Selena Gomez’s famous song Come And Get It stood out from the rest of her other musical pieces. Any guesses why? Well, the song had a hint of Indian classical music, which gave her whole song a desi vibe. And in no time it became a massive hit in India. So for her performance at the MTV Awards show in 2013, Selena decided to go with the hit number but got massively trolled for her insensitivity. Here’s why!
For her performance, the then-20-year-old Selena Gomez decided to give a Bollywood-inspired performance. She entered the stage wearing a pallu-like veil over her head and had background dancers too. But what got everyone’s attention was her striking red dress and a huge glistening bindi on her forehead. Not only the singer but even the background dancers were spotted with a bindi. Reportedly, Selena wanted to give a ‘glamm tribal’ feel to her whole outfit.
Well, of course, soon after the performance, the bindi sparked a major controversy. People slammed the singer for being ‘insensitive’ and ‘disrespectful’ and accused her of cultural appropriation. A leader of a Hindu statesman even issued a statement regarding the same and said, “The bindi on the forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance. It is also sometimes referred to as the third eye and the flame, and it is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol… It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed. Selena should apologize and then she should get acquainted with the basics of world religions.”
However, after the backlash, Selena again wore a bindi to a morning radio show. There, she defended her decision and said, “The song kind of has that almost Hindu feel, that tribal feel. I kind of wanted to translate that. Plus, I’ve been learning a lot about my seven chakras and bindis and stuff. I’ve learned a lot about the culture, and I think it’s beautiful. I think it’s fun to incorporate that into the performance.“
Well, there’s no doubt that bindis are a big part of our culture. That said, what Selena did was neither offensive nor insensitive. She slayed the desi look back then and we are all for it.
Featured Image: YouTube
