About that Ms. Cover

I'd say the main problem is that Ms chose to depict the multi-armed woman in the exact same pose as in Hindu imagery, rather than just as a many-armed woman. There is nothing wrong with saying a mother needs an extra set of arms, or depicting a mother with enough arms to get her work done, but it is visually tied to Hindu imagery, and that's why it's wrong.

...between "racist" and "culturally insensitive/ignorant"? b/c I would say this cover is definitely the latter, but not the former. And I do think there's a difference, even if it's just one of active malice versus passive ignorance and appropriation. Either way, one thing is for sure—Ms.'s covers are always hella ugly. I don't think they put much thought into them in general, and that could certainly help explain this one.

im sorry, but this is a different story than the danish cartoons of muhammad which were in fact both racist and culturally insensitive. in islam, it is forbidden to create visual images of sacred individuals and therefore a complete affront to the religion and those who practice it, but there are not the same restrisctions on iconography in hinduism. the intent of the cover was not to disparage, demean, ridicule or mock the religion or its followers.

we need to be wary of confusing cultural appropriation and cross-cultural communication. by referencing the goddess Kali, who is often portrayed as a mother-goddess, Ms. is reminding readers of the multitude of demands placed on mothers and the way in which society expects them to have almost super-human abilities. perhaps this is a tad simplistic and cliched of a point for Ms. to make, the use of a non-western symbol does not necessarily connote ill-intent or even ignorance.

the implication of this outrage is that is no way in which a westerner can represent, take part in or appreciate the cultural product of another culture. and while cultural appropriation is a negative result of globalization, it is necessary to think critically about the way in which we approach suspected cases. lambasting this cover as racist does nothing to further conversations about truly offensive and ignorant examples of western privilege.

if you want something to get truly up in arms about when it comes the appropriation of eastern religious thought, consider the commodification of buddhism or the overwhelming amount of yoga studios in newly gentrified urban areas.