Is It Cultural Appropriation?

Pat Boone, metal, Elvis, Taco Bell, television, racism, and who benefits from it all?

By Kent Anderson

Recently, in a bit of cross-marketing, Malcolm Gladwell shared on his “Broken Record” podcast a music-based episode from his “Revisionist History” podcast. The theme? Cultural appropriation.

As usual, Gladwell’s gift for startling examples and unexpected connections was on display, beginning with Pat Boone’s strange 1997 album, “In a Met…