ONTD

Nobody says anything about the fact that Eminem has a predominantly black entourage - that is what the four girls were for Gwen during her solo career. All parties have said they remain close as friends. Gwen was playing not one character at the time, but many, and so were they. Every video that featured them had a different theme, but people only seem to selectively remember What You Waiting For/the Alice in Wonderland theme where they were "figments of [my] imagination" - the theme itself was imagination. They are all Japanese or Japanese-American, and they knew what they were doing, so if they don't have a problem why should anyone else?

They are highly paid dancers with free will and who only ever had nice things to say about Gwen (even after their employ). Plenty of people called her out, namely Margaret Cho who thinks everything is racist but freely appropriates what she believes 99% gay culture is like for her act. I've read articles on this subject and followed Gwen's career closely over the years - to me, most people make baseless arguments/assumptions without understanding the nature of her use of that particular interpretation of Harajuku imagery or why she draws inspiration from Japanese culture. She never implied her dancers were indicative of Japanese women like many Japanese stereotypes do, and always mentioned how the street fashion was unique to the districts she went to, not all of Japan. She was inspired by Japan after she toured there, the same as Rock Steady was inspired by Jamaican dancehall music, or her son's name is Kingston, after Kingston, Jamaica.

IGNORANCE ABOUT A SMALL SUBSECT OF JAPANESE FASHION CULTURE ≠ RACISM.

I didn't say Margaret Cho is Japanese, I said she was one of the first relatively public figures that took issue with it, and had nothing of conviction to say. "I like Gwen Stefani, I love her clothes, etc etc. oh and she is racist because her dancers are timid and wore a variation of a school girl outfit once or twice."

I few little things: Margaret clearly didn't do her research, because she only referenced the introduction of the dancers, not any of the follow-up projects they were involved in. I don't know where Salon (or anyone else) gets the "contractually obligated" stuff from in terms of what language they are allowed to speak, because a) Gwen or the dancers never specified that and b) numerous times throughout the L.A.M.B. and Sweet Escape eras they spoke English. I saw her tour, and they warmed up the crowd and were speaking in English.

I understand cultural appropriation, but you're presenting it in a way that suggests segmentation - all cultures should be accepted and not excluded on the basis of race, for sure. But then you're saying that for a white person to embrace a type of culture is not allowed?

Anyway, you don't HAVE TO keep responding. I still think you're wrong. You're going to think I'm wrong as well. Maybe I am, but nothing you have said or shown me is illuminating. I'm sure you could find a way to spin every debate back to me being ~white~ or having ~privilege~ because I don't agree that a 5+ year debate about Gwen Stefani being racist is entirely accurate. *shrug*

By perpetuating negative stereotypes? I'm sure Margaret doesn't go around in her every day life (or maybe she does) - calling people fags, queens, trannies, dykes - assuming that most of the gay community are promiscuous, flamboyant affectations of human beings, but she sure does put it in her act a lot. I'm fine with that - Margaret is hardly as influential as Gwen, but the same principle applies: if people are well-informed already, they aren't going to latch onto stereotypes as fact, and the people who do are idiotic trash not worth worrying about anyhow.

Obviously there is a big difference between the two examples, but Cho is still relevant because she publicly had beef with Gwen over this. She takes offense to any type of Asian cultural appropriation, then takes a lot of liberties herself with gay culture (which, for much of her career, was only a part of by association - she has admitted to identifying with her sexuality later on). Furthermore, I LIKE Margaret Cho, but isn't she making money from detailing these supposed escapades? Most of her stories relate to vulgarity and appeal to a certain demographic. Gwen's clothing lines appeal to a specific few people as well, so while you're right about the different situations, the $$$ factor has little to do with it. THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN, THOUGH. I'LL TRY NOT TO BE SO EMBARRASSING FOR YOU NEXT TIME, PRECIOUS. Glad some stranger on the internet can feel anything on my behalf.