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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheSword" data-source="post: 7977079" data-attributes="member: 6879661">I find this debate fascinating because in essence there is no fixed line about what is acceptable and not acceptable. There are some things we know are wrong (the British holding onto the Elgin Marbles) and some we are pretty comfortable with (Neil Gaimon retelling African myth). The term should probably be Cultural Misappropriation. It’s when we get it badly wrong that there is an issue, or when we don’t adapt with the times. I suspect fiction has a greater leeway than a lot of uses, because it isn’t forced on people and is more open to interpretation, than say a business logo or a sports team.What should determine the acceptable is not how much research has been done - that will always be up for academic debate, not to mention the fact that academic positions and opinions change over time and are very subject to trends in thinking. Instead the question comes down to one of taste. If a subject is dealt with tastefully (Neil Gaimon) then people will largely accept it. If it’s done in bad taste it will be rejected. Quality of writing, originality of characters, uses to which the culture is put, will matter a lot. Stereotypes in and of themselves probably matter less than the use to which they are put. Stereotypes are part of fiction like it or not, both when they are being used and when they are subverted.I also think the further back in history you go, the less the risk of harm. Obviously. Though again this will depend on how tasteful the work is. It’s really easy to lump everything in one box and use the stamp Cultural (mis)Appropriation to criticize a work. This is reductive and I think you have to work harder to demonstrate harm the further back you go. Whether an RPG set in medieval Japan is acceptable will depend on how tastefully it is portrayed, not how well researched or accurate it is (though meticulous research and consultation may assist with this - I don’t believe it is essential). The statement that you can’t write about cultures other than your own without sharing authorship with someone of that culture is clearly wrong. It’s an opinion, but I would suggest one that isn’t  widely accepted. There is a real debate about whether using the legends and myths of other cultures actually causes harm to people in that culture. That is Not a concept that is broadly accepted yet - though people are making the arguments. Even if widely accepted, all companies and individuals will have to decide how they feel about the matter in question on a case by case basis. Inevitably some companies will be edgier than others. I’m not willing to write a guide on what is tasteful and what isn’t. I’d be very wary of anyone who claimed they can. The days of Mary Whitehouse are long gone I hope. Instead people should vote with their wallets. I for one enjoyed and appreciated Tomb of Annihilation and have bought every edition. Of L5R because I was impressed with the writing and the quality of the work. I therefore think mainstream companies should keep producing work of that quality. I also think people should argue specifics rather than make general blanket statements like have been made earlier. If you don’t like how a work has portrayed something then explain why and make a case for how harm has been caused. I’m not convinced by the arguments I’ve seen that portrayal as Samurai as honorable to the point of self-destruction causes material harm to modern Japanese.Let keep an open mind and remember all creative enterprise requires taking a leap of faith and can be highly subjective.</blockquote>

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