Basically I think this

Also, is something being offensive to a group a good enough reason to stop someone from doing it?

There is a LOT of racism in art history, esp. in regard to "the Orient." Definitely something to be wary of.

Nope. Hurt feelings shouldn't limit artistic one's expression.

Yes. Art is not a realm that should be free from criticism, quite the opposite actually.

That doesn't mean I think people should NEVER use music/ideas from other cultures, but when you do something sloppily/without respect/distastefully you are not immune to criticism because its ~art~, actually it's the opposite, lmao.

This user thinks they're the spokesperson for every minority group, so not surprised.

You can discuss and critically analyze work. As nice it is to live in the clouds and think art is all free and about expressing yourself, art has been used as propaganda to spread some of the worst ideas ever thought, historically been misogynistic, racist, etc. We can divorce ourselves from those issues to appreciate art sometimes but we can also call it out for being ****ed up.

You don't know me, first of all, so you don't know what I am. Good bye. Second, the problem is anyone being racist and disrespecting someone else's culture and calling it "art" as an excuse. Some white bitch using a dark skinned black woman as a chair is not "art." Portraying a Japanese/Chinese woman wearing a kimono/hanfu while singing about being subservient to a man is not "art." It's disgusting.

Meanwhile, you're the first one to enter a thread cheering when a white cop is cleared of all charges for murdering a POC. You're the last person whose opinion I need to hear on any matter, much less one of cultural appropriation.

Exactly my thoughts

Actual Hindu statesman Rajan Zed:

Actual Hindu Jezebel writer:

Great informative post. Wouldn't expect to learn something from ATRL

Rajan Zed is a hack who likes hijacking any Hindu-related American "issue" for attention and is considered a joke so I wouldn't take any of his comments seriously (although the part about greed has some validity because it's tacky). In reality, the Bindi/teep has lost its significance a long time ago like most things rooted in superstition; it's was originally red vermillion powder worn by married Hindu women to protect them from evil and jealousy, but now it's a plastic jeweled sticker of any shape and color that South Asian females wear as a fashion accessory when they dress up for functions regardless of her religion and marital status. A lot of the women who use it in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. are Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Jews and not even married. There is really nothing offensive about anybody wearing it. If anything is disrespectful, it's bandwagoning for their convenience and having no idea what they hell they're doing like the Jezebel comment pointed out. There's a huge difference between Selena Gomez's embarrassing interview having no idea what part of the world India is in and someone like Nicole Scherzinger (and even Iggy Azalea surprisingly) being knowledgeable: