Cultural Appropriation Analysis

The topic of appropriation remains a controversial, pressing issue as globalization continues to spread, simultaneously giving Western cultures newfound access to foreign customs. As aspects of Indian life spread worldwide, it becomes abundantly clear that appropriation can be both genuine and problematic, and elements of culture can be misused even within their own geographic boundaries.

The songs Bhool Bhulaiyaa, from the film soundtrack of the same name, and George Harrison’s Om Hare Om both borrow extensively from Indian culture, but in vastly different ways. Bhool Bhulaiyaa’s lyrics alternate between English and Hindi , using trendy English words at the time of their recording such as “shawty” and “hottie” to broaden worldwide appeal, while Hindi lines fill in the gaps. The chorus features lines reminiscent of the Hare Krishna Mantra . This sixteen-word chant calls upon the deities Rama and …show more content…
In Bhool Bhulaiyaa, cultures intermix to the point that separating Indian from Western culture becomes challenging. To complicate this issue even further, a quick look at the Bollywood blockbuster’s film and album credits reveal a large list of diverse people contributing to create the final product . However, by implementing the basic definition of cultural appropriation, it can be inferred that the white and black backup dancers in the video are appropriating the dances they are performing and the outfits they are wearing. Although the writers and performers of the song are all Indian, their actions are not entirely unproblematic either. Because of their Hindu faith and roots in Indian culture, they cannot be deemed appropriators, but their commercial, sexualized use of a holy mantra could easily be seen as offensive and problematic to traditional Hindus, showing that appropriation is not the only way to disrespect a