Anyone remember the huge controversy surrounding Katy Perry's AMA Performance of "Unconditionally" last year? Perry opened the ceremony with a vibrantly colorful set based on Japan, complete with falling cherry blossoms, laterns, taiko drummers, and geisha-like dancers in the background holding parasols. Perry herself was clad in a pink kimono-like dress, and finished off the act by disappearing in a spray of smoke under a mock Shinto shrine.
Look at her, such a beauty. However, the criticism she received revolved around her sexualization of the "geisha image." Admittedly, there were definitely several inaccuracies. I mean, the costume not only had slits and a low cut neck, but a mandarin collar (Chinese, not Japanese).
Now going in a different direction, what do we think of when a certain place comes up in a conversation? America, Japan, Korea, China, Africa, Latin America... naturally, as humans, we think of an image often associated with the place. A picture. And that picture is a strong thing. Perry's performance contained almost every stereotypical picture associated with Japan-- to the point that it was almost impressive-- and exaggerated them for the purpose of entertainment. I have asked a couple of Japanese people if they were insulted by this phenomenon, and almost none were in the least bit offended by Perry's performance, including myself and my family. There was clearly no malicious intent; Katy Perry is known to adore Japanese culture. The performance was simply a stereotypical, inaccurate representation of the culture. And in terms of how provocative the outfit was, its hard to be offended because the entertainment industry sexualizes almost everything.
However, the critics did bring our attention to something important: that a performance like this can distort the "picture" in people's minds of what Japan really is. Katy Perry's purpose was to entertain, and she certainly fulfilled that purpose. What we as society need to do is to make sure that a more accurate picture is put in place. And the way to do so is, as I always say, education of minority culture.
If you would like to check out a video of the performance see below. It's really quite elaborate, aesthetic, and fun to watch:
However, the critics did bring our attention to something important: that a performance like this can distort the "picture" in people's minds of what Japan really is. Katy Perry's purpose was to entertain, and she certainly fulfilled that purpose. What we as society need to do is to make sure that a more accurate picture is put in place. And the way to do so is, as I always say, education of minority culture.
If you would like to check out a video of the performance see below. It's really quite elaborate, aesthetic, and fun to watch:
Have an excellent weekend. :)
Until next time,
justajae
Until next time,
justajae