Some fans took issue with Gwen Stefani’s new hairdo.
Gwen Stefani is no stranger to being accused of cultural appropriation. In 2019, Stefani was accused of appropriation when people reexamined the images of Japanese Harajuku girls that recurred throughout Stefani’s career. Stefani defended her decision to include the Harajuku aesthetic for years to come, saying in a 2021 interview, “If we didn’t buy and sell and trade our cultures, we wouldn’t have so much beauty, you know? We learn from each other, we share from each other, we grow from each other. And all these rules are just dividing us more and more.”
Now, Stefani is once more getting accused of cultural appropriation, though this time she’s not taking from the Japanese. In an appearance in Sean Paul‘s new “Light My Fire” music video, Stefani sports dreadlocks and wears the colors of the Jamaican flag.
Social media was quick to call her out. “No one can appropriate a culture the way Gwen Stefani does,” wrote Twitter user @trevorhacker. Another user, @luckyleffty, wrote, “Ahhhh Gwen Stefani went back to her Jamaican roots. Nature is really healing.” “Gwen Stefani even has ~dread~ like twists in that video. I am proper screaming. She has seen all the tweets saying her cultural appropriation era is missed and she said BET,” joked @PreciousGNSD.
Others brought up another culture Gwen has taken from. Back when Stefani’s band No Doubt first broke onto the scene in the 90’s, Stefani sported a bindi, a decoration worn by many Indian women. It seems like Gwen is no closer to taking any hints from social media outrage.
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