Another day, another fuelled discussion on Twitter. This time, the celebrity who found themselves facing the social media users was American music icon Cardi B. The controversy surrounding her is related to a recent picture that was published only a couple of hours ago.
Cardi B In Controversy Over Depiction of Goddess Durga
Rapper Cardi B found herself in hot waters over a picture that was shot for a brand promotion. The artist, who recently debuted her own line of shoes called Club C Cardi sneaker collection in association with Reebok, posed while depicting Goddess Durga for an editorial that highlighted her newly-launched line. On the cover, the 28-year-old could be seen in an edited, recreated pose that is associated with the Indian Goddess. Dressed in a red gown, Cardi B also held a lone sneaker from the line.
The caption for the picture further spoke about the inspiration and where it was derived from. “In a @GeorgesHobeika dress, she pays homage to Durga, the Hindu goddess, whose symbols of protection and inner strength resonate as much in modern times as they have through the centuries. Like Durga, Cardi B is a dominant female voice at a critical time,” Footwear News, who interviewed her exclusively wrote in a portion of their caption on Instagram.
Twitter Reactions
Shortly after the cover and the shoot was made public, Cardi B faced a backlash over disrespecting Indian culture. Folks took to Twitter to point out, in so many words, that mimicking a goddess in the given context was the wrong thing to do. See how Twitter reacted to the rapper’s picture.
Are you fcking kidding me??? Not cardi b comparing herself to goddess Durga wtf is wrong with these?? Till wnen the tf these people gonna use god's as their aesthetics 🤦 pic.twitter.com/bautI3fcxo
— BEST THING THAT HAPPENED ON EXO PLANET (@kaiyeolsite) November 11, 2020
So some people are saying Cardi B is paying homeage to our hindu goddess Durga.
As a hindu, I want to say that, durga maa is never depicted bare bodied.
Secondly it is prohibited to wear shoes in a temple and this woman is holding a shoe on her hand depicting goddess Durga? pic.twitter.com/Dr45M4azmO— Isha⸆⸉ ᴺᴹ (Rt pinned pls) (@onlytearskaty) November 11, 2020
Cardi B using Durga Maa to sell trainers?? When are people gonna realise our gods and goddesses aren’t there to be mimicked…
— Geeta💙ॐ (@GeetaChelseaFC) November 11, 2020
The way these Westerners will keep disrespecting our culture and keep it putting under a rug
— VON | DIWALI ERA✨ (@stylesfoursmile) November 11, 2020
i can bet cardi b didn't even know about durga and she just struck a pose with multiple hands
— peanut⁷ | claiming 잠시🏳️🌈 (@yoonspeanut) November 11, 2020
Ikr This is so disrespectful
— 🐳ᴮᴱLovEMazE⁷⁺⁹⟭⟬🍭 ᴺᵒ¹ #TWICETOBER_READY (@__Bunykoo_) November 11, 2020
Cardi B’s Apology
The music artist learned of the controversy and was quick to react, taking to her Instagram stories to talk about how what ensued was not her intention. The rapper spoke about how she had been briefed about representing a Goddess who was a symbol of strength and she was on board with the idea because that was something she too identified with. Further, she acknowledged that she should have perhaps researched on her own to avoid getting into the situation. Below, take a look at the snippets where she talked about it.
Cardi b thought she was paying “homage” to the Hindu goddess Durga but turns out some people see it as plain disrespect and has nothing to do with cultural appreciation. She however addressed it and here's her apologizing for unknowingly mocking people's culture (2/4) pic.twitter.com/Z205uuYkq3
— dudes & dudettes I Caught That Cap On Camera🤳🤳 (@ToryGohoek) November 11, 2020
Cardi b thought she was paying “homage” to the Hindu goddess Durga but turns out some people see it as plain disrespect and has nothing to do with cultural appreciation. She however addressed it and here's her apologizing for unknowingly mocking people's culture (4/4) pic.twitter.com/V4RoBg3WG9
— dudes & dudettes I Caught That Cap On Camera🤳🤳 (@ToryGohoek) November 11, 2020
Now that we heard directly from the rapper via her social media, it is clear that the case was about the lack of research and direction. Perhaps the teams behind the idea as well the celebrities endorsing it will study a culture that’s not their own in-depth before deciding on getting inspired from it the next time.
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Featured Image: Instagram