Columbusing, a term new to me ...

[kwassa]

referring to the appropriation of black cultural memes without attribution, at least the way I am getting it from this article. This discussion is all in reaction to Kim Kardashian's nude pictures in "Paper" magazine.

In her article, Telusma uses the term "Columbusing" to describe the Kardashian photo. The term refers to a group of people "discovering" something that's already been around. In this case, big bottoms have been "Columbused," Telusma argues.

"Kim Kardashian gets to represent black bodies that black women don't get to represent themselves," Telusma said.

London-based journalist Yomi Adegoke says the overall "big bum" craze is an example of Columbusing, writing in a Guardian article entitled, "Why does a black butt only look good in white skin?"

Women such as Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Lopez (who released a song called Booty) are celebrated for their big butts. In September, Vogue announced, "We're officially in the era of the big booty."

The big bottom is just one of the things that were "previously lauded in black culture and then make the cross to the mainstream, completely ignoring the fact it has roots in black culture," Adegoke said.

[Number23]

1. Do you have a link?

Thanks

And I first heard about Columbusing on Jezebel which has quickly become one of my favorite web sites. Angelina Jolie's lips are another example as well as Bo Derek and her corn rows from back in the day.

[kwassa]

2. Sorry, here is the link, this is from USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/11/13/kim-kardashian-photo-black-female-bodies-grio/18962603/

[Number23]

3. Thanks for that

The links within that link are all great too

'Why does a black butt only look good in white skin?'

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/23/why-black-bum-only-good-white-skin-cultural-appropriation

[kwassa]

4. This is an excellent piece of commentary

There are many current crazes described as “fresh and funky” by herds who think they’ve stumbled across something new, entirely oblivious to the mass eye roll from exasperated ethnic minorities. So common is the process, it has its own term and Twitter hashtag: #Columbising – when, like Christopher Columbus, white people think they have discovered something that was already in existence.

The author could have taken it back historically much further, to the black-face minstrel shows by whites, and by that remarkable white band in 1920s New Orleans that claimed to have invented jazz.