Cultural Appropriation
Cultural appropriation and Bieber’s new hairstyle.
Cultural Appropriation
April 7, 2016
Justin Bieber has recently been accused of appropriating black culture by getting dreadlocks.
Bieber posted multiple pictures of his new hair style on Instagram.
Cultural appropriation is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture.
When it comes to dreadlocks, a traditionally black hairstyle, some raise issue.
For example, one Instagram user wrote, “People are annoyed cause when black people wear this style they are stereotyped as druggies and are ‘unkempt.’ Look at Zendaya for example. She had fake dreads and she was stereotyped, but when people such as JB […] wears them, it’s suddenly ‘the latest trend.'”
Bieber also seemed to be culture appropriating three months ago when he posted a photo of his hair in cornrows on Instagram.
Bieber with cornrows.
Bieber has made his views on the issue known when he defended Kylie Jenner, after she too was accused of cultural appropriation for her cornrows. Similar to the controversy sparked by Bieber’s Instagram posts, a viral video has recently sparked a debate about whether dreadlocks on white people constitute cultural appropriation or appreciation.
