S4 C1-C2 COCONUT GIRL & THE COLONIAL PARADISE

cog in the mechanics of capitalism – a small, replaceable part of the economic system with little individual power

to desecrate sth – to damage or disrespect sth sacred or valued

to dismantle sb’s identity – to systematically undermine sb’s identity

to rail against sth / sb – to protest, criticize, or complain angrily

proprietorial – behaving as if one owns or controls sth

high-profile – attracting a lot of attention and interest from the public

reductive conversation – oversimplified discussion that ignores complexity

a perilous path to take – a risky or dangerous course of action

dogma – rigid, unquestioned beliefs imposed by authority

the onus is on ... – the responsibility lies with ...

the deluge of globalisation – the overwhelming spread of global culture

misinterpreted – understood incorrectly

delineated culture – clearly defined or separated cultural identity

to provoke derision – to cause contemptuous ridicule or mockery

knee-jerk backlash – an immediate, unthinking negative reaction

unedifying – unpleasant, morally degrading, or not enlightening

to make sb’s hackles rise - to annoy sb

reciprocity – mutual exchange or cooperation between groups

cultural dissemination – the spread of cultural ideas or practices

structural racism unravels – systemic racism is gradually exposed and dismantled

bigotry – intolerance toward those who are different

tone deaf – insensitive to nuances or others’ perspectives

profound ignorance – extreme lack of knowledge or understanding

to subjugate other cultures – to dominate or oppress different cultures

contrived tribes – artificially constructed social or cultural groups
cathartic - providing emotional release through a particular activity

drab - boring in appearance; having little colour and excitement

mainlander - continent-dweller

to project sth onto sth - to impose sth on sb

corruptions of modernity - negative effects of contemporary life

to emblematize sth - serve as a symbol of (a quality or concept)

denizens of the Tropics - tropical inhabitants

fever-dream of an uncivilized Tahiti - distorted, exoticized vision of Tahiti as a primitive paradise

abiding tradition - enduring tradition

to derive comfort from sth - to gain reassurance from

wildest whims - most extravagant desires

to undermine the island reverie - to disrupt the tropical fantasy

lavish/palatial villa - extravagant tropical residence

passive backdrop - inactive setting for others' stories

devoid of consequences - lacking real impact

conjured islands - imaginary or fictionalized islands

sojourn - a short period when a person stays in a particular place

to hinge on the eradication of people - to depend on erasure of people

to cut a jarring contrast with - to create sharp contrast to

at first blush - when you first see or experience sth

distillation - oversimplified, reductive version of sth complex

to entail sth - to involve sth

to exact vengeance - to take revenge

monomaniacal - obsessively focused on one idea

blithely - in a way that shows a casual and cheerful indifference

to plunder sth from somewhere - to take sth precious in a way that does not consider moral laws or is more severethan it needs to be

to reign over sb - to dominate sb
racist tenor – the underlying prejudiced tone

to come under scrutiny – to be closely examined or criticized

wrapped in colonial nostalgia – imbued with a longing for colonial times

to avoid reckoning – to escape punishment for past mistakes or misdeeds

rendered into sth – transformed or converted into a different form

tethered to a crude imperialist fantasy – tied to an offensive colonial dream

to misuse iconography – to exploit cultural symbols inappropriately

to exerted control over sth – to use power or the ability to make sth happen

potent myth – a powerful false cultural narrative

palm-ringed beach – a beach surrounded by palms

drenched in color – overly saturated

retrograde – regressive

patronizing – condescending in a faux-benevolent way

to grapple with cultural erasure – to struggle with legacies of oppression

fake notion of a tropical paradise – artificial construct of an island fantasy

naive homage to a culture longed for – misguided tribute to romanticized traditions

kitschy – tacky and commercially exploitative

to obliterate indigenous culture – to completely erase native ways of life

to hawk sth to tourists – to to sell goods informally in public places

to co-opt culture – to appropriate traditions for external benefit

vocal unwillingness to consent to colonialism – expressed resistance to oppressive systems

to labor in the tourism industry – to perform hard (often physical) work in the tourist industry

to promulgate around the world – to spread globally (often negative ideologies)
right before the summertime rolled around - just before the start of summer

to evoke sth - to bring a particular feeling or memory to mind

to share similar sentiments - to express similar feelings or opinions

to trace sth back to the early 2000s - to connect sth to the early 2000s

moniker - a name or nickname

youthful zeal - energetic enthusiasm characteristic of young people

candy coated nostalgia - longing for an overly sweet, idealized version of the past

to instill childlike wonder in the wearer - to create a sense of childlike amazement through clothing/items

perpetually in a state of summertime - constantly feeling as though it were summer

to epitomize sth - to be a perfect example of sth

to subvert the narrative - to challenge or overturn the dominant story

mainstay of boardwalks - a constant, familiar feature of coastal promenades

to utilize color - to make deliberate use of color

offshoot of sth - a secondary result or development from sth else

to add Coconut girl flair to an outfit - to incorporate tropical, Y2K-inspired fashion elements into your outfit

swept up by sth - completely carried away or absorbed by sth

to grow at an exponential rate - to increase rapidly at an accelerating pace

accelerating trend cycle - the increasingly fast pace at which trends emerge and disappear