What happens when Disney releases a new movie? Merchandising, lots and lots of merchandising. Kids want to act out their favorite scenes and songs. What better way to do that then by giving them a doll or costumes to dress up and play along?

Except, in 2016, Disney came under fire for appropriating – or rather misappropriating – Polynesian culture. Disney isn’t perfect, and the conversation around cultural appropriation in this situation is very much warranted.

Four years later, a different island culture found itself in the middle of a cultural appropriation debate. Adele, the artist from the UK, posted an image of herself wearing Bantu knots, a Jamaican flag bikini top, and a bright yellow feathered collar. Many people accused her of cultural appropriation and others – including Jamaican people – suggested it was an example of cultural appreciation.

Before I continue, I want to acknowledge that I am writing from a place of white experience, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t seen my heritage appropriated/appreciated. It’s a very fine line.

My heritage is steeped in Ireland, and there is no hiding it. I roll my eyes when people wear shirts that say “Kiss Me I’m Irish!” on St. Patrick’s Day. Do they know the story of St. Patrick? Most likely not, and they don’t really care because they have an excuse to drink beer. St. Patrick brought Catholicism to the Irish – and if anyone knows anything about the Irish, they really like their Catholicism. That’s why St. Patrick has his own day.

Again, nothing to do with beer or corned beef.

However, if someone wants to eat corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day because it’s a special day to remember Irish culture, have at it! If someone wants to use St. Patrick’s Day to sell green Guinness, I kind of take issue with that.

So, what’s the line between appreciating a culture and appropriating it?

Money.

When Disney created a costume for kids that was borderline brown face with tatu that has sacred connotations, the company crossed a line. They did not need to make a special costume for Maui – and if they did, they could have made it the hawk or shark or lizard or any number of shapes that Maui takes. Human Maui is more recognizable, and as such, they should have stuck to a grass skirt and shark tooth necklace. It's a costume that has been around for eons, but it would have been more respectful. 

Appropriating something is, by definition, to take something for someone’s gain. Interestingly enough, appropriation also has financial connotations. Cultural appropriation is to seize something from a culture you belong to and then utilize it for your own gain with little to no understanding of the value of the stolen thing.

It’s not a good look.

When Adele twisted her hair into the knots and donned the bikini, especially considering the context was a festival, she was enjoying Jamaican culture. She was celebrating a culture that isn’t her own, and isn’t that what we’re trying to teach people in this big race issue? That race is an issue of culture and that all cultures and races should be celebrated?

Adele’s get-up wasn’t meant to help her sell more albums, she didn’t write a song in the Jamaican style and try to pass it off as her own, and she wasn’t trying to get any special attention. She was simply celebrating a different group’s culture.

And I get it – Jamaica is absolutely fascinating. The people are warm, friendly, and have excellent humor.

I’ll admit, there may be facets of this that I don’t understand, but there are some things that I do understand that aren’t necessarily adding up.

Many people who are riling the internet up over claims of appropriation fit one of a couple categories – if not both.

1. They aren’t even from the appropriated/appreciated culture.

When the Adele issue came front and center again, I had to reach out to my friend who was born and raised in Jamaica and moved to the US for school. I asked her what her thoughts were, and she text laughed back. It just wasn’t a big deal.

When I was reading the comments online, many people from Jamaica said the same thing. Let her celebrate the culture. After all, they listen to her very white Western music.

The people who were up in arms were frequently white and lived no where near the appropriated culture. There was one woman who was so enraged that she commented over and over again on a Buzzfeed news article replying to any comment that laughed the issue off. A peek at her Facebook profile revealed she was white and lived in Canada.

Should people defend other people’s culture? Absolutely, but if there is no offense, if no one was hurt, is there an action to defend? I don’t think so.

That’s like a kid slapping another kid around the playground because they thought they saw the kid punch their friend. Sorry Sally, that’s not how standing up for people works; you've just made yourself the bully. 

2. They live in a “melting pot” country.

So, the Canadian woman who was righteously enraged on behalf of Jamaicans everywhere? She lives in a country that is known for being very white/Western, European even, and for being a melting pot of cultures.

Traditionally, America is known as the melting pot country, but over the years many countries have become melting pots of their own. Refugees and immigrants who travel to America, the UK, and Canada – to name a few – bring their own cultures with them. While there is a lot of assimilation with these groups, these countries are equally impacted by the people and their cultures.

As a brief example, curry is traditionally associated with South Asian cuisine, but Britain’s national dish is chicken tiki masala – a curry dish. The Indian immigrants introduced the food, and Britain made it a part of their culture.

You’ll see the same thing in Canada or America with Mexican or Italian food, clothing styles, décor, and so on.

Arguably, some elements of different cultures have been appropriated to make these countries thrive. It’s extremely problematic for someone to belong to a culture that has assimilated all of these cultures, and then be angry when someone celebrates a culture outside of their own. Karen probably should give up her curries, tacos, and stir fries. Stick to Canadian fare of bacon and maple syrup, eh?

There are several nuanced issues of appropriation/appreciation that I could rant and rave about, but the bottom line is this – as my friend Abi, who grew up in Jamaica and then moved to America said – Just let everyone live their best life.

Appropriation is appropriation if someone is getting hurt or if someone is profiting off someone else’s back. Everything else is a healthy dose of appreciation.

Was Disney’s Maui costume an appropriation? Absolutely. Adele? Not so much.