Harajuku Madness

Gwen Stefani has recruited four Japanese girls to be her entourage, dressed in the Harajuku style. Harajuku is a community in Japan in the area of the Harajuku Station where youth “hang out” and express their unique Japanese fashion. So is Stefani trying to communicate the Japanese and Harajuku lifestyles to North Americans, or is she using the 4 girls as a marketing strategy? I’v taken a stance at believing that Gwen Stefani is not trying to exploit these girls, but she is using them to show us Harajuku style. This is essential as the No Doubt front-woman has her own clothing line which features some items of Harajuku style. Her company is also the basis of her 4 Harajuku Girl’s names (Love, Angel, Music, Baby, a.k.a L.A.M.B.) and the name of her recently released album.

I’v heard and read many responses to the question at hand. Many of the same cultures have mixed opinions. For example, some Japanese people are content that they are getting the exposure and recognition as they are not seen in the media very often. On the other hand, some of the “real” Harajuku girls are getting heated because they are centered on the belief that they are creating unique styles. The idea of fallowing around a media icon that is using them to market her clothing line and new album is not the “real” Harajuku style. I can understand why this crowd of people can get annoyed but I don’t think that Stefani is doing anything wrong. For all we know, she experienced the Harajuku style, liked it, and now she’s bringing it into North America. The girls signed contracts and are probably getting paid good amounts of money. They know what they’re doing and they get to “hang out” with Gwen Stefani. Who can complain? These Harajuku girls are basically just back-up dancers. If people can have African American, Caucasian, and dancers of other cultures, the pop-star can have Harajuku dancers to “hang out” with. Margaret Cho even goes as far to say, “I think it is totally acceptable to enjoy the Harajuku girls, because there are not that many other Asian people out there in the media really, so we have to take whatever we can get.” The girls are definitely good for Gwen Stefani’s image and they help in her music videos, ads, and on stage. I don’t see a problem with this.

My verdict is that although many people have diverse views on the Harajuku girls, I stand by my opinion that Stefani is doing nothing wrong. She is adapting her image into the Harajuku image and showing this distinctive style to her fans. I think this is beneficial to Gwen Stefani, for her company, us, to become aware of other cultures and the Harajuku girls because they’re style is defusing and more people will find the Harajuku style interesting. The people that are against Stefani’s entourage of Harajuku girls should consider the bright side of the situation. If they just talk about it and criticize, Stefani is not going to fire the girls so the complainers should think of how it positively affects them. With the question of exploitation or adaptation, I definitely favor adaptation.


Margaret Cho's Blog Site
http://margaretcho.com/blog/harajukugirls.html

Facts on Harajuku Girls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harajuku_Girl

Gwen Stefani - Harajuku Girls Live


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8kFSdFnTJA