Photo: @pamfoundation / Twitter
Pamela Anderson has drawn condemnation after posting two scantily clad images on Twitter of herself wearing a feathered headdress for Halloween.
The tweet shows the B.C.-born actress posing in two black-and-white photos. In one, she's on staircase glancing over her shoulder, and she's pulling the front of the headdress over her eyebrows. In the other, her chest is covered in white paint and she is holding the headdress behind her.
The post reads "Happy Halloween" with a goofy-looking ghost Emoji.
Photo: @pamfoundation / Twitter
Since posting the images, Anderson has received 602 comments, and the majority of them are scathing critiques.
Happy Halloween 👻 pic.twitter.com/K2pvI3FxCe
— Pamela Anderson (@pamfoundation) October 31, 2019
A number of Twitter users said that the costume was disgusting, while others wondered how she couldn't know better. Many comments included the hashtag #culturenotcostume.
While many of the comments remarked that the images convey cultural appropriation, some of the Tweets pointed out that she is promoting sexualization of Indigenous culture, too.
One commenter also asked if the feathers in the headdress are synthetic, as Anderson is a vocal advocate of animal rights. In fact, a number of people stated that they felt let down by the fact that she is an activist on so many issues, yet she failed to grasp that Indigenous culture is not a costume.
Have at look at some of the comments from the post.
I love your other work, your support of a Assange, but w/1000's of Native women missing and murdered this photo shoot supports that violence
— John Pounding Stone (@JohnfromBton) November 1, 2019
— Karena Acree-Paez (@KarenaJeannette) November 1, 2019
Please read up. Infosheets from @lakotalaw pic.twitter.com/Jc4WGImhK5
— 🍓 (@hedspred) November 1, 2019
Besides the obvious appropriation of Indigenous culture, sexualizing/fetishizing the faux regalia like that just adds to the problem of #MMIWG. There's nothing wrong with celebrating your body/sexuality, just do it without the denigration of the culture of a marginalized group.
— Suresh Singaratnam🎼🎺🇨🇦 (@sureshtrumpet) November 1, 2019
Checked the date bc I felt sure these had to be old pics someone dug up but Nope. Yesterday. Truly inexcusable.
— Jenna Bly (@jennarosaa) November 1, 2019
Even if that take on a war bonnet wasn't objectively offensive... those feathers synthetic, or is the just another Ugg Boot Incident?
— Peanut Butter Solution p*bes (@FNoMTL) November 1, 2019
Really Pamela pic.twitter.com/qfDjq7jeCc
— Indigenous (@AmericanIndian8) November 1, 2019
If only you were as considerate of indigenous culture as you are about animals.
— Raven Art Gallery (@ravenartgallery) November 2, 2019
Dang it. Maybe you didn't know, this is considered wrong. It's taking something that in history First People were punished, & killed for wearing and playing dress up.
— Pollyanna View (@DanetteSPorter1) November 1, 2019
They were forced away from their history and traditions for fear of death... to be a costume to us?
Please no.
