I don't think I ever heard of a White person using the term cultural appropriation... I don't think I really ever heard anyone really use it outside of western culture and predominantly by Black people. For example, if a White person wears dreads or African-style braids, this is considered cultural appropriation. It is. But there's nothing wrong with that. Cultural appropriation is universal. Do Mexican's accuse Black people of appropriation when they have a barbecue? Do Irish people accuse anyone of cultural appropriation when they celebrate St Patricks Day? However, there are valid forms of bad cultural appropriation. An attempt to paint Charlize Theron as a "Queen of Africa" is a bit debatable, I'm almost willing to push my chips towards cultural appropriation as it is the misapplication of the identity of the typical African, but then this would mean that we cannot have anything other than a White Miss USA as White people are the dominant, typical culture represented in American society. (modern America, at least...) I've heard people say that the movie "Dances with Wolves" and "The Last Samurai" are examples of bad cultural appropriation. I don't see it. I think "Dances with Wolves" is one of those stories that White people often use to cushion their cruel past by introducing a character who is sympathetic with, immerses themselves in, and is accepted by a culture that they will ultimately come to represent an icon that is the apotheosis of all that is that culture while also being a primary instrument in the defense of that culture against the bad and oppressive people from their own culture. It seems to paint the cruel part of that chapter in their history as a good cop bad cop thing where what occurred was an accident that was contested to significant effect by good noble White people. This is also reflected in "The Last Samurai" when a western army officer played by Tom Cruise get's captured by Japanese rebels and becomes a master samurai more potent and highly respected than many of the natives and becomes a leading figure against the brutalization of their people. This is actually true, however. Maybe not in the exact sense, but in the Age of Imperialism, White cultures would come across the world and come across other cultures. There was usually a system of a strong, entrenched ruling people and subjected peoples. The weaker peoples would often be wooed by and ultimately accept these White people because of how freakin out-of-this world they looked and all the knowledge and technology they possessed. White people would then use them to conquer and replaced the local power of the area and then they would go on to be the ruling and most respected figures of the area. It's not exactly a good thing as they weren't really saving the entire culture as much as using one part of it to conquer the whole, and they weren't the moral, virtuous presence offered in such films, but it is not a huge leap from the actuality. This is not bad cultural appropriation so much as it is self-aggrandizing and unsavory to the social etiquette of the modern day. The use of white actors to portray persons of color...? Not cultural appropriation. It's just questionable behavior. There's instances where this would be harmless, certainly, but with this countries past...or present...you can't blame people for wondering. You really can't blame them at all. Cultural appropriation is not a bad thing at all when it is done without malice or the intent to mock or slander that culture or the people of that culture or to rob them of something that was there's. However, there is such a thing as cultural theft. Cultural theft would be much more akin to those Europeans who said that African's could not have built the city of Timbuktu- that it must have been lost White men. Plausible, certainly. But considering the time period...and the very low probability of such a theory, the idea that the only achievements of note in Africa were done by White people would be cultural theft. A person claiming to have invented something that came from another culture would be a form of cultural theft. I've heard some people say that Black people invented Rock and Roll. I don't know and have no way of validating this. If it were true, and White people tried to claim credit, that would be a form of cultural theft. In conclusion...I think that many accusations of cultural appropriation are actually just disdain and resentment at someone of another culture taking part in your own culture- especially if that culture brutalized you. It would be like watching you conquerors make away with your women. I'm pretty sure that image strikes a cord with anyone- no matter the culture. It's also- what I believe- a mistaken ideology in that culture is property instead of ideas and that ideas can and should be freely shared between peoples. I suppose this is a bit hypocritical since western societies have things like copyright and are usually willing to enforce it with swift reprisal, but so long as you are simply enjoying it with no malicious intent, I would say it's fine. But that's just me.
It depends on how you want to view the movie. Do you want it to look accurate or do you just care about the story in which case anyone could play the roles. Plays do this all the time with little disruption and pretty much anyone can play any character. It's only on the screen where this seems to become an issue. There is a reason why in ancient times actors would cover their face with a mask, it was for this very thing. Does it seem weird what Theron or Johannson have done recently....well they don't physically represent the roles they are playing obviously so the question is if it ruins the immersion of that role for the audience. I don't think cultural appropriation applies in this sense although you could make an argument for that I suppose. I think any good actor could play any role but would I buy a John Travolta playing MLK? Probably not as easily as a black actor although I am sure he would do a good job. Its a complicated subject to be sure. Many would say that black culture in America is directly the cause of the whites, which it is, so does that mean white people are the reason it exists and its ultimately theirs?
