2.2: The Custodian's Rip-Off

Overview

This section explores the concept of the Custodian's Rip-Off and draws on Conquergood’s (1985) critique that performers must approach cultural expressions with respect and responsibility, avoiding appropriation or exploitation. Ultimately, it calls for performance choices that reflect ethical awareness, humility, and cultural sensitivity.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Earning your first pair of pointe shoes is a rite of passage for ballet dancers. (CC-BY-SA; Lambtron - Pointe Shoe Wear)

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the concept of the Custodian's Rip-Off.
2. Analyze the ethical responsibilities of performers
3. Develop a critical framework for performance selection

What is The Custodian's Rip-Off?

I grew up my whole life as a dancer. I started dancing at the age of two, and after ten years of consistent training, I finally earned my first pair of pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are not something a dancer randomly decides to buy one day. They are something that dancers earn after hours of tireless training. In ballet, they are a sign of discipline, maturity, and dedication to the art form.

I spent hours each day building the necessary muscles to safely rise onto the box of my pointe shoes. In the ballet world, the tradition of earning your very first pair of pointe shoes is a pivotal moment in every dancer's life. People outside of ballet culture might not recognize the effort, time, and care that go into this tradition.

There are times when celebrities advertise certain products, and although they have no ballet training, they are seen awkwardly attempting to rise on pointe shoes. This may seem like a harmless performance, but to ballet dancers, it de-legitimizes the tradition of earning your pointe shoes. Beyond that, the celebrity and the company selling the product directly monetize the tradition.

This is an example of a performer engaging in the Custodian's Rip-Off. Conquergood (1985) states, "Potential performers of ethnographic materials should not enter the field with the overriding motive of 'finding some good performance material'" (p. 6). The Custodian's Rip-Off happens when a performer steals or mishandles a cultural performance for personal gain, without honoring the people or the tradition it came from. While choosing which text to perform, it is important to consider if your performance decisions are being fueled by selfish aspirations. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you stealing traditions from a different culture and using them for your own benefit?
• Will the performance make you look good while simultaneously hurting a specific group of people?
• Are you treating the culture as raw material for your own artistic goals?
• Is there little to no regard for the original context, meaning, or purpose of the performance tradition?
• Can the performance result in misrepresentation, cultural appropriation, or exploitation? 
• Will you monetize or gain praise from traditions that are sacred or significant to a specific group?

These are questions for you to consider before creating a performance. 

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Activity 1: Performance Proposal Check

Objective: Practice ethical decision-making in performance planning.

Instructions:
Before your next performance assignment, complete the following checklist and attach it to your proposal:

• What is the cultural origin of the piece?

• What significance does it hold within its community?

• Do you have a personal connection to this culture or story?

• Could your performance unintentionally cause harm or offense?

• What steps are you taking to ensure respectful engagement?

Discuss your responses with a peer or instructor before finalizing your performance plan.

Many performers unintentionally engage in the Custodian's Rip-Off within their performances. They might perform a text that is traditionally only performed by someone who holds a specific rank in the culture. They might also perform traditional text that are only reserved for specific events. For example, if you were to perform a text that is commonly only performed at a funeral by the highest ranking elders of the culture, it would be an example of the Custodian's Rip-Off. 

Understanding the Custodian's Rip-Off challenges us to approach performance with greater respect, responsibility, and cultural awareness. As performers, we must recognize that not all stories are ours to tell, and not all traditions are ours to represent. It is essential for performers to honor the context, history, and meaning behind a performance practice. This helps performers avoid causing harm to the communities whose cultural expressions we might be borrowing from. As you move forward in this course, let your performance choices reflect not only creativity, but also integrity, humility, and a commitment to ethical engagement.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Activity 2: Case Study Analysis – Ethical or Exploitative?

Objective: Analyze real-world examples through the lens of the Custodial Rip-Off.

Instructions:
In small groups, review two media examples (assigned or chosen with instructor approval) that depict cultural practices—such as a commercial, film scene, or music video.

• Identify whether the example demonstrates respectful representation or a Custodial Rip-Off.

• Use Conquergood’s questions and quote to guide your analysis.

• Present your findings in class or write a 1-page group response.