Harajuku, Lovers and Appropriation
I’ve never been a huge fan of Gwen Stefani. I like her, but to be honest, I’ve never dug the general aesthetic she presents, and presents well. The Harajuku dancers in her video and the small dolls she has used for her perfume sit wrongly with me in general because I see this as appropriation.
From Wikipedia: Cultural appropriation is the adoption of some specific elements of one culture by a different cultural group. It denotes acculturation or assimilation, but often connotes a negative view towards acculturation from a minority culture by a dominant culture.*
Now, some theorists read appropriation to only be negative if the individual rejects the people of the culture they are appropriating. As far as I know, Stefani hasn’t been in Japan giving time and money to Japanese people. I don’t know. Educate me.
Yet, ultimately, I can’t help but feel appropriation is a much wider issue. Stefani is not a member of Japanese culture. Appropriating Japanese culture in this manner is not entirely ok with me.
I’m sure we can all agree that this isn’t a finely defined problem–this is a very complicated and grey-area issue, so it’s not like I stand against appropriation unequivocally. I’ve had a long-distance love with Japanese and Indian culture for a long time, now, myself. Which may have actually been a factor in my even picking up a bottle of Gwen Stefani’s ‘Lovers’ perfumes. So, there’s my confession.
Reader, I picked up the little Harajuku doll, took off the cap and fell deeply in love with the ‘G’ scent.
Here’s the big question: What do you do with the emotion involved in a moment like this? Our emotions often tend to rule decisions we make, and in a way, by purchasing a bottle of the scent, I have supported her appropriation of Harajuku (and Japanese culture in general, really). On the one hand, I feel like I’ve betrayed my sense of justice, and on the other, I’ve just bought the greatest scent. And I stopped wearing perfume years ago! So, that’s how much I love it.
I may be belaboring the issue and taking it a bit seriously.
So, reader, what does one do in a moment like this, huh? Take it back? Keep it? Talk to me.
*Wikipedia is just a start, here! Hit me with your definitions of appropriation.
