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Current Events > Gwen Stefani says she is Japanese and stands by her cultural appropriation

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MelbuFrahma4
01/10/23 2:21:07 PM
#1:


https://variety.com/2023/music/news/gwen-stefani-japanese-defends-harajuku-era-1235483794/

Gwen Stefani is standing by her Harajuku era, which started with the release of her 2004 debut studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby, and continued with the 2008 launch of her Harajuku Lovers fragrance. Stefani was widely accused of appropriating Japans Harajuku subculture in her albums artwork and marketing. She also traveled with four Harajuku Girls, Japanese and Japanese-American backup dancers who served as a kind of public entourage for Stefani. The group even inspired the bottle shapes for Stefanis fragrance. While Stefanis Harajuku era launched nearly 20 years ago, its back in the news due to an interview the singer gave to Allure magazine to mark the launch of her new vegan beauty brand, GXVE Beauty. Stefani was asked about what she learned from her Harajuku era, to which she doubled down on defending it. Stefani said she was introduced to Japanese culture by her father, who worked at Yahama for 18 years and frequently traveled between California and Japan. That was my Japanese influence, Stefani said. And that was a culture that was so rich with tradition, yet so futuristic [with] so much attention to art and detail and discipline and it was fascinating to me. Stefani traveled to the Harajuku district as an adult. She told Allure, I said, My God, Im Japanese and I didnt know it. I am, you know.\

Declaring herself a super fan of Japanese culture, Stefani defended herself against the backlash shes faced over her Harajuku era. If [people are] going to criticize me for being a fan of something beautiful and sharing that, then I just think that doesnt feel right, she said. I think it was a beautiful time of creativitya time of the ping-pong match between Harajuku culture and American culture. [It] should be okay to be inspired by other cultures because if were not allowed then thats dividing people, right? As reported by Allure: During our interview, Stefani asserted twice that she was Japanese and once that she was a little bit of an Orange County girl, a little bit of a Japanese girl, a little bit of an English girl.

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Devilanse333
01/10/23 2:23:49 PM
#2:


Oh no! Twitter will take care of this.

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saspa
01/10/23 2:23:50 PM
#3:


*Goes to Japan*

"Why isn't this like my Japanese Animays?"

*doubles down*

Also wasn't she accused of culture appropriate black hip-hop as well? I mean is it that slow a news day for the news to not have anything better to whine about

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MixedRaceBaby
01/10/23 2:24:28 PM
#4:


yeah i mean, i think cultrual appropiation is a very specific thing, and people often jump to it when they see people doing things from other cultures. they just assume all sorts of things an--

MelbuFrahma4 posted...
She told Allure, I said, My God, Im Japanese and I didnt know it. I am, you know.\
ok nevermind she crazy.

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frozenstar
01/10/23 2:24:45 PM
#5:


Gwen Stefani noooo

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ZangsBeard
01/10/23 2:25:10 PM
#6:


Someone who isnt part of the culture screaming cultural appropriation. Fucking never!

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Southernfatman
01/10/23 2:25:40 PM
#7:


Not defending Stefani here, because that was a stupid thing to say, but I am legitimately curious where the line is between being greatly influenced by a culture and embracing it and appropriation.

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FAQ-Checker
01/10/23 2:27:36 PM
#8:


https://youtu.be/C0X3CLJVMJU
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josifrees
01/10/23 2:28:09 PM
#9:


That era of Gwen stefani music is the pinnacle of pop music

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yusiko
01/10/23 2:28:45 PM
#10:


Southernfatman posted...
Not defending Stefani here, because that was a stupid thing to say, but I am legitimately curious where the line is between being greatly influenced by a culture and embracing it and appropriation.


there really isnt a difference
cultural appropriation is an inherently neutral thing and can be used in a way that shows love and respect for a culture and in a way that mocks and belittles a culture

but the internet sees things in black and white so twitter has turned it into a bad thing no matter the context
like how twitter bullied an 18 year old into coming out because they hated the idea that he might be straight and playing a gay character in a tv show.
forcing someone to come out before they are ready is an awful thing to do and acting is a job and demanding people be fired for their sexuality is evil

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FAQ-Checker
01/10/23 2:29:17 PM
#11:


FAQ-Checker posted...
https://youtu.be/C0X3CLJVMJU
Is this a hate crime?
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MixedRaceBaby
01/10/23 2:29:31 PM
#12:


Southernfatman posted...
Not defending Stefani here, because that was a stupid thing to say, but I am legitimately curious where the line is between being greatly influenced by a culture and embracing it and appropriation.
for me its the intent, and usually that intent is to make money.

when a fashion company randomly decides to start a whole geisha line and just google what a geisha looks like and starts selling 1000 handbags with japanese whatever characters, that's appropriation

a white dude on vacation in Japan putting on a yukata and taking pics is not appropiation.

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McMarbles
01/10/23 2:36:14 PM
#13:


saspa posted...
*Goes to Japan*

"Why isn't this like my Japanese Animays?"

*doubles down*

Also wasn't she accused of culture appropriate black hip-hop as well? I mean is it that slow a news day for the news to not have anything better to whine about
You're thinking of Arianna Grande, or possibly Awkwafina.

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josifrees
01/10/23 2:38:50 PM
#14:


https://youtu.be/yWA4uJOXF-g

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dioxxys
01/10/23 2:39:20 PM
#15:


Cultural Appropriation is just anti culture, the whole point of culture is to be shared spread and enjoyed, not gatekept.
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ZangsBeard
01/10/23 2:43:56 PM
#16:


dioxxys posted...
Cultural Appropriation is just anti culture, the whole point of culture is to be shared spread and enjoyed, not gatekept.

Not to mention Japan is very open about other people celebrating and being apart of their culture. They dont want to horde it.

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Hayame_Zero
01/10/23 2:48:02 PM
#17:


MelbuFrahma4 posted...
Declaring herself a super fan of Japanese culture, Stefani defended herself against the backlash shes faced over her Harajuku era. If [people are] going to criticize me for being a fan of something beautiful and sharing that, then I just think that doesnt feel right, she said. I think it was a beautiful time of creativity

There's nothing wrong with this train of thought in trying to incorporate other cultures, although...

MelbuFrahma4 posted...
She told Allure, I said, My God, Im Japanese and I didnt know it. I am, you know.\

During our interview, Stefani asserted twice that she was Japanese and once that she was a little bit of an Orange County girl, a little bit of a Japanese girl, a little bit of an English girl.

...this pretty much completely invalidated it whatever point she was trying to make.

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#18
Post #18 was unavailable or deleted.
FelineCyborg
01/10/23 2:55:01 PM
#19:


Remember when no doubt used to be fire?

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EDF-5
01/10/23 2:56:44 PM
#20:


At least she doesn't think she's hitler.
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Smackems
01/10/23 2:57:33 PM
#21:


This is an outrage

Cancel her

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VeggetaX
01/10/23 2:58:53 PM
#22:


She's a poser. I know because I am a true weeb.

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EndOfDiscOne
01/10/23 2:59:39 PM
#23:


I bet Japanese people are pissed right now

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ZangsBeard
01/10/23 3:06:11 PM
#24:


EndOfDiscOne posted...
I bet Japanese people are pissed right now

How much?

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Background_Guy
01/10/23 3:06:42 PM
#25:


Weeb
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MaxEffingBemis
01/10/23 3:08:53 PM
#26:


This might be the funniest thing Ill see today

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VeggetaX
01/10/23 3:09:09 PM
#27:


Does she watch Anime?
Does she watch Hentai?
Does she fap to Hentai?
Does she know what Pot of Greed does?
Does she listen to Anime intro and ending music on the regular?

Just the few basic requirements you need to be even considered part of the Japanese culture.

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Smashingpmkns
01/10/23 3:11:59 PM
#28:


Kinda funny cuz Harajuku style was heavily influenced by Western styles.

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BurmesePenguin
01/10/23 3:13:18 PM
#29:


There's nothing wrong with making music with sound and imagery based on cultures that aren't "yours"

The problem with Avril Lavigne's Hello Kitty isn't that it's cultural appropriation. The problem is that it's the worst thing humanity has ever produced.
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Pogo_Marimo
01/10/23 3:42:05 PM
#30:


The idea of "appropriating" pop culture seems like an utter contradiction. The whole underpinning of pop culture is that it's materialistic and accessible. The reason cultural appropriation might be a bad thing is that you can adopt shallow or superficial aspects of a culture without adopting or respecting the traditional beliefs and values that are associated with those superficial aspects, thus invalidating or minimizing the culture you appropriated from as simply their object forms. Japanese pop culture fashion doesn't have deeply rooted beliefs or traditions, unless you consider "acting kawaii" to be a pillar of traditional Japanese beliefs and values. It's literally built on fashions they stole from the West in the 70s and 80s, and still continue to this day.

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#31
Post #31 was unavailable or deleted.
Blue_Inigo
01/10/23 6:05:02 PM
#32:


I don't think you can say you're not appropriating culture when you literally try to trademark Harajuku in the US

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noisetank
01/10/23 6:14:15 PM
#33:


EndOfDiscOne posted...
I bet Japanese people are pissed right now


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YellowSUV
01/10/23 6:22:04 PM
#34:


This shit is bananas.

B A N A N A S

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