Google News 09/02: Dior accused of cultural appropriation

I’m somewhat hesitant to write about this headline because, as I’ve mentioned before, we should be weary about categorizing events that happen online as ‘newsworthy’. If we elevate every online reaction to the status of a bone fide story, we run the risk of normalizing noxious behaviors and attitudes that only exist in the digital space.

But in this case, the Internet’s reaction to Dior’s latest cologne advertisement is worth some investigating. Yes, it encapsulates the worst of our current ‘outrage culture’, dripping with moral self-righteousness and superficial disapproval. But it brings up an interesting question: what constitutes cultural appropriation, and is it even a worthwhile term in the first place?

The ad; the backlash

As part of Dior’s ongoing social media campaign for their fragrance, Sauvage, they posted a video on their Instagram page that featured Native American imagery. Johnny Depp wanders through the Arizona desert and strums on a guitar; elsewhere, a dancer in traditional Native American clothing performs a ceremonial dance while a pretty indigenous-looking woman meanders through some tall grass.

By less than two days’ time, the backlash on Twitter was so severe that Dior deleted the post; it’s still unclear whether they’ll continue…