Pop star Gwen Stefani isn’t afraid of the woke cancel mob. In a recent article, the pop superstar defiantly declared “I’m Japanese” and defended her Japanese-inspired style against accusations of cultural appropriation.
“[It] should be okay to be inspired by other cultures because if we’re not allowed then that’s dividing people, right?” she told Allure magazine.
But Allure reporter Jesa Marie Calaor, who is Asian-American, clearly thought differently, writing that even if Stefani meant well, her words have the potential to cause “harm.”
In the interview-turned-hit piece — which Allure prefaced with an alarmist sub-headline claiming “What she said stunned us” — Stefani recounted how she was introduced to Japanese culture by her father, who worked at automaker Yahama for 18 years and traveled between California and Japan.
“That was my Japanese influence,” she said. “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.”
As an adult, she traveled to the Harajuku district in Tokyo to experience it for herself. “I said, ‘My God, I’m Japanese and I didn’t know it.’ I am, you know.”
In the interview Stefani defended herself against accusations of cultural appropriation for incorporating Japanese influences into her songs, music videos, and personal style — especially during her so-called Harajuku period that included her backup dancers known as the “Harajuku Girls.”
“If [people are] going to criticize me for being a fan of something beautiful and sharing that, then I just think that doesn’t feel right,” she said. “I think it was a beautiful time of creativity…a time of the ping-pong match between Harajuku culture and American culture.”
She added: “[It] should be okay to be inspired by other cultures because if we’re not allowed then that’s dividing people, right?”
Allure magazine said Stefani’s representative reached out the day after the interview indicating reporter Jesa Marie Calaorhad misunderstood what Stefani was trying to convey. The magazine said it offered Stefani a chance to clarify but the pop star didn’t provide a statement or participate in a follow-up interview.
Allure reporter Jesa Marie Calaor wrote in the article: “I don’t believe Stefani was trying to be malicious or hurtful in making these statements. But words don’t have to be hostile in their intent in order to potentially cause harm, and my colleague and I walked away from that half hour unsettled.”
This isn’t the first time Stefani has faced the woke cancel mob over accusations of cultural appropriation.
As Breitbart News reported, the singer was slammed last year for her Jamaican-influenced music video for the song “Light My Fire,” in collaboration with rapper Sean Paul.
In the video, Stefani can be seen wearing apparent dreadlocks, clad in a blue and yellow outfit that matches the Jamaican flag.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
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