The act of taking customs, practices, or traditions from one culture (usually by a member of a dominant culture) to either mock or simplify the meaning or significance of that piece of culture. Also, taking/wearing something from another culture and appreciating it only when it is not on the body of a member of that culture.
Examples/applications of cultural appropriation:
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Kylie Jenner's dreadlocks are so cool and edgy!!
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Zendaya must smell like weed and patchouli.
Any male or female that is NOT Native American wearing a Native American headdress because those headdresses are reserved for MALE elders after a religious ceremony; it's not just a cute hat.
Wearing bindis, dashikis, dreadlocks, saris, kilts, clogs, or any other type of clothing that is not native to your own culture without acknowledging the history these clothes come from or the oppression that some people who wear those clothes have to face because they are different from the majority culture in a specific country.
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Kylie Jenner's dreadlocks are so cool and edgy!!
Giuliana Rancic: OMG Zendaya must smell like weed and patchouli.
Any male or female that is NOT Native American wearing a Native American headdress because those headdresses are reserved for MALE elders after a religious ceremony; it's not just a cute hat.
Wearing bindis, dashikis, dreadlocks, saris, kilts, clogs, or any other type of clothing that is not native to your own culture without acknowledging the history these clothes come from or the oppression that some people who wear those clothes have to face because they are different from the majority culture in a specific country.
by epitome_of_grace November 3, 2015
Get the cultural appropriation mug.When a person takes something with cultural significance from another culture for their own, but doesn't respect or understand the cultural significance the something has. Instead they only claim to 'like' the culture because of what they can gain from it.
Eg:
White kid 1: Ugh, Indians have such stupid customs and shit.
White kid 2: Yeah OMG!
Later
White kid 1: OMG Bindis are so cool! I love Indians! I'm all for Hindu or whateverr
Indian kid: wtf cultural appropriation much.
White kid 1: Ugh, Indians have such stupid customs and shit.
White kid 2: Yeah OMG!
Later
White kid 1: OMG Bindis are so cool! I love Indians! I'm all for Hindu or whateverr
Indian kid: wtf cultural appropriation much.
by seriously253 May 16, 2015
Get the Cultural Appropriation mug.A person who is especially unaware of various pop culture references and who has not seen or even heard of various popular music, movies, books, etc.
Jennifer is "Pop Culturally Retarded" because she has never seen or even heard of the movie Old School.
by The Karcich June 11, 2010
Get the Pop Culturally Retarded mug.A one sided view which tries to hide the fact that the European white races invented just about everything that is of any use in the home or industry, all of which are readily available to and are used by black and brown people, but it is wrong to put a slice of Pineapple on a pizza and call it Hawaiian. This is a particularly hot topic amongst white hating white people that have been indoctrinated by left wing school or college teachers and have not gained any World experience yet.
A non PC use of cultural appropriation! would be; "Hey look, there is Beyonce with her lovely long, straight, blonde hair". Or "Look Leroy is using a knife and fork and wearing clothes".
by Borys Kickabollockoff September 3, 2018
Get the cultural appropriation! mug.bi-cultural people; people who are brought up with a mix of two cultures from their home country and the country that they migrated to
i am bi-cultural because i have been brought up by my parents in their culture as well as my new country's culture
by twahftr July 10, 2009
Get the bi-cultural mug.Toffs call it social climbing. Depending on the person's attitude and background you can work out if they are just under confident (which makes them ok), a self absorbed dick-head (bad) or a whining neurotic (v bad). These people are usually peer-pressured, inexperienced in life, and think they don't fit in. Solution: get the knowledge about how to be cool, but don't think on it too much. BE cool, not ACT cool. There's a difference. And be part of the crowd, but don't think like the crowd. NB: being popular doesn't involve being a social climber, unless your peergroup are childish twats.
teenage whining neurotic A: I wish I were cooler like Ben. Ben wears Nike, I'm going to plaster my face and back and room with Nike.
teenage awesome dude B: Meh, don't be culturally ambitious, but I get you.
~
teenage dick-head A: I want to ditch you, move on to these new cool guys so I'm going to change everything about my style to fit in.
teenage awesome dude B: if you want to ADD to your personality and ADD friends, fine, but if you're trade up? fuck you
teenage awesome dude B: Meh, don't be culturally ambitious, but I get you.
~
teenage dick-head A: I want to ditch you, move on to these new cool guys so I'm going to change everything about my style to fit in.
teenage awesome dude B: if you want to ADD to your personality and ADD friends, fine, but if you're trade up? fuck you
by don'tbeatwatnow July 2, 2012
Get the culturally ambitious mug.Mom-and-pop stores that once existed in small towns have been driven out by chain stores like Wal-Marts all over the country, thus causing cultural levelling and a loss of uniqueness and diversity in the town itself and in the country.
by KittenKat93 March 15, 2014
Get the cultural levelling mug.