Okay, Adele, it’s time to address the elephant in the room.
By now, you’ve likely seen THAT viral photo of the British songstress, where she is seen sporting a Jamaican flag bikini top and Bantu knots (above, inset) in tribute to London’s Notting Hill Carnival, which was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pic had everyone talking on Sunday night and this time, it wasn’t just because of the Grammy winner’s slimmed-down figure…
Related: Bella Thorne (Sort Of) Apologizes For OnlyFans Scam Controversy!
Fans are calling it as they see it and slamming the star for cultural appropriation! First things first, we all know Adele is not from Jamaica. Although the annual event is put on to celebrate Caribbean culture, she could have done so without wearing a flag that isn’t hers — but that’s just one part of the big problem here.
Many were pissed the 32-year-old singer wore a traditionally African hairstyle, especially during a time when Black women still face discrimination for wearing the same looks. It’s such a prevalent issue that a legislation called the CROWN Act was introduced in the States in 2019 to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles in the workplace and public schools. So, the fact that a popular celebrity tried to get away with this move did not go over well.
Get another look at the controversial Instagram shot:
One commenter shared their frustration in the comments section, writing:
“Dear white people, please just be yourselves and stop it for good with cultural appropriation. Adele the bantu knots were unnecessary. The Jamaican flag bikini top was unnecessary… Please just stop it”
Although a different user did come to the Hello singer’s defense:
“WE LOVE SEEING OUR FLAG EVERYWHERE!!!! This made me smile . It shows the impact my little island has on the whole world. How influential we truly are.”
Some also defended that the performer grew up in predominantly Black Tottenham, and she was surrounded by the culture her entire life.
But the backlash continued on Twitter, as users argued this was definitely a case of cultural appropriation and not appreciation:
“This is what happens when you invite too many people to the cookout no more invites #Adele #Bantu”
“With all this racial injustice going on @Adel (sic) thought this was ok?? #Adele #culturalappropriation”
“This is cultural appropriation. Full stop.”
“Naw sis you know you messed up on this one. This is not the move @adele Cultural appropriation is not the move. That’s all I’m gonna say about this shenanigans…”
Others were busy making memes and jokes like this one (below), though there really isn’t anything funny about this when you consider the greater implication at hand:
Nobody:
Not a single soul:Adele: pic.twitter.com/cCh0nczCPR
— Yike Myers (@areyouokayanny) August 31, 2020
This is also hardly the first time a celebrity has been called out for this — between Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian West, the KarJenners get canceled for this exact issue almost periodically. But it’s obvious the message isn’t getting through.
Again, the canceled festival, as well as the style Adele chose, is meant to celebrate cultural traditions and not simply make a fashion statement. We can’t scream “Black Lives Matter” and then flippantly disregard issues that have long been sensitive to the Black community. Let’s do better!
Perezcious readers, do U agree with the backlash or did U find nothing wrong with Adele’s ensemble? Weigh in on this debate in the comments section (below)!
[Image via Adele/Instagram]
Related Posts
