Gwen Stefani: ‘I’m Japanese‘

[nATAH 44,156]

Just now, ScreamQueen007 said:

Was she mocking or degrading them though? 

idk i wasn't around for that, it was just my 2 cents on the topic of cultural inspiration 

[ScreamQueen007 415]

2 minutes ago, Cameltoe Chariot said:

It's clear (to me at least) that Gwen is coming from the American/Western Gen X perspective of "we're all children of the world". I don't think she's being intentionally appropriative in what she's saying, and I wish more people would consider that before burning her at the stake like she's Rachel Dolezal 

Her first experience with cultural exchange happened in the early 90s with her then-boyfriend Tony Kanal (bassist of No Doubt) and his Indian family gifting her with bindis and other cultural items, and encouraging her to wear them. This blending of cultural experience and identity obviously inspired her, and she did it over and over again.

What a lot of people aren't considering here is that this was WAY before any conversation about cultural appropriation was happening at large, and to be honest there was very little info out there at the time on how to do these things appropriately (or at all lol). Unfortunately for Gwen, she hasn't updated her artistic approach and is now being held to a different standard.

Her intention isn't lining up with how her actions and words are being perceived by a younger and frankly smarter audience. I feel bad for her because as a longtime fan I know Gwen's heart is in the right place, but she's gotta do some research and adjust her language 

“Younger and smarter audience”?  So much of this generation are bleeding hearts and play the victim when it comes to everything. People have become way too overly sensitive and feel the need to, in their mind, stand up for everyone else. Is that over sensitive attitude really “smarter”? Are Japanese people complaining about Gwen? 

[Dojo 19,365]

1 hour ago, Delulu Rogers said:

But when you read the full interview it’s already made clear what she means. Ppl are just pulling out the “I’m Japanese” part to make it seem controversial 

 

this, is clear what their intentions are.

[Wolf Boy 3,174]

Come through Gwenoki Stefanochi-son! 

[artd0me 560]

Reading the whole thing, I don’t see any problem with what she said

But hey, it just made me realize that I haven’t listened to her music in a while… gonna do that now in the shower 🤗

[Cameltoe Chariot 14,549]

3 minutes ago, ScreamQueen007 said:

“Younger and smarter audience”?  So much of this generation are bleeding hearts and play the victim when it comes to everything. People have become way too overly sensitive and feel the need to, in their mind, stand up for everyone else. Is that over sensitive attitude really “smarter”? Are Japanese people complaining about Gwen? 

Nah you're right, I should've said something more along the lines of "younger and more socially puritan" lol

A lot of what we're talking about here is coming from a specific Japanese perspective, often American-Japanese, and when these conversations about cultural appropriation come up in Japan most people there think it's a bizarre thing to get upset about.

In Japan, being Japanese means you're a majority. You're the top of the societal food chain, you're the most racially privileged, and you don't feel appropriated when an "outsider" wears your cultural garb or whatever. There's no threat of cultural being stolen then.

BUT... when you're a Japanese person living in America, you're no longer in that homogenized societal setting, and suddenly cultural theft is a very different thing. It feels and looks different.

It's very complicated, but both perspectives are valid, and I think people have a hard time looking at the nuances because it's easier to get angry 

[LG666 1,831]

This was hard to read for many reasons.

I grew up listening to No Doubt and Gwen. I love her punk attitude back in the day and her style was very influential to me. She has made great music here and there. And she had so many opportunities to address the Harajuku Girls marketing scandal but failed over and over and over again.

This is a new low. 

I completely agree that we should be able to share our love of other cultures. But to call yourself Japanese? The immense lack of awareness is insane. Especially in 2023. She could have easily said she loves the culture. Simple. End of sentence. In many opportunities in the past, she could have recognized the racism in the Harajuku Girls marketing, apologized, and moved on. But she didn't. And now she's saying she's Japanese and identifies with the Latinx communities of Anaheim. Again, she could have easily said she was inspired by these communities but instead she ties her identity to theirs. Which is not only ignorant, but hurtful in so many ways. Why can't this woman and her team just own up to mistakes and move on? It's frustrating.

Big yikes. I am disappointed. I truly don't think she's a malicious person. I believe she is just ignorant and so is her team. Which, is disappointing to see.

[Cameltoe Chariot 14,549]

9 minutes ago, Wolf Boy said:

Come through Gwenoki Stefanochi-son! 

Love how these racist jokes are suddenly okay because they're about taking down a dumb white person 

[butthole 9,864]

25 minutes ago, ScreamQueen007 said:

Was she mocking or degrading them though? 

the biggest issue around all this was always with the harajuku girls being used as props and reinforcing racial stereotypes. 

there's a lot of information here

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harajuku_Girls

although she claims she didn't say they weren't real people, but she definitely had an ongoing bit where people would ask about them on talk shows and red carpets. she'd say she thought they were imaginary, they just kinda showed up behind her one day, and she wasn't sure if other people could see them. then they'd just kinda do that  thing and giggle

 

[Eido 3,648]

Y'all

You are twisting her words 

It's like an expression It's like when you say that you love a country so much that you feel at home or part of the culture from that country. 

I believe this is what she was trying to say

[Charmz 3,925]

 

I am honestly still learning how to be respectful of cultures outside of my own. 
 

I do have a question, is this Kylie Minogue video problematic?

 

https://youtu.be/TPwyvZa0AZk

 

i don’t know why it’s not embedding sorry.

 

 

[Togekiss 2,378]

1 hour ago, Benji said:

Transracial queen 

————

I get what she’s saying but God has she worded it badly.

It’s so sad that people will take advantage of the fact that she worded her statement poorly in order to deliberately misinterpret it.

I hope the sense of moral superiority is worth the cynicism, it can’t be good for your overall health to walk around all day doing that.

[KURUSHITOVSKA 20,451]

2 hours ago, ControversiaGa said:

are you serious? 

No, but she's so irrelevant tbh... Idk how is she on magazines, she has 3 hits from a decade ago

[Reginald 13,838]

Gwen has always fumbled this question hard, even during the LAMB Days, in my opinion  

It's a shame, because the album really is great. I think she has good intentions, but due to the artifice of the industry, itself, it all comes across as a bit shallow and exploitative.  

[Shipper 12,909]

Stefani-san welcome to the weeaboo world. 

Japan is weird enough that they dont care since they do the same, but western countries make it so serious.