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BLACKPINK member Jennie's appearance in The Weeknd's upcoming HBO series The Idol has all the Blinks in a frenzy. However, the singer's acting debut has also attracted allegations of cultural appropriation.
The HBO drama series is a collaborative project by Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, Reza Fahim, and Euphoria's creator Sam Levinson. Since the release of the trailer, Blackpink fans across the world have been gushing about Jennie's appearance.
However, many people aren't too pleased with her look as the singer can be seen sporting cornrows, a typically African American hairdo. She has been accused of cultural appropriation for sporting the hairstyle.
Jennie can be seen sporting boxer braids in The Idol trailer, dividing BLACKPINK fans
While fans are excited to watch the show, the trailer has left some upset due to the Solo singer's hairstyle.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, cultural appropriation is
“The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.”
Going by this definition, several netizens have called out Jennie's hairstyle in a clip from the trailer. In the short segment, the singer can be seen dancing as a backup dancer along with some of the other cast members. What stood out to them was the singer's hair, braided into cornrows.
Cornrows, boxer braids and other similar hairstyles are considered to be an integral part of black culture and identity, and this incident is seen by many as cultural appropriation. Although braiding is an intrinsic part of several Asian cultures, cornrows are thought to have stemmed from Black culture.
Fans of the BLACKPINK artist, especially those with African roots, are reportedly upset by the choice of hairstyle.
However, the K-Pop community has had a complicated history with cultural appropriation. There have been several incidents of appropriation, especially of the Indian, African American and Indigenous cultures that have been recorded.
Although many fans have criticized all these incidents, most companies pay little heed to it and usually brush it away with an apology or two.
This latest incident with Jennie appears to have split the fanbase. While most of them agree that the appropriation is wrong, there seems to be a debate about who the blame should be placed on.
Many believe that the styling decisions are made by the make-up artist and the director and thus the BLACKPINK member has no liability. Others have pointed out that it is improbable that the hairstyle would have been accepted without Jennie's approval. This makes her an equally responsible party.
However, it is worth mentioning that there were some who were defending the star for the braids. One of them stated that as an African American, they don't see "the issue of Jennie having braids," adding that they believe that the braids promote the culture "in a good way."
Although, that wasn't a feeling that was shared by many of the other fans.
Previous instances of BLACKPINK being accused of cultural appropriation
This is not the first time a BLACKPINK member has come under fire for cultural appropriation. During Lisa's Money music video, the singer's choice of hairstyle received less than savory comments from BLACKPINK fans.
BLACKPINK, as a band too, is no stranger to accusations of cultural appropriation. Their How You Like That music video ruffled a few Indian fans' feathers due to the usage of a statue of the Hindu god Ganesha as a set piece.
Meanwhile, The Idol itself is receiving mixed reactions from fans. The trailer, and creator Sam Levinson's trademark of over-sexualizing female cast members has left many Blinks concerned about what it would mean for Jennie. While they are proud of the singer-turned actor's opportunity, it is not without worry.
So far, neither the singer nor The Idol's production team has released any comment about either of the concerns.
The show, which also stars Lily-Rose Depp, The Weeknd, Troye Sivan and Debby Ryan, officially completed production in July, and is aiming for a 2022 release.
