Cultural Appropriation and Commercialization in Modern Pop

When Gwen Stefani made a tacit endorsement of Tucker Carlson earlier this month, I felt like somebody had knocked the wind out of me. Had the iconic 90’s ain’t-no-hollaback girl made a not-so-sweet escape to the dark side? Dizzy and disturbed, I set out to journey Gwen’s path from early aughts punk rock princess to… spokeswoman for a conservative billionaire’s anti-abortion prayer app. I learned a lot about how she’s changed — and perhaps more importantly, how she hasn’t.

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Essays mentioned:

The New Gwen Stefani Is A Lot Like The Old One by Anne Helen Petersen

Gwenihana by Mihi Ahn

Harajuku Girls by Margaret Cho

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