Gwen Stefani Speaks Out About Cultural Appropriation: Gwen Stefani has responded to cultural appropriation criticisms leveled against her in a new interview, saying her first visit to Japan made her think: “My God, I’m Japanese, and I didn’t know it.”
The musician has faced criticism for incorporating aspects of Japanese culture into her music and merchandise, such as the Harajuku Lovers perfume line and the promotional campaign for her 2004 album “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.” At various points in her career, Stefani has also come under fire for appropriating South Asian, Black, Native American, and Latino cultures.
Stefani, an Italian-American, was questioned about what she had discovered from the criticism of the Harajuku Lovers line in a recent interview with Allure. She responded by stating that she was exposed to Japanese culture when she was younger because her father’s job at Yamaha required him to travel to Japan frequently.
“That was my Japanese influence, and that was a culture that was so rich with tradition, yet so futuristic [with] so much attention to art and detail and discipline, and it was fascinating to me,” she said.
She explained: “I said, ‘My God, I’m Japanese, and I didn’t know it’ after going there as an adult. Obviously, I am. According to Allure, Stefani claimed to be “a little bit of an Orange County girl, a little bit of a Japanese girl, and a little bit of an English girl” during the interview.
Stefani described herself as a “super fan” of Japanese culture when discussing her affinity for it. She said, “I just think that it doesn’t feel right if [people] are going to criticize me for being a fan of something beautiful and sharing that.” “I believe it was an extraordinary period of creativity… a period of the ping-pong match between American and Harajuku cultures.
“[It] should be okay to be inspired by other cultures because if we’re not allowed, then that’s dividing people, right?”
In 2021, the singer responded to accusations of cultural appropriation against her backing dancers, the “Harajuku Girls.” When informed that Margaret Cho had disparaged the dancers by comparing them to a minstrel show, Stefani responded, “If we didn’t buy and sell and trade our cultures in, we wouldn’t have so much beauty, you know?
“We grow, share, and learn from one another. And all these restrictions are only serving to divide us further… I believe there weren’t as many regulations when we were growing up. We had so much more freedom because we were free from having to follow a narrative that was edited for us on social media.
No Doubt hasn’t spoken about a reunion, but Stefani said last year that she wasn’t ruling it out even though the band hadn’t. Everything is possible, she said. “I don’t know what will happen to No Doubt.
“We haven’t talked about doing anything, but it feels like everyone is, right? All the ’90s people — Blink-182 did an eight-month tour that sold out in five minutes.” Please forward this to your friends if you find it interesting. Newswatchlist.com is the best place to find the latest and updated information about your favorite celebs.