And so you have like, what you have is you have like, just this rigid law, this being like in the minds of many people, like unspoken kind of law that basically says like, you have to view everything through the lens of power dynamics.

And once you view everything through the lens of power dynamics, then you have one class of people who are just like, so like white people in America are viewed as like being oppressors of black people.

And that's the basic assumption that makes all the, like the partial, like the, like the inverse kind of logic makes sense. Once you view it that way, then basically,.

You know,.

Black people can make fun of white people. White people can't make fun of black people.

Right?

Right.

Like you can't tease, like you can't, teasing only goes one way.

And then, you know, like a,.

A black person could,.

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Like they could even,.

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White face, like go on full on white face and make a joke out of it. No one cares. But then the opposite,.

It's like,.

Whoa,.

You can't do that because any kind of like,.

You know,.

If a white person were to adopt like the cultural practices and habits of a black person, then like you're, you're stealing from them.

Right.

You're taking something from them. You're othering them.

Right.

You're either making fun of them or you're taking something from them or you're like mocking them or you're reinforcing negative stereotypes in that way. So like the only way you could even do it would be to adopt some sort of like, reinforce some kind of negative stereotypes in that way.

And then,.

You know,.

Like if,.

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In,.

In like in the mildest kind of forms, like what you're doing is you're taking something from them. So there are some actresses who did something like that with makeup or something where she started to,.

You know,.

Do some sort of makeup style that black women have been doing for years. And it was just outrageous in the minds of many people because it was like, now she's trying to claim ownership of this makeup style as if it were hers.

Right.

And it's not,.

Take credit for it herself and make it popular now. And now people, when they see it, they're going to think of like this white actress instead of where it comes from. And so like, this is just like what happens when you view the lens or with the world through the lens of power dynamics,.

Basically.

Yeah. And, you know,.

I was glad you mentioned the whole comedy thing. Like you have comedians who can't, who come out and they'll like make fun of white people or whatever.

And,.

You know,.

I think, I think a lot of times if you want to see what a society believes, you go and you listen to the comedians.

Right.

And so,.

Yes.

Sometimes they're more honest than everyone else.

Right. Right.

And the reason is because like the funniest jokes are the ones that are rooted in, in some sort of like truth.

Right.

Not true. Not necessarily truth in the sense of like absolute truth, but then truth in the sense of like they're relevant to the current cultural climate. And so people understand, you know, what you're joking about.

And,.

You know,.

I like, I like watching Key and Peele a lot.

And,.

And they do this all the time.

Like, but,.

But the funny thing is they don't just do it with, with white people.

I mean,.

They make fun of Asian people. They make fun of Mexicans, you know,.

They,.

They make fun of black people. They make,.

I don't even resent that.

Because I'm a quarter Mexican.

You are a quarter Mexican. You do technically have a right.

To be,.

To be offended by that.

25%. Well, 25 of myself can be offended.

Right.

Well,.

Yeah.

And the other 75 is constantly oppressing the other 25%.

So I guess, I guess I have to, like 75 of myself has to feel like guilty for laughing at it.

And then,.

You know, it's 25 can laugh at the jokes.

This is,.

This is a, a class in CRT math right now.

That's right. That's right.

But yeah,.

You know, you,.

So you see guys like this.

And, you know,.

I guess in, in some credit to Key and Peele,.

They do,.

They do kind of get everyone eventually with, with their jokes. But then a lot of them are sort of pointed towards white people and,.

You know,.

Dressing up like white people.

And,.

And making fun of them. But then if you had a, if you had a black comedian come along and do the same thing,.

Are you,.

I mean,.

If you had a white comedian,.

Yeah,.

If you have a white comedian come along and do the same thing and like put an Afro on,.

You know, and, and,.

And change the way he talks, all of a sudden it would be like a very, it would not be received nearly as well.

It's,.

You know,.

It's kind of like the whole,.

Um,.

Uh,.

Who was the actor.

That,.

Uh,.

He was like a, he was like a black person throughout the entire movie. And then right at the end of the movie, you find out he's actually a white person.

Do you know?

I'm not sure.

Um, I,.

I wish,.

Oh,.

Oh,.

It was,.

Uh,.

It was Robert Downey Jr.

He,.

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He put, puts on blackface,.

Right?

And then he's, he's a black guy, the entire movie. And no one knows that,.

Uh,.

No one knows anything other than he's just a black guy. And then all of a sudden he takes his, he rips off his,.

You know,.

Mask or whatever he had on. And then he, he's a white guy the entire time. And it,.

You know,.

It was funny when it came out.

Like it,.

It,.

It was surprisingly, no one was really, no one was really upset with it as far as, as I can remember. But then now people are looking back at that and saying like,.

Hey,.

This is an egregious thing that you've done,.

You know?

And like, if that were, if that were to ever come out now, it's universally agreed that it would be condemned.

Right?

There was some like SNL skit or something, I think with Eddie Murphy doing the same thing where he,.

Um,.

Basically put on white face basically.

And uh,.

You know,.

He,.

He's basically making fun of,.

You know,.

Like what was the world?

Like,.

Uh,.

I,.

I can't remember how the sketch went, but it was something along the lines of,.

Um,.

Like him trying to experience life as a white person.

And so,.

So like,.

He basically put on the white makeup and then, you know, like the banks are just throwing money at him and lending him all the money he.

Wants.

And then every time,.

Like,.

You know,.

Um,.

Like they're all throwing a party everywhere they go. And like,.

You know,.

So,.

I mean,.

You know,.

It's obviously,.

You know,.

You know what the irony in that is was that the, the governments right now are desperately, you know, trying to do the opposite. They're trying to like give reparations and,.

You know,.

San Francisco is trying to give every black person $5 million. And it's like,.

Dude,.

I never got $5 million.

Well,.

It's,.

Um,.

So there's a lot of things going on with that kind of thing in general. And it's like,.

You know,.

Part of like the difference between men and women, in general, is that men kind of like to tease each other. And one of the things that men do is like,.

We like,.

We like to tease,.

You know,.

And part of that is,.

Um,.

Like women aren't nearly as like motivated to tease in the same kind of.

Way.

And men do that in a way to kind of test each other a little bit. And so like,.

They'll pick you, you know,.

As a man, you'll pick at someone else.

And, and,.

Um,.

Part of what you're doing is just seeing,.

You know,.

How do they handle like,.

Uh,.

Criticism. And it's like,.

You know,.

If,.

If a guy handles it well, and if he jokes back at you,.

Then you,.

You like respect him. Like you get, you get his respect, but then if he like, if he just gets all sensitive about it and starts,.

You know,.

Moping and fussing,.

Like you, you,.

You identify really quickly.

Oh man,.

He's, he's sensitive,.

You know,.

That guy is sensitive. He can't take a joke.

Right.

And so then you're like, it affects the way you view it,.

View him.

But I mean,.

Like ladies don't really, they don't operate like that in the same kind of way. They don't tease each other, like in the main, like in order to like test them to,.

You know,.

And part of that's just like men are designed to have courage and fortitude and to be,.

You know,.

Thick skinned and,.

You know,.

Not to be thin skinned and,.

You know,.

Easily offended and everything else. And so like when you see a guy who can take it, take a, take picking at you,.

Well,.

You respect him.

Right.

So like,.

If it doesn't get, if it doesn't get under your skin, but then like in general,.

You know,.

Part of the way that like the world, the way that the world works is that like, if you can laugh about things, like it does,.

Like,.

You know,.

That there's not like all these problems underneath the surface,.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

So once the humor goes, then like,.

You know,.

You're in trouble and,.

You know,.

Part of like, part of like even how this works in the course of relationships with men and women is it must like men, like they have,.

You know,.

I know you're not allowed to talk about these kinds of like stereotypes in this way, but I mean like a lot of the ways that,.

You know,.

A lot of the ways that,.

You know,.

Men try to win, win. The heart of a woman is to get her to laugh. And so like, when you're in the courting stage, you're constantly cracking jokes and trying to get a,.

Get a,.

Get a girl to laugh at you. But then,.

You know,.

Once like, once you get married, like there's a lot of ladies who like, they really, they start really losing like their ability to joke anymore. And what, what that's often, what often happens is like, that's just a sign that there's like a lot of problems,.

Right?

So once you lose the ability to joke, like you can't joke anymore, you can't laugh anymore. Like it all turns into a problem. Everything is like deathly serious. That's just like a sign that there's like a bunch of problems underneath the surface that are not being dealt with.

And like, in the same thing is true in a society in general, is that like, if a society can't laugh at each other, like if everything is going to be taken offense,.

Then,.

You know,.

Like,.

That's a sign of like bitterness. That's like pervaded that kind of society. This pervaded that kind of discourse. And it's like,.

It's,.

It's never like, it's not like a recipe for like friendship.

Right.

So like, most friendships are like filled with like laughter and jokes and like people not taking themselves too seriously. And people not like taking their relationship with each other too seriously.

And I mean, you know, like there's,.

There is like a place for just like, kind of like laughing at each other and teasing each other. But then when people take it real sensitive and take it real serious. And when you know that like anything can set this like thing off,.

Right. Like,.

Like you, like you, like the,.

The, the situations you really don't like to go into or situations where you're walking on eggshells, knowing that offense could be taken at any point. And in those kinds of situations, like you, like the last thing you're going to do is laugh.

Right.

Last thing you're going to do is laugh. Last thing you're going to do is joke. You're going to be serious. You're going to be on your best behavior. You're going to be tiptoeing around because you,.

You know,.

That like, there's so many unspoken rules and, and that's part of what's like the problem of like critical theory and the way that it, it sets up like,.