Coldplay just released a new song and accompanying music video called "Hymn for the Weekend." The video potrays Coldplay's main singer Chris Martin singing throughout different scenes of India. The most predominant scene is of the band members participating in the famous age old tradition of Holi, the festival of colors, with several young Indian kids. This is the video below.
Reactions toward the music video have been mixed. Some people think it's really cool that Coldplay is incorporating the beautiful and vibrant Indian culture in their video. There are others who argue that, while Coldplay's intentions may be good, it is really the popular phenomenon of cultural appropriation at play.
Cultural appropriation is defined as “taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture's dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc." Read more at http://racerelations.about.com/od/diversitymatters/fl/What-Is-Cultural-Appropriation-and-Why-Is-It-Wrong.htm.
As two resident brown writers for the Odyssey, we figured it was only appropriate to discuss our viewpoints about this trending video. Our discussion went a little something like this:
Srinidhi (also known as Nidhi): So... that new Coldplay video...
Meera: What about it?
N: Did you like it?
M: Well...
N: Uh-oh that doesn't sound promising.
M: Yeah... well the thing is I didn't like how Beyonce was dressed up in revealing Indian clothes and was portrayed as this Indian Goddess when she's not. I feel like people were getting this view that that's what all Indian women look like and wear, and it is not. Also, Sonam Kapoor, the beautiful Indian actress, is only showed for ten seconds in a couple short frames, when she is a direct representation of India.
N: I do admit that the Beyoncé part was pushing it. Like the outfits she wore in the music video. Normally I wouldn't have an issue with it if it wasn't for the fact that it seemed like they tried to make it seem like traditional Indian garb (by adding the various headpieces). It's sad since Beyoncé is an extremely influential person, so by dressing up like that she is broadcasting her take on Indian culture to millions of viewers. I also wish they gave Sonam Kapoor more screen time. She is such a prominent actress in Indian Cinema and media, and yet they gave her such little importance.
M: I'm glad you can admit that Beyoncé is a clear sign of cultural appropriation. I do like her and her music and confidence, but she crossed a line with her role in this video. It's hard because we want to appreciate this video as Indians and say that it's beautiful, but at the same time, I feel like it's a forced Westernization of India's culture. I guess most people want to say it's not a big deal, but forms of cultural appropriation happen every day that it is a significant issue.
N: Very true, I feel like the mainstream media is trying to portray India as very Bollywood-esque, when in fact it is so much more than that. I mean don't get me wrong, I love that they are trying to promote Indian culture. But there are already so many misconceptions about Desi culture, so adding on these stereotypes and misconceptions is only making the general bias about it more skewed.
M: Yeah, also what is with the lyrics saying "I'm feeling drunk and high" and the video is displaying a bunch of Indian boys smiling and having fun. It seems like a disconnect and not anything what India is really like. It's frustrating because I know Coldplay probably only wanted to show India as beautiful and exotic, but it's all coming out the wrong way.
N: Well I agree with that last part, Coldplay probably only did want to show India as the beautiful and exotic place that it is. And to be honest, I feel like they accomplished that for the most part. The cinematography was beautiful, and I liked that they used smiling Indian kids (the face of the next generation) partaking in the vibrant festival of Holi. Watching the video actually kinda made me nostalgic. Also, I feel like the lyrics are referring to feeling drunk and high in a more metaphorical sense. Like when you are drunk in love or high from happiness.
M: Yeah I do agree the filming did capture the parts of India that are naturally beautiful. Sometimes, you can't really capture all parts of a culture in one short video, so they had to hand pick and choose what they thought was good. I guess the lyrics could go either way. I just hear the words "drunk" and "high" and associate them with parts of the Western culture that dominate the entertainment as well, but I see what you're saying.
N: That is a good point, I'm not exactly sure what India has to do with the premise of the song, but I still think it's cool that for a song that is kind of about feeling exhilarated they showed India. A lot of people wouldn't associate India with feeling high as a kite and so drunk in your emotions. I guess you could say that this video was a blend of appreciation for Indian culture and (unintentional) cultural appropriation.
What are your thoughts about this video? Comment in the comment section below!
