The concept of cultural appropriation has been argued over in academia and more explosively on the Internet in recent years, surrounded by tricky topics like political correctness, artistic interpretation and identity politics.
Celebrated on October 31, the fun-loving Western-based holiday called Halloween sparks conversations around costumes and appropriate forms of "dressing up."
This month, NBC television host Megyn Kelly faced backlash after her on-air comments about using blackface Halloween costumes. The network decided Friday to take Kelly off the Today show.
Children, who get the most of out the holiday, are also tied in with debates about whether characters – like Polynesian Disney princess Moana or Marvel superhero Black Panther – are fair game when selecting a costume.
How does the commodification of Halloween play into American culture? Are there legal implications behind imitating another group's background and identity?
Is borrowing ideas an inevitable part of how popular culture evolves or an aspect of society we could be more sensitive to?
What does cultural appropriation look like to you? What do you consider going "too far"?
Guests:
- Susan Scafidi, law professor at Fordham University and author of "Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law"
- Cherise Smith, chair of African and African Diaspora Studies, associate professor in AADS and art history at the University of Texas at Austin, and author of "Enacting Others: Politics of Identity in Eleanor Antin, Nikki S. Lee, Adrian Piper, and Anna Deavere Smith."
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