Culture appropriation my ass!

As many people, I watched with incredulity the "Is it OK to use black emojis and gifs?" BBC video where writer Victoria Prince will starts by introducing the concept of digital blackface and then goes on a rant explaining how a bunch of unrelated things are awful to black people and how using images of black people constitutes disrespect towards them and "cultural appropriation". Although all said in a well built speech and a fantastically groomed British accent, the end result is nothing but a sack of bollocks. I have no quarrel with the notion that blackface, which is something which was very popular many decades ago, is offensive. What is completely ridiculous though, is to link that long-lost art to any of the examples she provides. Expression gifs are mostly with black people? So the fuck what? I can't vouch for why other (white) people would use them and I myself have only used one once on a WhatsApp message to my wife because the app did that automatically, but isn't it a bit abusive of Victoria Prince will to presume to know the intentions of any *white* people when they use such gifs? Dare I suggest that those images are being selected because they convey a specific expression better than other such images and not "to express some form of exaggerated blackness"? At least it would stand to logic that it would be so. Then she goes on about how black people are not there to entertain white people. Well, as a matter of fact, most of those black people shown in the example gifs were, in fact, there to entertain us. Not white people but people from all races which choose to watch the movies, tv series and talk-shows they are in. So Oprah isn't there to entertain us? Please! That's how she became richer than most could ever dream to be. And jolly well good that she did.

And what about that "cultural appropriation" argument? First of all, there isn't such a thing as "black culture" the same way as there isn't any other racial culture. There may be a Jamaican culture, Gambian culture, South African culture, but even inside these countries there will be variations as there are in white majority countries. Portugal is a small country and there are huge variations in the culture of the different regions. The food is different, the typical clothing varies, the dancing and singing are completely different from North to South. Would it be fair to say that it is pretty arrogant of dear Victoria to claim to have the authority to bar white people access to specific items of "Black Culture"? So what does that mean? The blond girl at minute 0:46 can't use dreadlocks? What's next? White people can't play jazz? How about listening to music created by black people or reading a book written by a black author? Are we allowed to do that?

Victoria wants white people to let black people decide for themselves how they want to be perceived. But unfortunately, as many people have already raised, it's not up to any if us to choose how others will perceive us. For instance, although that was probably not her intention, my perception of Victoria Prince will is that she is a pedantic racist who is not even consistent with her own words. I would expect that someone complaining about the appropriation of her culture by others would be dressed in some African attire and have afro hair. But instead, she presents herself with some standard occidental clothing and straight hair. How's that for "culture appropriation"? 

And finally I'm left wondering about her approach. Why address the white people specifically? Is it an exclusive of white people to use gifs of black people? Or is it only offensive if it is white people doing it? What about Asians? Is it ok for Asians to use black gifs? What about black people using gifs of white, yellow, red or blue people? Is Victoria ok with that?

I'm very surprised that in a world and age where black people have, with good reason, so much to complain about, someone would reinforce the victim stereotype with this kind of speech.