This past year, social activists targeted people who adorned themselves with popular styles from cultures they do not observe. Different cultures observe different rituals, clothings, styles, and ways of life. Participating in those groups with an understanding proves no problem, but wearing something significant because it looks “cute” comes off as both ignorant and discourteous.

People on social media banded together to call out celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian for appropriating cultures for purely aesthetic purposes. Social media users targeted Kylie Jenner when she posted an alien-like picture of herself  which resembled blackface, saying she wished she looked like that all the time. The dictionary defines blackface as “makeup applied to a performer playing a black person especially in a minstrel show.” Blackface represents an offensive history, but the biggest problem lies with the caption. Society constantly mocks black people for the darkness of their skin, and making them feel second class.

From my own personal experience, I can say living black comes with difficulty because we always live in a state of awareness. It remains hard to like a white boy because a nagging voice in the back of our minds always says “what if he doesn’t like black girls?” It is hard to have white friends because they constantly comment on the difference in skin tones.

From birth, media tells us to strive for lighter skin and Jenner never acknowledged the problems black people face. Jenner constantly copies black styles but never associates it with problems faced by the black community, nor has she ever taken action to help the black community.

Similarly, Khloe Kardashian received backlash when she wore traditional Arabian clothes for Halloween and captioned her post offensively. Not only did she wear a culture’s everyday clothing for a holiday that celebrates the abnormal, but she also chose a caption that sexualized a mostly reserved culture. She took the picture because it proved flattering and she chose a caption tailored to fit her sexy image, yet instead of appreciating the culture or discussing important aspects, Kardashian took advantage of a culture to benefit her own desire for appreciation. Her disrespect became evident when Khloe Kardashian’s fans commented on how the picture was both culturally appropriating and highly offensive. Instead of apologizing, Kardashian chose to defend her actions and the picture stayed on Instagram.

Although we expect celebrities to constantly keep up with the newest trends, other cultures do not exist for imitation. Celebrities should understand that cultures hold immense importance in people’s lives and do not apply to all people. At the bottom line, cultural appropriation comes down to respect. If we take other cultures and continuously copy them without acknowledging their origins, it shows our lack of respect for what others hold dearly.