was gwen’s l.a.m.b cultural appropriation?

[Franch Toast 25,215]

I'm not saying whether it is or isn't, but just because most people in Japan don't mind doesn't mean that Asian Americans don't have a different view. It's not that one perspective should be given more weight than the other, but I think it's worth keeping in mind that Japanese people growing up in an environment where they are not a racial minority (there are racial minorities in Japan however) are going to have a different perspective than people of Asian ancestry growing up in an environment where they are a minority and are lacking representation in pop culture. (This is similar to how Asian Americans lambasted the casting of Scarlett Johansson in The Ghost in the Shell, whereas most people in Japan were fine with it, because Japanese people see themselves represented onscreen all the time in Japan.) The bottom line is, during the l.a.m.b. era, Gwen used humans as accessories. Think about that for a moment. This is very different from dressing up in a kimono. 

@migamiga @Serial Chiller @PropaGaga all make important points. Also, this video below is fabulous for showcasing how Gwen has done stuff like this all throughout her career; thank you for sharing it, @kukuryku666!

5 hours ago, kukuryku666 said:

Obviously it is, cmon. Selling Japanese stuff, walking with some girls that never talked as your accessory...

Great video about that

 

 

Like the woman in the video, I love Gwen and No Doubt and don't think she should be cancelled, but that doesn't mean we can't have conversations about these things. I don't think she acted with malice but instead was ignorant of how her own position as a wealthy white woman making money off of aspects of various non-white cultures was problematic. Honestly, I would love it if an interviewer sat down with her and explored these things with her in a non-confrontational manner; I bet it'd make for an intriguing interview. 

Side tangent: I've long wondered if her obsession with the bindi during theTragic Kingdom era was because she had a hard time letting go of Tony Kanal, and this was her way of staying connected to him somehow (since she mentions she initially adopted a bindi after seeing his mom wearing one and finding it beautiful). Speaking of Tony, I think the brown baby at the end of "Simple Kind of Life" is supposed to represent the kid they would've had if they'd stayed together. (Tangent is in response to some of the points raised in the video.)