Harper’s Bazaar China’s Rihanna cover has been slammed for cultural appropriation
Dazed Digital reports that Harper’s Bazaar China has been criticized for cultural appropriation after releasing an issue with Rihanna in traditional Chinese clothes on the cover.
On its latest cover, released on Tuesday, Rihanna is seen wearing a traditional Chinese dress. Her make up and hair are also styled with traditional Chinese influences.
The cover was slammed by many people on social media for cultural appropriation, drawing links to Kim Kardashian who was recently called out for her ‘Kimono’ brand.
“Wait a minute when Kendal Jenner was on the cover of a magazine with an “afro” people were screaming cultural appropriation but when Rihanna dresses up like this nobody says anything, it’s art, it’s glam fuck the double standards,” commented one Twitter user.
“If this was Kim Kardashian it would’ve been called cultural appropriation,” tweeted another.
“So when Rihanna plays with orientalism in a photo shoot everyone thinks it’s “art” yet any other artist would be “canceled” for cultural appropriation,” one person wrote.
However, others defended the cover, pointing out that the cover was issued for a Chinese audience by a Chinese team.
Photographer Chen Man, stylist Xiaomu Fan and editors Simon Sha and Wei Tian were all behind the project.
“Who is out here accusing Rihanna of Cultural appropriation & comparing it to Kim? Kim CHOSE to name her company Kimono to spark outrage and get a spike in her brand algorithm. Rihanna was on HB CHINA and worked with a CHINESE creative team that TOLD her what to wear. Not the same,” argued one person on Twitter.
“Now ya’ll white asses know there was no cultural appropriation, ya’ll just mad that that a chinese team used Rihanna to show their culture without any backlash and are upset ya’ll can’t appropriate asian culture on white bodies without backlash,” another wrote.
“Cultural appropriation is the adoption of certain elements from another culture without the consent of people who belong to that culture. Rihanna was STYLED and APPROVED by CHINESE platform. It wasnt for personal use either, it was use for Chinese paper” said another.
So when Rihanna plays with orientalism in a photo shoot everyone thinks it’s “art” yet any other artist would be “canceled” for cultural appropriation
— elizabeth le fey (@globelamp) July 12, 2019
if this was Kim Kardashian it would’ve been called cultural appropriation lol
— chi (@babypagne) July 9, 2019
Wait a minute when Kendal Jenner was on the cover of a magazine with an “afro” people were screaming cultural appropriation but when Rihanna dresses up like this nobody says anything, it’s art, it’s glam 🖕🏽fuck the double standards pic.twitter.com/wlmsvVfXSQ
— Cali S. (@CaliS16646367) July 9, 2019
Cultural appropriation is the adoption of certain elements from another culture without the consent of people who belong to that culture. Rihanna was STYLED and APPROVED by CHINESE platform. It wasnt for personal use either, it was use for Chinese paper.
— KinkyFox (@fox_kinky) July 10, 2019
Now ya’ll white asses know there was no cultural appropriation, ya’ll just mad that that a chinese team used Rihanna to show their culture without any backlash and are upset ya’ll can’t appropriate asian culture on white bodies without backlash. https://t.co/H1kMlDpdqr
— Aisha (@Kurenai240) July 11, 2019
I don’t have a problem with Rihanna being dressed like this, we can argue this as cultural appreciation rather than appropriation. Annoyed that if this was Katy Perry or Kim K, they’d be mass called out and cancelled. Calling out the people who practice “selective cancel culture” https://t.co/acI8ddDUvi
— donal (@donalcervin) July 10, 2019
