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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pukunui" data-source="post: 9687142" data-attributes="member: 54629">Look, I’m not looking to start a fight or claim the moral high ground here.I get that this scene was meant to be a throwaway line reflecting a 90s trend. I was a teen in the 90s, and while I don't remember any specific tribal tattoo fads, I can think of plenty of other fads that we would consider questionable today, so I would not be surprised if there was one at the time. In that sense, the character having one is historically accurate, yes.But for me, the issue isn’t the existence of that line; it’s the casualness of how it’s presented. The guy shrugs off having had a Māori-style tattoo like it was a silly haircut he outgrew, with no real acknowledgment of what those tattoos mean within Māori culture.I know the show wasn’t trying to be offensive, and I’m not calling for it to be erased or censored or anything. But to me it does read as appropriation, not appreciation, precisely because the cultural significance is ignored. That kind of shrugging treatment of other cultures is something we’ve become more aware of in the decades since, and I think it’s fair to look back and say, “Yeah, that part hasn’t aged well.”I also think it’s OK for us to bring modern perspectives into how we view older media. Consider the disclaimer WotC has put on older official D&D products on the DMs Guild. That’s how growth works: we look at the past with more information and different lenses. Doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy the show or see its value.Again, not trying to convince anyone to see it my way — just asking that my perspective be seen as valid too.</blockquote>

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