Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.06.2016, Side 6

www.bustravel.is
info@bustravel.is
+354 511 2600
Daily guided
bus tours
Golden Circle Tours
Glacier Lagoon
Southern Iceland
Into the Glacier
Figures
Don't
Lie
The minimum number of
years tourism industry
workers have been
complaining about the
dearth of public toilets
in the countryside
Number of years before
we can expect changes
to be implemented
The number of portable
toilets the Icelandic Road
Administration wants to set
up around the country
THERE'S NO ENGLISH
WORD FOR:
The word of the issue this issue
is redda. This is a crucial Ice-
landic word to know, and argu-
ably represents the backbone of
Icelandic society. In its simplest
form, redda means to fix some-
thing or work something out—
it can be applied to everything
from arranging a ride to a party
for a friend, to restructuring the
entire economy. In fact, someone
who is known for finding a way
to make something work some-
how is known as a “reddari.”
Which is very similar, but not
at all related, to “riddari,” which
means “knight”—although a
reddari could prove to be your
riddari in shining armour.
"REDDA"
THIS
ISSUE'S
ISSUE
Does Cultural
Appropriation Exist?
FOR
Cultural appropriation is everywhere.
You can see Icelanders chowing down
on shwarma, drinking coffee—which
doesn’t even grow in Iceland—and even
rapping. We seem to be all too willing
to just take things from other cultures
without even asking, and making them
our own.
Some might argue that what matters
when it comes to appropriation is wheth-
er or not you understand and respect the
thing you’re appropriating. As if wearing
a Native American war bonnet as a prop
in your rap video is any different from
wearing a kimono at the Japanese Cul-
tural Festival.
We must end cultural appropriation
once and for all, and for that there is one
simple solution: purge Icelandic society
of all foreign influence.
I propose we start by eating only the
food we can grow here, and cook it by
boiling it to a flavorless mush, just as
our ancestors would have done. All en-
tertainment must consist of purely Ice-
landic television, movies and music, i.e.
choirs singing folk songs. And of course,
we have to get rid of all the cars.
It might seem strange to argue all
these points in English, a foreign lan-
guage. But change is slow to happen in
Iceland. Give me some time. Regardless,
cultural appropriation must be eradicat-
ed with extreme prejudice.
AGAINST
Nowadays, you can’t do or say anything
without offending someone. When Chris
Rock tells a joke, it’s hilarious; but when
I tell the exact same joke, all of the sud-
den I’m “insensitive” and “clueless” and
“tone deaf.” Same deal goes for cultural
appropriation.
If I want my child to dress up as an In-
dian princess (with FREE rubber toma-
hawk), what’s the big deal, anyway? It’s
not like there are any Indians in Iceland
who would get offended. Do I seriously
need to walk on eggshells around thin-
skinned performative white liberals
who, let’s be honest now, are just showing
off how “progressive” they are? I mean, if
they’re not being directly affected, why
else should they care?
Fact is, other cultures might have a
lot of cool stuff, but they don’t always use
these things in a funny or entertaining
way. Like, I know the afro rose to promi-
nence with the Black Power movement,
but that’s boring. Put on a giant afro for a
costume party, though, and the laughter
never ends.
Cultural appropriation is just a buzz-
word, a badge of honour to show the
world how caring and open-minded you
are. Ironically, no one raises a stink if a
black guy dresses up like a Viking, which
is exactly like a whiter-than-white girl
wrapping up in a sari and putting a red
dot on her forehead to attend an Indian-
themed dinner.
Liberal white people need to get over
themselves and learn to embrace other
cultures.
SHARE: gpv.is/cula
Photo: Art Bicnick
THINGS NOT TO DO IN THE SWIMMING POOL
look at others people's genitals longer than is necessary
(breasts are not genitals)

break someone's arm because they looked at your genitals
way longer than was necessary
A Poem By
Fjóla Gautadóttir
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 7 — 2016
6
3
A POEM BY is curated by Grapevine’s
poetry liaison, Jón Örn Loðmfjörð
60
?