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| Hindu Bride (Photo by m-bot) |
According to MTV.com, during the 2013 Movie Awards, Selena Gomez was "wild-haired, barefoot and adorned in a dupatta [South Asian multi-purpose long scarf], tunic [Ancient Greek/Roman shirt/gown] and bindi [a center-of-the-forehead marking that is a
sacred symbol of Hinduism]…"
Gomez is neither Hindu, South Asian, nor Greek (and certainly, at age 20, she is far from Ancient). Wikipedia tells us that "her father is of Mexican ancestry; her
mother, who was adopted, has some Italian ancestry" (ah, perhaps a bit Roman). As for
religion, Selena has stated that her family has Quinceaneras, goes "to the communion
church," and does "everything that's Catholic," yet they
"don't really
have anything traditional" except to "go to the
park and have barbecues on Sundays after church."
Nevertheless, Gomez' "Come and Get It" performance "most overtly referenced Indian culture, striking
silhouettes that conjured images of the Indian goddess Kali, often associated with empowerment" [which MTV.com writer Tamar Anitai deemed to be "an apt reference for a
singer (and actress and now dancer) who proved at the Movie Awards that she's… more empowered than ever"].
Not everyone would agree with Anitai. Conjuring up sacred images for the sake of one's own empowerment can be seen as co-opting the sacred for the mundane. This is considered to be sinful, or an affront to God, within many religious traditions. WENN reports that Hindu stateman Rajan Zed had this to say: The bindi on the
forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has
religious significance… It
is not meant to be
thrown around loosely for seductive effects or
as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile
greed.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selena_Gomez
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705661/selena-gomez-come-get-it-mtv-movie-awards.jhtml
http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=802731
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