http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2513107/Katy-Perry-accused-racism-dressing-geisha-AMAs.html
Katy Perry accused of racism after dressing as a geisha at the AMAs
By MIKE LARKIN
PUBLISHED: 08:37 GMT, 25 November 2013 | UPDATED: 16:23 GMT, 25 November 2013
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She thrilled her fans when she dressed in a kimono during a tour of Japan earlier this month.
But Katy Perry has been accused of being racist after dressing as a Japanese geisha for the opening performance at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
A host of watchers took to Twitter to accuse the popstrel of 'appropriating culture' due to her colourful performance of Unconditionally at the beginning of the show.
Viewer Nathan Hatcher tweeted: 'Oh, good. Katy Perry is dressed as a geisha. I was afraid her sharp vocals would outshine her racism.'
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO...
Colourful: But a host of fans took to Twitter to accuse Katy Perry of being racist for performing as a geisha at the AMAs
Colourful: But a host of fans took to Twitter to accuse Katy Perry of being racist for performing as a geisha at the AMAs
Brolly bad show: The singer was accused of 'cultural appropriation' for her performance of Unconditionally
Brolly bad show: The singer was accused of 'cultural appropriation' for her performance of Unconditionally
Not a good look? The singer was accused of 'cultural appropriation' for her performance of Unconditionally
She would not dare: To behave in such a manner if the Land of the Rising Sun would she?
She would not dare: To behave in such a manner if the Land of the Rising Sun would she?
Another offended was Shaina Cooper, who wrote: 'As soon as I turn on the awards, Katy Perry dressed as a geisha...What did we tell y'all about race appropriation smfh.'
One even likened it to Julianne Hough's recent blackface storm when they wrote: 'This is the performance equivalent of an offensive Halloween costume.'
The New York Post wrote in its round-up: 'She wouldn’t dream of black facing for a performance, nor is it very likely that she’d ever approve a Navajo-themed number.
So why did Katy Perry think it was OK to dress up like a Japanese Geisha for the opening act of the night?
Twits: These viewers of the show were shocked she had decided to dress in the traditional garb
Twits: These viewers of the show were shocked she had decided to dress in the traditional garb
'The fact that her singing of the awful current single “Unconditional” was off-key was bad enough, but the fact that Perry didn’t see anything offensive in her routine is astonishing.'
However the Post conceded: 'She’s no racist but clearly, Perry exists in a blissfully ignorant bubble.'
It isn't the first time the singer has been accused of racism towards Asian cultures.
Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel in June she sparked controversy when she spoke about Japanese culture: 'I’m so obsessed with you [Japanese race] I want to skin you and wear you like Versace!'
When furious bloggers accused the star of mocking the culture Katy said she was familiar with it fter her family took in Japanese lodgers when she was growing up.
Racist? Katy Perry dresses as a geisha at the AMAs
Unhappy memoir for a geisha: Katy may not have happy memories of this after being accused of racism
Unhappy memoir for a geisha: Katy may not have happy memories of this after being accused of racism
Shadowy figure: But some viewers were left shocked and offended when it turned out to be the singer
Shadowy figure: But some viewers were left shocked and offended when it turned out to be the singer
Of course it may have also been the case that the singer was giving a nod to her fans in Japan, who she visited earlier this month.
In fact, she tweeted a picture of herself in an almost identical outfit along with some genuine Japanese geishas at the time.
At the time she wrote: 'One of these things is not like the other.'
Katy was the only one not wearing the Geisha's famous porcelain figurine makeup, which she adopted for her AMA's performance.
Yes she would: In fact some genuine geisha girls were delighted to pose with her in Japan earlier this month
Yes she would: In fact some genuine geisha girls were delighted to pose with her in Japan earlier this month
http://www.vulture.com/2013/11/awards-racism-spot-check-katy-perry-edition.html
Music Awards Racism Spot-Check: Katy Perry Edition
By Jesse David Fox
Katy Perry opened tonight's American Music Awards with a performance of "Unconditional." Flanked by women playing the shamisen, Perry came out wearing a kimono and proceeded to throw out a lot of Japanese cultural touchstones. There were geisha moves (danced by seemingly non-Japanese back-up dancers), giant fans, cherry blossoms, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and much more. All this cultural appropriation brought to mind two recent performances that were quickly and racially tut-tutted: Selena Gomez's Hindu-referencing Billboard Awards performance and, of course, Miley Cyrus's VMAs performance, which our own Jody Rosen called "minstrelsy [with] a postmodern careerist spin." In an effort to recalibrate our collective racism radar, which has been getting overtaxed at music award shows as of late: Was Perry's Great Wave of Japanese signifiers offensive, simply stereotypical, or harmlessly deferential in an inert Katy Perry maximalist way? Watch the performance below and discuss.
GET MORE: ACCIDENTAL RACIST, KATY PERRY, AMAS, VIDEO
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61 Comments ADD COMMENT
NEWESTOLDESTPICKSMOST REPLIESThreaded
BADKITTENONARAMPAGE
Could Perry have dealt with this more accurately - definitely. Could she have dealt with it more sensitively - perhaps. However, I think that if this performance was racist with a capital R, we should no longer mount productions of Madame Butterfly, The Mikado or anything where a performer is inspired by a culture other than their own.
7 Minutes AgoReply|Like
SIMCHA42
didn't you know? it's now adORable to be racist!
2 Hours AgoReply|Like
MATTS156
Seriously, Jesse Fox, please get off the terminally aggrieved bandwagon. Your explanation of what was racist is so thin, it wouldn't even do for a Japanese umbrella. Did she go on stage and make disparaging and stereotypical remarks or gestures that real racists use to mimic Asian cultures? Are you seriously contending that her dancers had to be Japanese for the performance to NOT be considered racist? You have NO CLUE what racism is, and you diminish its true meaning with this twaddle. Take it from someone who is neither a fan of Katy Perry's music nor Katy herself.
2 Hours AgoReply|Like
KDMZ
OK, Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's was racist. This was just lame. Maybe one day Yeezus himself will perform in whiteface and we'll see the folks at Fox News lose their collective sh*t.
2 Hours AgoReply|Like
FANTASTICIQUATTRO
Okay. Nintendo make hundreds of millions off of a stereotyping of Italians(Mario Brothers) Where art thou outrage? Nothing says Italian like two Italian plumbers with goofy accents and villains named after ethnic slurs(goombas) Then there is the abomination that is Jersey Shore.
Btw that is NOT racism, but stereotyping. Our country has completely forgotten what the word “racism” means.
2 Hours AgoReply|Like
GARAYBLAS
I just saw Katy Perry's performance on youtube.com. I did not watch the AMAs that's why when I heard about the racist issue regarding her performance, I figured to check it out. I saw her performance on youtube.com and I have no idea what is so racist about her performance. Grow up people. It's a performance, she's an artist and its part other number. There is nothing racist about her performance! On the contrary as an asian I would compliment her number with the dance, the way they moved and the set. It just looks great!
3 Hours AgoReply|Like
HAZEL_IS_UGLY
Wow, her live singing is just THE WORST. She actually does pretty ok on the belting part of the chorus, but she's just completely incapable of handling the quieter, you-actually-need-to-sing verses. All out of breath and drowned out by the backing music. Make me question whether she is actually singing on parts of the chorus.
4 Hours AgoReply|Like
JMDHSMIAMI
This site is called VULTURE isn't it? I think it's apparent for obvious reasons.. As an Asian American, I found it beautiful and in no way offending Japanese culture or that of the Geisha...
Liked By BadKittenOnARampage
5 Hours AgoReply|Like
ANARCHY
This is simply a silly little debate you have attempted to get started. You cannot possibly actually think - borrowing cultural references (Katy Perry and I will take your word on Selena Gomez but I didn't actually see it) is the same as using those cultural references to demean a race or culture and to promote stereotypes, misogyny, and the like (Miley Cyrus). All of them are attempting to promote and further their careers but there ways of doing that appropriately and inappropriately. People may have things to say about Robin Thicke's or Justin Timberlake's use of black culture to get ahead but no one thinks they are attempting to demean it or promote stereotypes (other than possibly white men can be more successful than blacks singing the same music).
I will note, however, that after about 10 seconds of the Katy Perry clip I had to turn it off not because I found it racially offensive unless out of tune, bad pop, and lack of dancing ability while wearing a kimono is offensive.
7 Hours AgoReply|Like
FANTASTICIQUATTRO
@Anarchy - Black culture borrows from white culture all the time. See the rappers with Mafia names, who rap about Benzs or games invented by white men. The fact is we all borrow from other cultures in this country.
3 Hours AgoReply|Like
THENEXT_MRSBASS
Whichever one of those things is the worst, that's what this is. Because she is the worst.
Liked By simcha42, debidjacob and 2 more
8 Hours AgoReply|Like
THECHEESE
White people can shrug off how non-white people view appropriation of their cultures when they stop other white people from asking why there's no White History Month.
Liked By speakEasy, AvenueHebrew and 1 more
9 Hours AgoReply|Like
FANTASTICIQUATTRO
@TheCheese - We cannot help what stupid people ask. But we can question the effectiveness of “Black History Months”. Instead of intelligently blending in the disparate American experiences we split them up into specific months where they can easily be avoided by the population at large.
Then there is the ridiculous labels like “white” or “asian" which ignores the disparate experiences and cultures that those constitute those groups.
2 Hours AgoReply|Like
EVILITO
so are white chicks only supposed to perform line-dancing and Rockettes-inspired numbers from now on?
Liked By BugsMeany, PrettyPistol and 1 more
10 Hours AgoReply|Like
LIBBITZ
@evilito - It's a good question, what is really appropriate. I strongly believe cultural guidance is null when it's just "Don't do this...". I wish there was a maxim we could all live by that would make things easier, but as with many complex social issues it just ain't that simple. All I can think of is that if you do something based on another person's ethnic or cultural identity for no better (positive) than "because I want to", and more than a few people are incensed, just accept that it's not cool and move on with a quick apology. Part of being a member of society is owning and accepting the results of your actions and dealing with them with the goal of not winning, but of reaching an agreement that both people can live with. Best I can do! :|
Liked By thanksmeatcat
8 Hours AgoReply|Like
EVILITO
@libbitz - except white pop musicians have been doing "cultural appropriation" for decades. Sometimes it's produced amazing stuff, sometimes it's produced crap. I find the idea that it's somehow a new phenomenon - or reprehensible - silly.
At the same time, I get that the internet being what it is, people who write posts for a living, need something to write about - and now that all the think pieces about "bro culture" have been played out, it's time to move on to the next outrage.
8 Hours AgoReply|Like
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VOGUETTE
Katy Perry is THE WORST. She's too dumb to even realize what it could mean. She probably saw the kimono and thougth, "Ooh, shiny!"
Liked By AvenueHebrew and LizLenin
10 Hours AgoReply|Like
PRETTYPISTOL
I'm Asian, and I do not think this was racist AT ALL. I mention that I'm Asian, not because I feel like Asians are the only people qualified to make that determination, but only because I am free from the hang ups of white guilt or liberal guilt, so perhaps I'm better able to cut through all the bull crap and just access how I honestly feel about all this.
Did I think it was wildly original or artistic? No. Am I offended that Katy Perry thought, hey, this would be pretty and eye catching- no. Interest and exploration in another culture, however clumsy the effort, is a good thing, and I think the real evil would be to bombard people with accusations of racism everytime someone tries. Also would we be having this conversation if Katy Perry dressed up as Marie Antoinette or some iteration of traditional 18th century French garb? Would we be sitting here debating whether this was offensive to... French people?
There's also some criticism as to the accuracy of the details, that it wasn't all completely Japanese but blended with other Asian country's details, and that means Katy Perry thinks all Asians are the same?? Sure, it's important to have accurate details, if you're claiming to pay tribute to a culture. But I also think it's actually a good thing for middle America and tweens to see some Asian fabrics and colors and aesthetic, and glimpse how all that stuff can be glamorous and beautiful? Yeah it wasn't a 100% accurate representation, though, I hardly even noticed, and still just don't care. Exposure to a culture has to start somewhere, and you shouldn't just squash any attempts at it for not being 100% high minded or accurate. A genuine, sincere interest in a culture should be rewarded with the benefit of a patient correction, rather than finger pointing and self righteousness.
Liked By BadKittenOnARampage, pluiedenovembre and 6 more
10 Hours AgoReply|Like
ARMANIBOI
@PrettyPistol - I am also Asian. I can't and won't speak on behalf of over a billion people but my solo opinion is that I wasn't offended by her use of aspects of Asian culture (didn't feel like a blatant appropriation or women of color as props like Miley or Gwen Stefani), but I was slightly offended by this instance where putting a geisha / Asian context to the song emphasized and reinforced the submissive Asian female stereotype.
Liked By lintroller, libbitz and 2 more
9 Hours AgoReply|Like
PRETTYPISTOL
@armaniboi - Yeah, I don't understand how the submissive Asian female stereotype was emphasized here... I mean, the history and origina of the geisha artform itself is of course rife with such context, but I don't see how Katy Perry's use of the aesthetics and the dance style, along with the particular song she chose to accompany this, emphasizes those aspects. If say, Destiny's Child did a performance of "Cater To U" and incorporated geisha elements along to that, then I would say, hellz yeah, that's messed up. But I don't see how that applies to this performance.
Liked By FrigidBardot
8 Hours AgoReply|Like
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SWANSTEP
Bjork and Madonna both used (slightly fanciful/not especially accurate) Japanese imagery in the '90s, and David Bowie and Japan (Ha!)/David Sylvian did so in the '80s. I don't recall much criticism of their appropriations and interests as 'racist'. Some people thought they were dilettantes. In my view, even Katy Perry deserves a little slack, and we all need to positively work on not taking offense too easily.
Liked By BadKittenOnARampage, FrigidBardot and 1 more
14 Hours AgoReply|Like
LIBBITZ
@swanstep - Hmm. So the onus is on the impacted persons whose culture was appropriated, not the person with a functioning brain, thousands of years of art and and millions of dollars in resources to create an equally visually stimulating, arguably more tasteful performance. So then - how *should* people positively work on not taking offense too easily? (Or: while in the grand scheme of things, this isn't highly offensive to me personally, it's simply not my place to sit here and tell all Japanese or Asians how they're supposed to feel about it, from MY view.).
8 Hours AgoReply|Like
IRENE.LO.944
miley cyrus - VMAs performance is definitely whack on a lot of levels but katy perry's performance was relatively passe. slow motion hand gestures and her mincing footsteps made me roll my eyes but nothing appalled or perturbed me. i can see lazy racism masquerading underneath the guise of celebrating other cultures but katy perry's got a history for playing cultural dress-up tho
18 Hours AgoReply|Like
TROMENDOUS
What musical is that from?
19 Hours AgoReply|Like
ARMANIBOI
What a weeaboo
Liked By chickenhawk
20 Hours AgoReply|Like
IWISHTOREMAINNAMELESS
Watermark to determine if Katy Perry was racist or not:
let the culture that she was supposedly offending decide.
White people stay out of this discussion, myself included.
because I am white.
The only time you will be able to independently call out racism is when we all hop over to an alternate Universe where White people didn't do things like internment camps, slavery, driving Native Americans off their land, and etc. (there is sooo much more, and I'm only including American White people racism, since it was the American Music Awards)
Until then, lets all just stick to playing Geisha dress-up in private, for a weird sex thing that your significant other wants you to do.
Liked By libbitz
20 Hours AgoReply|Like
WHYDOESNTNYMAGREMEMBERME
@Iwishtoremainnameless - My Japanese companion alternatively laughed and seemed mildly horrified. He suggested that KP needed to study art and history a bit more...
20 Hours AgoReply|Like
T_BEAU
I think this argument that only the target nonwhite minorities should have a say is flawed. And I say this as a black man. The reason why is that a white person can sometimes have a good idea of where other fellow whites are coming from and if they had a meanspirited intent in mind, if it's ignorance at play, or if its just carelessness.
There are two aspects to the interaction, the white person who is supposedly being offensive, and the minority who is supposedly being offended. Just as a minority has a better insight into what other minorities were thinking as far as being offended, a white person may have a better insight into what another white person was thinking and their intent when they did the allegedly racist act.
9 Hours AgoReply|Like
+ Show 1 Other Reply
CAITLINSURAKIT
it's a bit racist in the sense that her outfit is actually a mixture of japanese kimono and traditional chinese dress. the sleeves, obi, and pattern are a closer representation of japanese kimono, while the collar/neckline are actually of chinese origin. i personally think that is more offensive, as if to say...it doesn't matter if it's chinese or japanese, it's all the same. and my chinese friends felt the same way.
Liked By speakEasy, joaniepeterson and 2 more
21 Hour AgoReply|Like
SLAGHOOPLE
@CaitlinSurakit - That's not what racism is.
That's costume design.
Liked By Cleverusername, PrettyPistol and 2 more
20 Hours AgoReply|Like
EARLGREYTRUFFLE
@slaghoople - Actually, it is racism. Perry is using props to stereotype an entire nation- and the props aren't even culturally accurate. I agree with caitlinsurakit, and also want to comment on how the floating lanterns that went up aren't Japanese at all. Thailand has floating lantern festivals, as does China/Taiwan... but Japan does not. For Katy Perry to have floating lanterns as an aesthetic element is similar to the culturally inaccurate costume design in that she is basically like "whatever, Asians are all the same" at the expense of many very diverse nations. And that is stupid and culturally insensitive. Google the phrase cultural appropriation and get back to me.
Liked By lintroller, DJtannerBure and 7 more
20 Hours AgoReply|Like
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NOOKSTER1
This right here is a prime example of being TOO sensitive. Its not insulting, racist, or in any way controversial. Its a performance. Im so sick of people getting their panties in a bunch over non issues. Get off your soapbox, there are far more racist situations that deserve condemnation... this is NOT one of them.
Liked By Cleverusername, Culligan and 3 more
21 Hour AgoReply|Like
IBNN
@Nookster1 - so what you're saying is, this wasn't racist enough?
Liked By SlyMysteron, tablespoon and 3 more
21 Hour AgoReply|Like
NOOKSTER1
@iBNN - Sure, that's exactly what I was saying. Or maybe more along the lines of it not being racist at all. People will read into any comment the way they want to, which you clearly did.
21 Hour AgoReply|Like
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ASTRALGIRL01
Being dumber than a tree stump, Katy was feeling left out... how come all of the other pop divas have been called out for racist imagery and she hasn't been (as of yet)?!?!?
Liked By TheNext_MrsBass, Voguette and 1 more
21 Hour AgoReply|Like
CRUNKNELLIAN
How is this racist? It's a tribute to Japanese culture and the beauty of their imagery. Calling it racist means we have to only pay tribute to our own cultures, which is ethnocentric.
22 Hours AgoReply|Like
IBNN
@Crunknellian - Cultures are not costumes to don whenever and however you want, people are discriminated every day for their own indigenous cultures and their race so when someone uses "Japanese" as an aesthetic choice that she can simply remove when the performance is over, it's not super appropriate.
Liked By tablespoon, TheCheese and 6 more
22 Hours AgoReply|Like
SLAGHOOPLE
@iBNN - You are wrong.
It is possible to pay tribute to another culture without denigrating it or diminishing it. To say that Katy Perry is disqualified from using Japanese imagery in a performance simply because she is American is shallow-minded, and racist in a different way. Our daily lives are infused with visual elements from all over the world, and particularly Asia, in ways that people are totally oblivious to, and this is a result of centuries of cross-cultural design.
Cultures are partly made of costumes, and artists of all sorts have borrowed aesthetic inspirations from all over the world and synthesized them in all sorts of ways for centuries. Cultures are not so precious and delicate that we cannot explore and appreciate whatever elements we find intriguing
Am I saying that Katy Perry is a great artist? It doesn't really matter. The fact is that her intent was obviously to present something that she thought was beautiful. Whether she was successful will be a matter of opinion, but she was not making fun of Japanese culture or people, or using ethnic stereotypes to insult or as an attempt at low humor. That is what minstrelsy is. There are clear differences here.
Liked By joaniepeterson
21 Hour AgoReply|Like
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LISAROWE
I don't find this offensive at all. Visually beautiful performance.
Liked By slaghoople and Morph1na
22 Hours AgoReply|Like
TNTY
This isn't worthy enough to be racist. It's just dumb.
Liked By astralgirl01
22 Hours AgoReply|Like
LADOLCE
@TNTY - also, it's not even a good song.
10 Hours AgoReply|Like
IBNN
It was revenge for her album debuting #10 in Japan.
But honestly it was a stupid nonsensical decision that had nothing to do with her song at all, but are we really surprised? She's a dope with no artistic vision.
Liked By joaniepeterson, amymills2000 and 4 more
22 Hours AgoReply|Like
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/katy-perry-amas-opening-act-called-racist-article-1.1528285#commentpostform
American Music Awards 2013: Katy Perry's opening act called out as racist
The pop star, who started the show with a Japanese theme and dressed as a geisha, is receiving criticism for disrespecting the culture.
Comments (45)
BY ZAYDA RIVERA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013, 11:45 AM
393
32
3
SHARE THIS URL:
Vulture.com let viewers decide: 'Was Perry's Great Wave of Japanese signifiers offensive, simply stereotypical or harmlessly deferential in an inert Katy Perry maximalist way?'
MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC
Vulture.com let viewers decide: 'Was Perry's Great Wave of Japanese signifiers offensive, simply stereotypical or harmlessly deferential in an inert Katy Perry maximalist way?'
TAKE OUR POLL
Katy Perry opened the American Music Awards on Sunday night dressed as a geisha while belting out her latest single "Unconditionally."
Although the stage aesthetics and colorful attire were quite beautiful, Perry is being called racist for sexualizing a traditional Japanese female figure, who is paid to serve as a hostess and excels in the art of entertainment, reports The Huffington Post.
The opening act included cherry blossoms, a Shinto shrine and taiko drummers. Perry appeared on stage draped in a kimono along with several dozen dancers wearing the cultural garb. Shortly after her performance ended, though, the critics began sounding off.
PHOTOS: AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2013: TOP SHOW MOMENTS
Cosmopolitan.com led their coverage by asking "Was Katy Perry's AMAs performance racist?" but Vulture.com's writer Jesse David Fox wasn't so diplomatic in his approach. He compared her showing to other "racially tut-tutted" performances.
Unconditionally? Time will tell if Katy Perry's fans stick by her.
MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC
Unconditionally? Time will tell if Katy Perry's fans stick by her.
"Selena Gomez's Hindu-referencing Billboard Awards performance and, of course, Miley Cyrus's VMAs performance," he wrote.
Still, like Cosmo, Fox ultimately left it up to the readers to decide.
PHOTOS: AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2013: ALL THE RED CARPET LOOKS
"Was Perry's Great Wave of Japanese signifiers offensive, simply stereotypical or harmlessly deferential in an inert Katy Perry maximalist way?" he added along with a YouTube clip of the performance.
Prior to touching down on stage, Perry took to Twitter to hint at her performance by showing a picture of her floral designed microphone.
PHOTOS: CHRISTINA AGUILERA'S HOTTEST MOMENTS
"A clue to the theme of my AMA performance this evening!" she wrote. "I will be OPENING the show & take you on a trip!!!"
"Trip to where?" @NickDelGaga asked.
Shortly after fans and critics were aware of that Perry intended to take viewers on a journey to the Far East and the backlash quickly began.
Katy Perry tries to channel a geisha, but critics say she was wrong to sexualize the female figure who is just an entertainer in Japanese society.
MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC
Katy Perry tries to channel a geisha, but critics say she was wrong to sexualize the female figure who is just an entertainer in Japanese society.
PHOTOS: JENNIFER LOPEZ'S HOTTEST MOMENTS
"Why are you dressed like a geisha Katy Perry?" @CHEL_seeyaa tweeted, according to the Huff Post. "Why? For What? #thisisracist like horribly obviously racist."
"I guess Katy Perry really didn't want to be left out of the mind-numbingly ignorant and racist pop-star hall of shame," @what-freshhell tweeted.
But not all the feedback was negative, according to Fox News.
"These claims of Katy Perry's AMA performance being racist are absolutely ridiculous," @iamdanbrooks wrote. "Appreciation and appropriation of other cultures is ok."
@look_itsLaura chimed in adding, "It honestly bothers me that people believe @katyperry performance was a racist act. She loves the Japanese culture and japan loves her."
Regardless of popular opinion, Perry reportedly intended to push the brink of artistry and musicality with her opening act at the awards show.
"I appreciate all the other awards shows for they are," she said in a previous interview. "Some are just kind of shock-jock shows. Some are just like, 'Hey, let's see how many celebrities we can get together.' Some are actually legitimate like the Grammys, and the AMAs is a very legitimate show with musicality to it."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/katy-perry-amas-opening-act-called-racist-article-1.1528285#ixzz2liGnHyAf
American Music Awards 2013: Katy Perry's opening act called out as racist
The pop star, who started the show with a Japanese theme and dressed as a geisha, is receiving criticism for disrespecting the culture.
Comments (45)
BY ZAYDA RIVERA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013, 11:45 AM
393
32
3
SHARE THIS URL:
Vulture.com let viewers decide: 'Was Perry's Great Wave of Japanese signifiers offensive, simply stereotypical or harmlessly deferential in an inert Katy Perry maximalist way?'
MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC
Vulture.com let viewers decide: 'Was Perry's Great Wave of Japanese signifiers offensive, simply stereotypical or harmlessly deferential in an inert Katy Perry maximalist way?'
TAKE OUR POLL
Katy Perry opened the American Music Awards on Sunday night dressed as a geisha while belting out her latest single "Unconditionally."
Although the stage aesthetics and colorful attire were quite beautiful, Perry is being called racist for sexualizing a traditional Japanese female figure, who is paid to serve as a hostess and excels in the art of entertainment, reports The Huffington Post.
The opening act included cherry blossoms, a Shinto shrine and taiko drummers. Perry appeared on stage draped in a kimono along with several dozen dancers wearing the cultural garb. Shortly after her performance ended, though, the critics began sounding off.
PHOTOS: AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2013: TOP SHOW MOMENTS
Cosmopolitan.com led their coverage by asking "Was Katy Perry's AMAs performance racist?" but Vulture.com's writer Jesse David Fox wasn't so diplomatic in his approach. He compared her showing to other "racially tut-tutted" performances.
Unconditionally? Time will tell if Katy Perry's fans stick by her.
MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC
Unconditionally? Time will tell if Katy Perry's fans stick by her.
"Selena Gomez's Hindu-referencing Billboard Awards performance and, of course, Miley Cyrus's VMAs performance," he wrote.
Still, like Cosmo, Fox ultimately left it up to the readers to decide.
PHOTOS: AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2013: ALL THE RED CARPET LOOKS
"Was Perry's Great Wave of Japanese signifiers offensive, simply stereotypical or harmlessly deferential in an inert Katy Perry maximalist way?" he added along with a YouTube clip of the performance.
Prior to touching down on stage, Perry took to Twitter to hint at her performance by showing a picture of her floral designed microphone.
PHOTOS: CHRISTINA AGUILERA'S HOTTEST MOMENTS
"A clue to the theme of my AMA performance this evening!" she wrote. "I will be OPENING the show & take you on a trip!!!"
"Trip to where?" @NickDelGaga asked.
Shortly after fans and critics were aware of that Perry intended to take viewers on a journey to the Far East and the backlash quickly began.
Katy Perry tries to channel a geisha, but critics say she was wrong to sexualize the female figure who is just an entertainer in Japanese society.
MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC
Katy Perry tries to channel a geisha, but critics say she was wrong to sexualize the female figure who is just an entertainer in Japanese society.
PHOTOS: JENNIFER LOPEZ'S HOTTEST MOMENTS
"Why are you dressed like a geisha Katy Perry?" @CHEL_seeyaa tweeted, according to the Huff Post. "Why? For What? #thisisracist like horribly obviously racist."
"I guess Katy Perry really didn't want to be left out of the mind-numbingly ignorant and racist pop-star hall of shame," @what-freshhell tweeted.
But not all the feedback was negative, according to Fox News.
"These claims of Katy Perry's AMA performance being racist are absolutely ridiculous," @iamdanbrooks wrote. "Appreciation and appropriation of other cultures is ok."
@look_itsLaura chimed in adding, "It honestly bothers me that people believe @katyperry performance was a racist act. She loves the Japanese culture and japan loves her."
Regardless of popular opinion, Perry reportedly intended to push the brink of artistry and musicality with her opening act at the awards show.
"I appreciate all the other awards shows for they are," she said in a previous interview. "Some are just kind of shock-jock shows. Some are just like, 'Hey, let's see how many celebrities we can get together.' Some are actually legitimate like the Grammys, and the AMAs is a very legitimate show with musicality to it."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/american-music-awards-2013-katy-perry-accused-of-racism-for-dressing-as-geisha-8962401.html
American Music Awards 2013: Katy Perry accused of racism for dressing as geisha
The pop star shocked the audience with her Japanese-themed performance
JESS DENHAM Author Biography Monday 25 November 2013
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Katy Perry stole the limelight from Miley Cyrus to put on the most "outrageous" performance of the American Music Awards last night.
The US pop star opened the glamorous ceremony at Los Angeles' Nokia Theare dressed as a Geisha to sing her latest single "Unconditionally", surrounded by a Japanese-themed set complete with floating lanterns and kimono-clad dancers.
Perry emerged in a traditional satin dress and porcelain make-up, mimicked cultural prayer gestures and spun around with a purple parasol as petals fell from the ceiling.
Just minutes after her "offensive" spectacle began, viewers took to social media to voice their outrage at the singer's cultural "misappropriation".
Others tweeted: "Why are you dressed like a geisha Katy Perry? Horribly obviously racist", and: "Katy Perry channeling a geisha is RACIST. Stop using other people's culture for 'fashion'".
However, Perry's fans argued the singer was reaching out to her large Japanese fan base after she visited the country to promote her album Prism earlier this year.
Perry was accused of racism in June when she told chat show host Jimmy Kimmel that she was so "obsessed" with the Japanese race, she wanted to "skin" them and "wear [them] like Versace".
The 29-year-old singer is the most recent artist to have been publicly accused of racism.
Miley Cyrus was criticised for denigrating African culture after she twerked provocatively with Robin Thicke at the VMAs, while Lily Allen's music video for "Hard Out Here" was attacked for its use of black back-up dancers.
Before Sunday night's performance, Perry described "Unconditionally" as her favourite song from the album. "It's a beautiful narrative that I learned about upon my travels, actually - while I was in Japan," she told the Associated Press.
Katy Perry Unconditionally American Music Awards 2013
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