3 Things The K-Pop Industry Needs To Know About The Cultural Appropriation Of Hairstyles

The topic of cultural appropriation in K-Pop is a conversation that has been had several times since K-Pop became a global phenomenon. It is a double-edged sword because whilst some fans have no problem with aspects of the cultural crossover, there are moments when it is taken too far.

If international fans feel offended by something that is done in K-Pop, it is right for the industry to take care of global fans' opinions and learn to understand and respect them.

When idols wear certain cultural hairstyles it is often called 'cultural appropriation.' Entertainment companies and their styling teams are often at fault for this, which is upsetting for fans.

Here are 3 ways for the K-Pop industry to better understand cultural appropriation.

 

1. Understanding the different hairstyles

Some of the biggest groups and artists have repeatedly worn hairstyles such as cornrows, dreadlocks, and other braided hairstyles (to name a few). They wear them without understanding where the hairstyle comes from. This means that they are appropriating black hair culture.

There are often cases when Koreans do not understand the hairstyle itself. Be it how the style is created or maintained, or how it differs from another hairstyle. There are many types of braids all over the world, created by many cultures. Each culture has traditions and reasons why they braid their hair or style it a certain way. It is important to respect these reasons.

For example, in Korea, many black hairstyles (cornrows, dreadlocks, braids, etc.) are called reggae hair (레게머리 - reggae meori). This shows a misunderstanding of the different hairstyles and reflects stereotyping (painting something complex with one simple brush).

Dreadlocks and braids may be called 'reggae hair' but are very different. Dreadlocks (left) are twisted and take time to form, braids (right) are patterned and made easily.

Many other black hairstyles often get culturally appropriated in K-Pop and K-HipHop, including Bantu knots, the wearing of durags, and cornrows.

Black people do these hairstyles to protect their hair type. Everyone has a different hair type ranging from straight (1A type) to degrees of curly. The curliest hair is called 4C type hair and looks like tight coils and often forms an afro shape.

The ends of curly hair are the most fragile and can get easily damaged. To protect their hair type from this and bad weather conditions, black people often do cornrows, braids, and dreadlocks.

For each culture in the world, it is important to understand the basic information about their hairstyles first.

 

2. Understanding histories behind trendy hairstyles

"It's only hair, what's the big deal?" This is a comment that can be seen, made by some fans, during exchanges calling out idols for culturally appropriating hairstyles.

However, most of the hairstyles appropriated by K-Pop idols hold some kind of history. Some of these histories are happy, some are not. When K-Pop companies (knowingly or not knowing this fact) force idols to do these hairstyles, fans become upset.

In the same way that Korean hair culture can have significance, Korean entertainment companies and idols must understand that the hairstyles they are copying also have some meaning and are not just a trend.

For example, in the comic below, the historical significance of black hair is explained. Styles like cornrows are deeply tied to African history and slave history.

Africans used to style their hair in different ways to identify their clans. With slavery, many were forced to shave their heads to hide their identity. However, slaves who had cornrows would hide rice and grains in their hair for survival. They also used to use braiding patterns to create maps that could help them escape. It is a painful part of their history.

 

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예롱쓰의 낙서만화(@yerongsss)님의 공유 게시물

 

3. Respecting present prejudices and not making them costumes

Another important point about why K-Pop idols appropriating these hairstyles is problematic, is the fact that they become costumes. Idols change their hairstyles for each comeback. They can have dreadlocks or braids for about a month and then never have to do them again. However, many K-Pop fans do not have the option of treating their hairstyle as a temporary fashion trend. They can't change who they are.

"You can't pick and choose what you think is cool from another culture, and then use it to make money."

Many cultures feel that their culture is appropriated when used as a fashion trend to make money. This is because when they embrace their culture, it is not accepted. They are disrespected, mocked, and insulted for it. However, it is a part of them. So why is it only cool when another culture does it?

In the video below, young people from different cultures talk about the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. They mention experiences when they felt that their culture was being appropriated.

"It took people or celebrities of a certain color to make these hairstyles seem respectable or trendy, which for me was an insult."

When other races wear a hairstyle and get praised, but the original creators of the hairstyle receive mockery and insult, it creates upset.

For example, when Zendaya (left) wore a protective deadlock hairstyle, she was associated with drugs and bad things. When Kim Kardashian (right) wore her hair in braids, she was praised for starting a trend. Braids have been around for thousands of years. Giving a non-black celebrity praise for a 'trendy' hairstyle, that others get insulted for, is why people get upset.

Many cultures around the world face prejudice for the way that they do their hair, having it deemed unprofessional in the workplace, or being made fun of for how it looks. For example, black girls get their afros called "untidy and unprofessional."

"In the United States and abroad, the hair types and styles that are distinctively akin to Black people and culture continue to be policed and labeled as unkempt, unruly, unattractive, and unprofessional.” @tawnychatmon and the celebration of Black culture.#beautifulbizarre pic.twitter.com/h1UqKpEBmV

— Beautiful Bizarre Magazine (@BeautifulBzarre) July 20, 2021

"European beauty standards have for centuries deemed afro hair as unattractive and unprofessional."

When the world tells them that their hair is ugly, how are they supposed to feel that it is beautiful? This is why black K-Pop fans get upset when K-Pop idols appropriate black hairstyles. Why is the hairstyle suddenly okay when someone else does it, but not the original people? Cultural appropriation creates a painful double standard. It is the same for other cultures, too.

 

Below is a video where K-Pop trainees learn about cultural appropriation and its implications. Through sessions like these, the K-Pop industry will strengthen its relationship with global fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EckCpBcn7_E