American singer Katy Perry, with her latest Instagram post of Goddess Kali, captioned “current mood”, has joined the bandwagon of celebrities who have been called out for “cultural appropriation”.
Just a little over a year ago, Perry’s contemporary Beyoncé came under fire for portraying the role of a Bollywood actress in British rock band Coldplay’s 2016 music video “Hymn for the Weekend”. Likewise, artistes such as Selena Gomez have been derided for wearing the bindi, which is viewed as a sacred Hindu symbol by many.
In the times we live in, one does not have to try too hard to kick up a social media storm. The immediacy of social media allows for quick reactions, often ones that have not been deliberated upon. Here are 5 examples of alleged cultural appropriation, which made the Internet go berserk: