BLACKPINK Jennie Accused of Cultural Appropriation in Latest HBO's 'The Idol' Trailer
As many now, Jennie will be making her acting debut. Following the latest trailer for HBO's "The Idol," the BLACKPINK member has come under fire and is being accused of cultural appropriation. Keep on reading to know more.
BLACKPINK Jennie Accused of Cultural Appropriation Following HBO's Latest 'The Idol' Trailer
When it was announced that BLACKPINK member Jennie would be making her acting debut in the upcoming HBO series "The Idol," numerous fans took to social media and other online community sites to express their excitement. Many are anticipating the idol to show off her acting chops and diversity in an international series created by popular singer The Weeknd.
Since the announcement of her appearance, trailers for the show were released ahead of its premiere. BLACKPINK fans, BLINKs, were especially thrilled to see Jennie included in several of the trailers' scenes.
However, the BLACKPINK member has come under fire and was accused of cultural appropriation following a scene in the show's latest trailer.
BLACKPINK Jennie (second to the left) in 'The Idol'
In the latest trailer for "The Idol," Jennie can be seen as a backup dancer among the other cast members. However, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the hairstyle Jennie was sporting was cornrows.
While several other K-pop idols have done the hairstyle over the years, it is worth noting that those who wore the same hairstyle faced backlash and were accused of cultural appropriation as well.
Up until today, black people have continuously experienced racism and prejudice not only for their skin color, but also for their hair styles and texture. That's why many believe that donning such a hairstyle, which has historical significance, is culturally insensitive.
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BLACKPINK Jennie wearing cornrows in 'The Idol'
With this, numerous fans and non-fans have criticized and expressed their disappointment regarding Jennie's choice of hairstyle, especially as cultural appropriation when it comes to hairstyles has been an ongoing topic in the K-pop industry.
In fact, Jennie's fellow BLACKPINK member Lisa was also criticized and accused of cultural appropriation after she wore braids in her music video for "MONEY."
BLACKPINK Lisa's alleged cultural appropriation in 'MONEY'
Aside from the criticism, many also called out Jennie to be accountable and understand why her wearing cornrows is an issue as a non-black person.
Comments from netizens read:
"Jennie from BLACKPINK literally had cornrows in her hair. As a BLINK, I'm so sick and tired of this. People really need to stop defending her and babying her over this. This is cultural appropriation. It's not something to baby someone over."
"BLINKs doing ANYTHING except holding BLACKPINK accountable is exactly why BLACKPINK keeps messing up EVERY YEAR. Dragging other idols won't change the fact that Jennie Kim from BLACKPINK did cultural appropriation AGAIN. BLACKPINK never apologized for a single thing."
"Stop defending people who did something racist. No one is perfect, so stop acting like everyone is perfect. What Jennie did was cultural appropriation. As a BLINK, this breaks my heart."
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Fans Express Concern Over Jennie's Appearance on 'The Idol'
However, Jennie's hairstyle isn't the only topic being discussed right now. It seems that fans have also expressed their concern with Jennie's appearance on "The Idol" following the nature of the show.
Following the release of the trailers, some fans have become worried that the show would do more harm than good to Jennie's career, as "The Idol" features controversial themes and aspects, especially in a conservative Korean society; namely drugs and the over-sexualization of females.
As of this writing, neither Jennie nor HBO have commented on the concerns.
What are your thoughts on the issue?
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Written by Robyn Joan
