I could no longer ignore a glaring fact about Lynch’s new Twin Peaks: It is fueled by troubling cultural appropriation.
I’ve been a serious and passionate
Twin Peaks fan since the 1990s. I’ve written a
weekly column on a popular fan site since before
The Return. I founded my own Facebook Bookhouse of old-timers that I hear tell is one of the most productive and decent fan communities with almost zero trolling and wonderful discussions. As a woman of color — and one of an even more niche community of
Twin Peaks fans of color — I’ve been a vocal and staunch defender of David Lynch’s work as not racist and sexist, and I’ve theoretically situated
The Return in the framework of
Brechtian theatre principles and socio-cultural satire. I’ve done my part to feature the voices of other
fans of color, as well as actively advocate for
rape and trauma survivors through my writing and participation in fan communities. I watched
Twin Peaks: The Return from an unabashed female and feminist gaze, and found much of Lynch’s commentary to be
powerful and empowering.
Twin Peaks has been like an imaginary home to me for decades, and a place where I was able to accomplish a great deal of healing and self-development. But after the surreal and disturbing finale, and slowly coming out of the
haze that has been these past three months, I could no longer ignore a glaring fact about Lynch’s new
Twin Peaks: It is fueled by troubling cultural appropriation.