For this blog post assignment  we were asked to find something in pop culture involved the appropriation of something else. Appropriation is the act of borrowing, stealing, or taking other’s meanings to use as one’s own meaning.  Cultural appropriation occurs when one  “borrows” and changes  the meaning of commodities, cultural products, slogans, images, or elements of fashion. After researching appropriation in popular culture I found myself on the American Apparel website. American Apparel is a clothing company that is known for their edgy products.

I chose an image of an American Apparel advertisement for a clothing line called “Afrika”. The clothing line features tribal prints and bold, graphic designs. The name of the clothing line “Afrika” is an appropriation of the continent, Africa. The clothing line takes a stereotypical identity of African culture and portrays it in a clothing line. Africa is made up of numerous countries and ethnic backgrounds. For American Apparel to use the stereotypical elements of “Africa” in their clothing line title Afrika is an example of cultural appropriation.

The images intended meaning is to show that the clothing line was inspired by tribal patterns and animal prints commonly found in the African sahara. The image is appropriated because it takes the stereotypical themes that are commonly associated with Africa. The new meaning of the advertisement gives a single story to Africa, because Africa is not just sahara and animals. People became extremely offended by the advertisements narrow view of what Africa is.