This insecurity about being authentic has pervaded so many things, even absent any real political context. LIke people will suddenly whip out “You know, nachos aren’t really authentic Mexican food, they’re Tex-Mex cuisine.” Okay, what do you expect me to do in that situation, spit it out and go “Ugh, that’s disgusting!” Authentic or not, they’re still delicious. I totally get pursuing authenticity when you’re trying to preserve a culture and are worried it’s under threat, but it gets brought into absolutely ridiculous contents, often by people who have no real basis or authority to be the arbiters of authenticity for what they’re discussing in the first place as a way to try and make themselves seem more worldly.
This insecurity about being authentic has pervaded so many things, even absent any real political context. LIke people will suddenly whip out “You know, nachos aren’t really authentic Mexican food, they’re Tex-Mex cuisine.” Okay, what do you expect me to do in that situation, spit it out and go “Ugh, that’s disgusting!” Authentic or not, they’re still delicious. I totally get pursuing authenticity when you’re trying to preserve a culture and are worried it’s under threat, but it gets brought into absolutely ridiculous contents, often by people who have no real basis or authority to be the arbiters of authenticity for what they’re discussing in the first place as a way to try and make themselves seem more worldly.
What. Have you ever been to Texas? Queso is tex-mex. Nachos are something else. Queso is better.