I came across this excellent article from the Observer about the problems behind "Social Justice Warriors" and why its a dead end, herein including CA as well. It pretty much sums up the points I also came across in my research.

 

Really a worthwhile read if you want to get a good idea of the whole picture in which CA fits in.

 

The Totalitarian Doctrine of Social Justice Warriors

 

Edit: re-posted here cuz I posted on the wrong thread previously :)

Intention isn't magic though

What exactly do you mean?

What exactly do you mean?

You can't just wave someone's hurt away by saying that you didn't intend to, unlike what most company apologies would have you believe

You can't just wave someone's hurt away by saying that you didn't intend to, unlike what most company apologies would have you believe

 

If someone wore a viking hat and made fun of the danish culture I´d feel spited and tell him/her to sod off! But if someone wore the viking hat to celebrate my culture cuz they think the vikings are one bunch of handsome dudes *lol* I´d be pleased and flattered about it. So yeah intention matters a whole lot in this case!

You can't just wave someone's hurt away by saying that you didn't intend to, unlike what most company apologies would have you believe

Sometimes telling what the true intention was could be difficult. And not everyone is going to have the same reaction. Sensitivity levels and all. In the end, you really can't satisfy everyone in cases like this. So if the true intention was genuinely to value the culture, and some people don't like it then shit (to the creators of course).

Sometimes telling what the true intention was could be difficult.

 

True, but there is no way I believe anyone can "see or perceive" an intention to make fun of or spite the Indian culture in the Hymn for the Weekend video...So I still believe what I said before, that these people who criticise don't even take intention into consideration, for them ALL "white /westerners" use elements of other cultures just to spite, i.e. you are preventively assuming something based on someone´s skin colour/place of birth.

 

The article I posted earlier has a really good analysis of this "phenomenon".

True, but there is no way I believe anyone can "see or perceive" an intention to make fun of or spite the Indian culture in the Hymn for the Weekend video...So I still believe what I said before, that these people who criticise don't even take intention into consideration, for them ALL "white /westerners" use elements of other cultures just to spite, i.e. you are preventively assuming something based on someone´s skin colour/place of birth.

 

The article I posted earlier has a really good analysis of this "phenomenon".

 

I understand, but what I said wasn't really specific to Hymn for the Weekend, but in general for anything anyone does. That does sometimes seem to be the case, plenty of people seeing Westerners as spiteful, mean people when they're wearing the outfits of other cultures because of the West's history of oppression and cultural imperialism.

 

It seems to be getting trickier and trickier to decipher the fairly destructive trends from good ones these days.

I understand, but what I said wasn't really specific to Hymn for the Weekend, but in general for anything anyone does. That does sometimes seem to be the case, plenty of people seeing Westerners as spiteful, mean people when they're wearing the outfits of other cultures because of the West's history of oppression and cultural imperialism.

 

It seems to be getting trickier and trickier to decipher the fairly destructive trends from good ones these days.

 

Yes in general I agree, but specific to CA , intention means nothing to them. It´s pretty clear once you get a bit in depth with what that movement is about...and yes I think it´s ultimately destructive, they´re taking things too far.

Haha heard the best quote about all this... "The most indian thing thing about the new coldplay video, is the reaction to it!" says it all really

I hate the song and the video but not for the claim of cultural approbation.

 

The British Empire committed many atrocities and oppressed Ireland for 800 years, yet if Coldplay made a music video here inspired by Irish music and culture I would be overjoyed. I don't think people would bat an eyelid. It's the fact it is India. Very silly in my opinion. The video and song should be criticized on it's lack of artistic merit.