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bartvick's review against another edition
4.0
Jackson stunningly weaves together history and current events covering all sorts of themes of white folks appropriating Black culture. Highly recommend.
tracithomas's review against another edition
5.0
This book is pretty incredible. Its comprehensive when it comes to the appropriation of Black culture. Jackson has an in-depth understand of culture and whiteness and her thoughts are so flushed out. I only wish there was more of a conclusion or overreaching point made.
Reread notes: better the second time. Jackson is brilliant and does so much with such a short book. I still wish there was more of an ending.
Reread notes: better the second time. Jackson is brilliant and does so much with such a short book. I still wish there was more of an ending.
lundyd98's review against another edition
1.0
So I wanted to read something that explored cultural appropriation, particularly black cultural, but not in this manner. To be fair, I've only read up to chapter 2 & I now know more about the lives & careers of Christiana Aguilera, Britney Spears & Miley Cyrus (none of who I'm a fan of) than I ever wished to! The next chapter, The Cover Girl, will likely discuss the Kardashians IN DEPTH & so I have to put this book down. Who knows!... maybe I'll pick it up again one day.
readandchill23's review against another edition
4.0
"White and non-black people who defend their right to use n*gga in public generally don't intend to use a pejoratively (in public, at least.) Self-aware racists usually keep quiet. This isn't their fight. White people who defend their right to use n*gga want the right to hop to another branch without the memory of the branch left behind. They don't want the n*gger of their ancestors and relatives, but the n*gga known to their rap idols. Of course, they forget that n*gga wouldn't be n*gga without the vulgar thrills encrusted upon it. Danger always accompanies anything genuinely hip. And nothing is more hip than n*gga. If it wasn't dangerous, white people wouldn't want it."
This statement rolls in line with the thoughts that run through my mind every time I go to karaoke and cringe when that one non-black person shouts the N word with their whole chest (usually looking away from me or looking me dead in the eye depending on their confidence) without a care of how loaded and how violent the word really is. What's worse is the seeking of a honorable nod of approval from the few black person in the room for such usage and then the whining of "that's not fair!" when not well received.
I don't know why that was important for me to include in this review, but here we are.
While most of the time this book can easily turn left and read like Hertep pre-Ph.D. Dr. Hadassah Olayinka Ali-Youngman (especially in the first chapter), most of it addresses the issues of cultural appropriation in the format of having a conversation with a friend over coffee in public. There's a clear cut definition of cultural appropriation at the beginning that I believe a lot of people need to review before even discussing the topic. That alone might be worth reading the whole book.
This statement rolls in line with the thoughts that run through my mind every time I go to karaoke and cringe when that one non-black person shouts the N word with their whole chest (usually looking away from me or looking me dead in the eye depending on their confidence) without a care of how loaded and how violent the word really is. What's worse is the seeking of a honorable nod of approval from the few black person in the room for such usage and then the whining of "that's not fair!" when not well received.
I don't know why that was important for me to include in this review, but here we are.
While most of the time this book can easily turn left and read like Hertep pre-Ph.D. Dr. Hadassah Olayinka Ali-Youngman (especially in the first chapter), most of it addresses the issues of cultural appropriation in the format of having a conversation with a friend over coffee in public. There's a clear cut definition of cultural appropriation at the beginning that I believe a lot of people need to review before even discussing the topic. That alone might be worth reading the whole book.
caitlyn888's review against another edition
4.0
This is really informative reading for anyone who doesn't understand why cultural appropriation is innately harmful to POC. I was exposed to issues that I hadn't consciously thought about. Ex: White restaurant owners that glean recipes from Black people and then sell the dishes at an upscale price to turn a profit, with no credit or monetary compensation given to the people who cultivated those foods over the last century.
This book reads as if it is Lauren Michele Jackson's dissertation, which it might be. It's highly researched and weaves American history into present day, embedding internet culture and its impact on race into the fabric of American politics.
This book reads as if it is Lauren Michele Jackson's dissertation, which it might be. It's highly researched and weaves American history into present day, embedding internet culture and its impact on race into the fabric of American politics.
christinecasey's review against another edition
4.0
I almost feel like I need to give this 5 stars because it should be required reading. But at 175 pages of scholarly work, certain essays were dense and a little slow to get through. I don’t think I’m going to convince anyone who didn’t already want to read the book to pick it up. But just in case you’re undecided, you should 100% read this.
johanna_knivsberg's review against another edition
5.0
This book deserves all the good words: it is poignant, illuminating and powerful. I appreciate this book not solely because of its beautiful writing and sharp social commentary, but because of how Lauren Michele Jackson approaches her arguments. Her way of highlighting connections and crafting arguments goes further than teaching anti-racist language, in that it also leaves the reader with a larger approach to understanding power dynamics and mechanisms such as cultural appropriation.
It reframes appropriation through the lense of power, and discusses things like how white women in the music industry seek to regain their own bodily autonomy by associating themselves with blackness. It also discusses : hipsters, meme-culture, Paula Deen and more. Of course, the overarching themes might not be new to most readers. You might even be tired of having to listen to people fight about it. But Lauren Michele Jackson approaches cultural appropriation it in a way that is infinitely more fruitful than most commentators. In short this is a read I whole-heartedly recommend!
It reframes appropriation through the lense of power, and discusses things like how white women in the music industry seek to regain their own bodily autonomy by associating themselves with blackness. It also discusses : hipsters, meme-culture, Paula Deen and more. Of course, the overarching themes might not be new to most readers. You might even be tired of having to listen to people fight about it. But Lauren Michele Jackson approaches cultural appropriation it in a way that is infinitely more fruitful than most commentators. In short this is a read I whole-heartedly recommend!
0hn0myt0rah's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the case studies and observations snaking around a complex critique of white racialised power and its continued syphoning off of Black capital and culture. I've never lived in the US and it's obviously very US centric obviously, so I had to Google people who got mentioned offhand. Not a critique just fiy