Rihanna Facing Accusation of Cultural Inappropriateness in India

-



The photo, which appeared on her Twitter and Instagram accounts Tuesday, shows the singer in a pair of lavender satin boxers by her lingerie label, Savage X Fenty. Among her matching purple jewels are a bracelet, a large pair of earrings and what appears to be a diamond-studded carving of the elephant-headed deity -- a move branded "disrespectful" by some Hindus and other social media users in India.
"You're wearing a deity necklace and a Murthi (image of a deity) of my culture that's already been culturally appropriated enough in the past few years," read one reply to the post, liked over 5,000 times on Instagram. "How is this okay when a person has more than enough resources to at least find out the meaning and significance of the chains and pendant around their neck?"
"Can we stop sexualizing people's religion for clout," read another comment. "I just don't understand the purpose of having a necklace with lord Ganesh as part of a lingerie campaign." Another user, meanwhile, wrote: "Our culture is not your costume."
Rihanna's Fenty fashion brand to close down after less than two years
Not all of the comments expressed outraged, with one user stating: "I'm fine with you wearing this as long as you respect Hinduism." Others complimented the star's style without referencing the controversial pendant.
On Rihanna's Twitter account, the image has amassed over 40,000 retweets. Savage X Fenty also posted the photo to Instagram, where it has accrued over 345,000 likes, alongside the caption, "Stay up off my Instagram, pure temptation."
Savage X Fenty did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment about the Ganesha pendant. The boxers worn in the post are currently listed as "sold out" on the brand's website.
Ganesha traditionally represents wisdom and success, and is often called upon by Hindus embarking on new business ventures. Producing paintings or statues of deities is widely practiced in India, and they are used to help worshippers connect with the gods.
The controversy comes just two weeks after Rihanna divided opinions in India by expressing her support for farmers protesting new agriculture laws in the country. The singer sparked a wave of celebrity statements on the issue after she tweeted a link to a CNN story examining how internet access around New Delhi was cut off following violent clashes between police and farmers. "Why aren't we talking about this?!" she wrote.
The move drew the ire of India's government, which issued a statement condemning "sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others."
Rihanna's latest Savage X Fenty campaign stars Black breast cancer survivors
A number of commentators were quick to link Rihanna's decision to wear a Ganesha pendant to her stance on the protests. Lawmaker Ram Kadam, a member of the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), suggested that she had now discredited her involvement in the matter.
"It's appalling to see how @Rihanna shamefully mocks our beloved Hindu God #Ganesha," he wrote. "This exposes how #Rihanna has no idea or respect for Indian culture, tradition and our issues here. Hopefully, at least now (opposition politician) @RahulGandhi and other Congress leaders will stop taking help from her."
It is not the first time in recent years that the Barbados-born singer and businesswoman has been accused of cultural appropriation. In 2019, she faced online backlash after posing in Chinese clothing and ornaments for the cover of Harper's Bazaar China. The images had been intended to show what happens "when western style icon meets eastern aesthetic," the publication said at the time.
Savage X Fenty then faced criticism from some Muslims, after it used a song containing sacred Islamic verses during a lingerie fashion show last October. The label later apologized, telling CNN at the time: "We truly apologize for the song that appeared in the Savage x Fenty show. We shouldn't have used it. The song's vocal tracks are being replaced and the show is being edited."
Top image: Rihanna pictured at the Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 in October 2020.


Follow us on twitter (ajuede.com) or on Instagram (ajuedeman) for details of the global situation presently.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Taylor Swift: 'White supremacy is repulsive. There is nothing worse'

-
Image
  Taylor Swift says she is focused on the 2020 election but ‘I do feel that the celebrity involvement with Hillary’s campaign was used against her’. Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/VMN19/Getty Images for MTV After years of keeping herself at a largely indifferent remove, Taylor Swift has elaborated on her political ideology in a new  interview  with Rolling Stone. Harkening back to the perceived better times of the Obama years, Swift said, among other things, that she regrets not getting more involved in the 2016 election, and the way her allegiances or lack thereof have been manipulated by bad actors. Trump." 3 Core Reasons Americans Must not Vote Kamala  For years her reluctance to stake out a claim one way or the other made her something of a useful political totem, including, notably, when neo-Nazis and alt-right trolls  adopted her  as an Aryan ideal. “Firstly,  Taylor Swift  is a pure Aryan goddess, like something out of classical G...
Read more

Tulsi Gabbard says impeachment of Trump would be 'terribly divisive' for country

-
Image
Get the fact straight into your head. The Democrat-turned Independent Tulsi Gabbard, the  former congresswoman from Hawaii, who made a wonderful contribution against the Democrat dominated legislature's attempt to impeach president Donald Trump in the past, h as finally endorsed  former President Donald Trump  in the 2024 presidential race against Vice President Kamala Harris. "We as Americans must stand together to reject this anti-freedom culture of political retaliation and abuse of power. We can't allow our country to be destroyed by politicians who will put their own power ahead of the interests of the American people, our freedom, and our future," Gabbard said at the National Guard conference in Detroit on Monday. 3 Core Reasons Americans Must not Vote Kamala  Gabbard's endorsement came on the third anniversary of the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members following the chaotic Afghanistan War withdrawal. "I am proud to stand here before yo...
Read more

Dr. Vladimir Zelenko has now treated 699 coronavirus patients with 100% success

-
Image
Like our page on facebook @ Info4everybody Last Wednesday, we  published  the success story from Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, a board-certified family practitioner in New York, after he successfully treated 350 coronavirus patients with 100 percent success using a cocktail of drugs:  hydroxychloroquine, in combination with azithromycin (Z-Pak), an antibiotic to treat secondary infections, and zinc sulfate.  Dr. Zelenko said he saw the symptom of shortness of breath resolved within four to six hours after treatment. Do you know that the ancient Egypt were civilized by architects from the (500,000 - 4000 BC) Nsukka Civiliation?   Now, Dr. Zelenko provides updates on the treatment after he successfully treated 699 COVID-19 patients in New York. In an exclusive interview with former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, Dr. Vladmir Zelenko shares the results of his latest study, which showed that out of his 699 patients treated, zero pa...
Read more

ORIGIN OF THE AKAN - Onyeji Nnaji

-
Image
                           Copied from the book, Reality as Myth by Onyeji Nnaji .                        The influence of the Akan on their content nations lies on their population and commonwealth of their sister nations. The Akan are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. Their population is scattered across West Africa and beyond.  Origin of Africa Among this huge population of the Akan, the Ghanaians are more popular, perhaps because of the political influence of the Ashanti Empire in the area. Not much is heard or known about other Akan settlements like the Akwamu, the Akyem , the Akuapem, the Denkyira, the Abron, the Aowin, the Ahanta, the Anyi, the Baoule, the Chokosi, the Fante, the Kwahu, the Sefwi, the Ahafo, the Assin, the Evalue, the Wassa the Adjukru, the Akye, the Alladian, th...
Read more

GARDEN OF EDEN FOUND IN WEST AFRICA - Onyeji Nnaji

-
Image
Copied from the Book; " Reality as Myth " by Onyeji Nnaji The beauty of the discovering of the Radar Rivers and their channels is that it disproves the western hegemonic claim of the Euphrates valley being the position of the birth of the great river, all the points that opposed their claims notwithstanding. Even God himself was very perfect in His creation by placing them in their positions, hierarchically, according to their birth. The first river that flowed located the Havilah land where there are good quality gold, bdellium and fine onyx stones. Pison was the oldest of the rivers and it flowed through the land of the southern Africa. The second river flowed northward to Ethiopia. It was when Africa had been overtaken by virtue of her proximity to the Great Water that other parts of the world began to encounter the remaining river; remarkable with Hiddekel.  Subscribe to  ajuede.com  to be updated on our posts on dailies.   The major problem...
Read more

Marine Charged for Facebook Comments Gets Hearing Date

-
Image
  Marine lieutenant colonel initially jailed for posting videos critical of the U.S. military’s leadership regarding the withdrawal from Afghanistan will go to trial on Oct. 14-15 at Camp Lejeune near Jacksonville, North Carolina, the Marine Corps announced on Friday. The special court martial hearing for Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller regards the six counts he was charged with on Wednesday, a day after he was released following more than a week of pre-trial confinement. Scheller, an Afghanistan veteran,  is accused of: disrespect toward superior commissioned officers; willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer; dereliction in the performance of duties; failure to obey order or regulation; and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. The first count — contempt toward officials — was dropped. Scheller was released from pretrial confinement on Tuesday after spending more than a week in the brig. The release followed intense public criticism and rebukes from s...
Read more

EGYPTIANS LAMBAST NIGERIAN FOOTBALLERS OVER ‘FREQUENT’ PROTESTS

-
Image
Some Egyptian fans feel the frequent reports of protests by Nigerian players about non-payment of match allowances and bonuses are not doing the African continent any good. Within the last two months, Nigerian teams taking part in international competitions have protested over alleged non-payment of entitlements by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). From the Flying Eagles’ participation at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, the Super Falcons involvement at the yet to be concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and the Super Eagles’ campaign in the Egypt 2019 AFCON, it has been one squabble over alleged unpaid allowances or another. At the Cairo Stadium on Wednesday night, where the Pharaohs of Egypt defeated Congo 2-0 to move into the round of 16, the issue of Super Eagles’ protests over unpaid wages was the major topic by some of the fans. Those who spoke with The Guardian carpeted the Nigerian players for turning their participation at major championships into ...
Read more

TYPES OF PREPOSITION - Onyeji Nnaji

-
Image
                  INTRODUCTION In the history of syntax, prepositions alongside other parts of speech are considered as one of the esteemed contributions of the sophists (the itinerant teachers) to the development of the human language. Etymologically, the term “preposition” belonged to the group of word class Aristotle, the founder, referred to as “syndesmoi”. Others in this group are conjunction , article and pronoun . They were thus grouped by Aristotle because they were found to be performing related functions that are summed up in binding terms and exposing the gaps amidst sentences when they are not included. As a plural term, “syndesmoi” is a collective noun that stands for the group while, conjunction , the part of speech that binds together the discourse and finds gaps in its interpretation was called “syndesmos” (see Robins, 1968). Indicating the function of prepositions, Aristotle called it “Prothesis” (a part of speech...
Read more

THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF NSUKKA by Onyeji Nnaji

-
Image
There are four generations…, and the fourth generation, which is the most exalted, is kingless and perfect. These people will enter the holy place of their Father and they will reside in rest … They are kings. They are the immortal within the mortal                      ( The Nag Hammadi, 219 ) O ne of the African homes that colonialism has completely deformed beyond certain level of recognition is Nsukka. Colonialism apart, the most affecting factor to the survival of the meaning which the rich cultural enclave, Nsukka, carries will best be blamed on postcolonial political structure. The biggest harm all these have against Nsukka as a people is that they rubbed her of the meaning of her name; their place of origin; how their fathers managed to come into their present abodes and who their ancestors were. A profound understanding of the excerpt above will open the door towards deciphering the meaning and origin of the people call...
Read more