‘My Alcohol Diary’ has garnered a lot of negative attention due to its latest episode. Fans have slammed Lee Young Ji and her guest, Ahn Yujin from the K-pop girl group IVE, for their cultural insensitivity on the show.
Why did the backlash start?
The backlash against Lee Young Ji and Ahn Yujin stemmed from the duo's alleged disrespect towards the Indian and Black cultures. During the episode, Lee Young Ji was seen wearing a t-shirt with Lord Ganesha on it given the fact that she would be drinking alcohol wearing it has hurt the sentiments of many Indian Hindu fans of her. For the uninitiated, the show is about drinking. People have called it doubly insensitive and uneducated because non-vegetarian cuisine was also served while the Korean star wore the t-shirt. Many fans and netizens called out the rapper for appropriating cultural elements that have a deep significance in India. This move was deemed disrespectful and insensitive.
Social media platforms were ablaze with criticism and condemnation, with many demanding an apology from them. Fans expressed their disappointment and hurt, stating that it was disheartening to see their idols disrespecting other cultures.
Accusations of mocking Black people
During the episode, the two individuals attempted to imitate a particular behaviour they had stumbled upon on TikTok. This behaviour, which they referred to as “greedy girls", seemed to have caught their attention, prompting them to replicate it. To further validate their perception that the actions and movements associated with "greedy girls" were stereotypes, a picture of Jennifer Lewis, a highly acclaimed American actress and a Broadway artist, was presented on screen. By showcasing this picture, they sought to draw a comparison between Jennifer Lewis's performance and the behaviour they had witnessed on TikTok, implying that the behaviour was based on stereotypes. Fans are citing this as the reason behind their disappointment in the two, calling it cultural appropriation.
AdvertisementFans expressing their disappointment
Fans took to social media to express their disappointment and anger at the cultural insensitivity displayed on the show calling out the stars as well as the production team for allowing such behaviour to air.
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