Ariana Grande Has Addressed Claims She Appropriated Japanese Culture
Ariana Grande has responded to claims of cultural appropriation after some fans argued that she was using the aesthetics of Japanese culture to promote her ‘7 Rings’ music video and her merchandise line.
The singer has recently come under fire for her misspelled BBQ grill tattoo and posted a series of now-deleted tweets defending her decision to undergo the inking in the first place.
Regarding the error, she said: “I went back and got it fixed with the help of my tutor to be more accurate. I can’t read or write kanji obviously. What do you want me to do? It was done out of love and appreciation. What do you want me to say?
“U kno how many people make this mistake and DON’T care just cause they like how it looks? Bruh… I care sooooo much. What would u like me to do or say? Forreal. There is a difference between appropriation and appreciation.
She added: “My Japanese fans were always excited when I wrote in Japanese or wore Japanese sayings on my clothing. However, all of the merch with Japanese on it was taken down from my site, not that anyone cared to notice.”
Ariana later admitted that the backlash has been hard to hear: “I have crippling anxiety lol. I don’t like hurtin ppl. People on this app really don’t know how to be forgiving or gentle when someone has made an innocent mistake.
“No one considers feelings other than their own. It’s very pointless. Ion [I don’t] even know why I’m talking ab[out] this anymore.”
