Comments on: About that Harajuku Girls giveaway…

By: Beia

Beia — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:33:11 +0000

European opinion: This is pathetic. “Cultural appropriation” is not wrong. Throughout history, music, art and dance have been adopted and enjoyed by different cultures who have mixed and matched elements and made them their own. Sadly Americans are very touchy about this and desperate to put everyone in their own little boxes so it all feels safe. I could give a million historical examples- look at the Arabic influence that is still seen in Spanish architecture, 6 centuries later. If Madonna wants to take Voguing from a NY club and take it to the mainstream, or Gwen wants to do the same with Harjuku style from downdown Tokyo, I see no problem. Not all oriental women are Harjuku girls so why should they be offended? The real Harjuku girls are probably annoyed that their cool edgy fashion has spilt over into the mainsteam, but anything that is good usually ends up being popular- that’s life.
What next? Do we condemn the Rolling Stones for using “black” influences in their music? Shall we tell Justin Timberlake he’s only allowed to sing opera because he’s a white European?!! Open your minds!

The only possible issue might be if Gwen were exploiting poverty but as far as I’m aware Harjuku girls (from the Tokyo neighbourhood where the fashion comes from) are amongst the richest and culturally advanced people in the world and I expect most of their parents work on the Tokyo stock market – they’re not victims.
If you really want everyone to live in such tiny narrow little “culturally appropriate” boxes- tell black girls they must have natural black afro hair and Asian girls they must never dye their hair blonde. Or, you could get a life and enjoy a few pretty little perfumes.

By: Sister Toldja

Sister Toldja — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:03:15 +0000

Jill= the reason integration didn’t work lol. Cry me an effin’ river!

By: Sister Toldja

Sister Toldja — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:01:52 +0000

I didn’t like Gwen’s “cultural appropriation” of Carribean music and I really thought she crossed the line with the Harajuku Girls mess. White people are lauded for being cultural pirates and they so often co-opt elements of “minority” cultures/sub-cultures and adopt it as there own. Its one thing to bite but its another thing to fetishize. The fact that this Harakuku bull-ish made it past the pitching stage shows you how ignorant and racist Americans are. I liked No Doubt, but when she started all this mess, she lost a fan.

By: say whatever

say whatever — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:14:34 +0000

Ignorance is seriously bliss.

By: tres

tres — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:31:01 +0000

â€œyou learn tolerance and the cultures of otherâ€™s.â€

I detest that word â€œtoleranceâ€ when used in reference to race. IMO it insinuates a certain superiority. Almost like minorities should be happy we put up with them.*shrugs*

By: jill

jill — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:31:29 +0000

Apologize for dropping atom bombs after they attacked Pearl Harbor? Are you serious right now?

By: bella

bella — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:02:45 +0000

The previous post announced the winner, Sahar.

By: sahar

sahar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:54:32 +0000

uhhhh…sorry… but um, who won the giveaway?

By: say whatever

say whatever — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:08:32 +0000

I agree with NinaG, there is entirely too much ‘isms’ and I wish we could end them. Black women are sterotyped the worst and poorly in r&b, rap music videos, their whole nether regions hanging all out, booties swinging in front of the camera, I think that black women should be more frustrated with the black musicians, particularly rappers, managers, who put these images: hoochie coochie parties, gold teeth, blinging here and there, and act like they are some rough tough gang-bangers. Put them in Afghanistan or Iraq, they wouldn’t last one day. They would be too busy crying for their mama’s milk or their binky. These people who perpetuate these type of idiotic behaviour and persona should seriously stop, enough is enough. And another thing, I am sick and tired of opening up a black magazine of someone famous and see them married to some light skinned woman, or some asian woman, or some white woman or some mixed woman for that matter. So everyone is whining about Gwen, whatever, don’t waste your time, the Japanese are too busy trying to be like the western culture, I mean, you have girls over there getting tans and dying their hair pink and whatever ’shocking’ color, and that’s like a big deal and a culture shock and they are being labeled ‘black’ over there, the new ‘n’ word. They don’t really care anymore, not the new generation. The old generation, yeah they are still pissed at US of A for dropping not one but two atom bombs unannounced. That’s what we really should be apologizing about. Not some damn white girl making money off some crazy ‘art’ crap.

By: jill

jill — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:03:07 +0000

Oh not to mention all the drunk Irish stereotypes out there. But no one’s crying about that on St. Paddy’s day. Give me a break.