To Hollywoodise something is to adapt (a story or series of events)
so as to conform to the supposed norms of a typical Hollywood film, especially
in respect of being unrealistically glamorous, exciting, or simplistic. (Oxford
Dictionary, 2013) A non-western Hollywoodisation example from music that was
introduced to me when I was 10 years old is Gwen Stefani’s “Harajuku Girls”.
I
was in Grade 4 when Gwen released her first solo album “Love, Angel, Music,
Baby” and Gwen collected four Japanese dancers who were representing Harajuku.
These girls were her entourage and muse throughout her promotion for the album,
featured in her music videos and even had a song dedicated to them on her album.
They even have their own Wikipedia page! Through this short blog post, I will examine
the ways Gwen Stefani has Hollywoodized the “Harajuku” culture.
It is evident to say that Gwen Stefani has brought the Harajuku
fashion style to the eyes of the public all around the world, if not for Gwen, the
public would have only known that Harajuku a location in Japan, if not that,
then nothing.
What is admired about Harajuku girls by most fashion followers is
their fashion choice, makeup and hair; it is quite unique and very different to
what most people style themselves every day. Their fashion choices are now followed all around the world and not only just in Japan.
Christina Klein (2004) states that attending to such local responses
and negotiations gives us a much fuller understanding of the ‘complex and
contradictory dynamics of today’s “global culture”. In other words, Gwen has
allowed us to learn about the global culture of “Harajuku” and encouraged us to
learn more about them.
Proudly
knowing all the lyrics to her “Harajuku Girls” song, the following sentences
have always stuck out to me and have urged me to research them and photos of
other girls in “the world of Harajuku”.
“Where the catwalk got its claws (meow)
A subculture in a kaleidoscope of fashion
Prowl the streets of Harajuku (irasshaimase)
Super lovers, tell me where you got yours
(at the super lovers store)
Yoji Yamamoto, I'm hanging with the locals
Where the catwalk got its claws, all you fashion know-it-alls
With your underground malls in the world of Harajuku
Putting on a show, when you dress up in your clothes
Wild hair color and cell phones
Your accessories are dead on”
A subculture in a kaleidoscope of fashion
Prowl the streets of Harajuku (irasshaimase)
Super lovers, tell me where you got yours
(at the super lovers store)
Yoji Yamamoto, I'm hanging with the locals
Where the catwalk got its claws, all you fashion know-it-alls
With your underground malls in the world of Harajuku
Putting on a show, when you dress up in your clothes
Wild hair color and cell phones
Your accessories are dead on”
(Gwen Stefani, Harajuku Girls, Track 7, Love Angel Music
Baby, 2004)
What is very interesting to note is that Gwen includes many
Japanese words and phrases including “Kawaii” which means “cute” (she explains
this in her song) Therefore she is still respecting their culture and showing
her fans all elements of the Harajuku/Japanese culture.
To conclude, whilst Gwen Stefani used her 4 Harajuku girls as part
of her new solo career to promote her unique sound, she still remained true to
their culture by showcasing their language, style and unique life to the public
and has definitely put the district of Harajuku on the map.
REFERENCES:
AZLYRICS, 2004, Gwen Stefani Lyrics, retrieved 20th
September 2013, http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/gwenstefani/harajukugirls.html
Flickr, 2013, "Harajuku Girls", http://www.flickr.com/photos/sushizumetokyo/552339898/
Gwen Stefani- 07- Harajuku Girls, Youtube, Rafael S Rosas, posted
28th September 2008, retrieved 20th September 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5SQ2f40E9E
Klein, Christina 2004, ‘Martial arts and globalisation of US
and Asian film industries’, Comparative America Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, pp.
360-384.
Oxford Dictionary, 2013, “Definition of Hollywoodise in
English”, retrieved 20th September 2013, “http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Hollywoodize
Wikipedia, “Love Angel Music Baby,” 2 September 2013, retrieved 20th September
2013, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love._Angel._Music._Baby.
Hi Elise,
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting and fun post to read. I really enjoyed the discussion of Gwen Stefani and how she integrates non-western culture within her act to not only strengthen her entertainment value, but also connect with a broader audience. I think it's great that the Harajuku culture was able to be Hollywoodised in a respectful manner that still retained cultural prospective rather than exploitation. This was a great example of how different cultures can be integrated within Hollywood!
Hi Elise, a great blog post about Hollywoodisation in the context of the iconic Harajuku culture. You have accurately pinpointed the essence of how a specific custom can become Hollywoodised and have engaged with the content critically, ensuring that your post remains relevant. A range of multimedia links embedded within the post encourages your readership to investigate further into what the Harajuku culture is and why it has been embraced and recognised today in ‘Hollywood’ culture. It may have been interesting to explore if Harajuku culture has influenced any other aspects of life as we know it (fashion maybe?) due to globalisation. Overall, great post and fun to read.
ReplyDeleteI completely forgot about Gwen Stefani doing this and that it kind of brought it to the world so thanks for bringing up 'Hollywoodisation' that I wouldn't have even thought about if it wasn't for this! Along with a fun subject you had great references with the videos and images. It might be good to go a bit more in depth into specifics of what the Harajuku girls and guys wear and how it has made its way out of film clips and runways and into normal, everyday life for many even in Australia. I reckon this would be a great post for you to expand on!
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