Entertainment / The “WTF?!” Reactions To Lilly Singh And Her Badgyal Video

The “WTF?!” Reactions To Lilly Singh And Her Badgyal Video

Entertainment May 01, 2020

by Hina P. Ansari

Late night host, Lilly Singh started trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons. Her video drop on social had everyone talking, analyzing and discussing at length on what was seen as cultural appropriation of Caribbean Culture. We collected some of the WTF reactions to Lilly Singh and her Badgyal video.

Singh blasted the social world with what she thought was a celebratory anthem of empowerment. By remaking the classic dancehall number, “Badman Forward,” by Ding Dong into “Badgyal Pull Up” she tweaked the lyrics to give it more female-focused message of inclusion and body positivity. A gesture which could be seen as an honest attempt to lift up the spirits of her fanbase, with a catchy tune in the hopes of spreading some love. Why else would she also include #GirlLove hashtag?

The intent of famous YouTuber, author and host of A Little Late With Lilly Singh could be viewed as coming from a good place, the end result however was the eruption of much vitriol and a heated debate on cultural appropriation.

We’ve collected some of the more fervent reactions right here.

First off, here’s the video:

A classic dancehall tune! Badman Forward remake and this time it’s for the ladies.

No matter your size, shape, colour, orientation, preferences or style, this one is for you sister.

Tag every badgyal you know! ❤️ #GirlLove pic.twitter.com/7vJEQAPWfn

— Lilly (@Lilly) April 27, 2020

There were those who weren’t exactly shocked.

The "WTF?!" Reactions To Lilly Singh and her Badgyal Video — **The “WTF?!” Reactions To Lilly Singh and her Badgyal Video: People noted that this shouldn’t be such a shock.** Photo Credit: www.twitter.com

And then it began…

The "WTF?!" Reactions To Lilly Singh's Badgyal Video: There were some who supported her appreciation for the Caribbean/Jamaican culture. Photo Credit: www.twitter.com — **There were countless threads hosting intense discussions on her cultural appropriation.** Photo Credit: www.twitter.com

The "WTF?!" Reactions To Lilly Singh's Badgyal Video: There were countless threads hosting intense discussions on her cultural appropriation. Photo Credit: www.twitter.com — **The “WTF?!” Reactions To Lilly Singh and her Badgyal Video: There were countless threads hosting intense discussions on her cultural appropriation.** Photo Credit: www.twitter.com

The "WTF?!" Reactions To Lilly Singh and her Badgyal Video: There were countless threads hosting intense discussions on her cultural appropriation — **There were countless threads hosting intense discussions on her cultural appropriation**Photo Credit: www.twitter.com

And then some called out the uncomfortable reality of the the anti-blackness that exists within our South Asian culture.

The "WTF?!" Reactions To Lilly Singh and her Badgyal Video: Some found it doubly offensive that someone from a culture that holds anti-black racism would have no problem borrowing from it. Photo Credit: www.twitter.com — **The “WTF?!” Reactions To Lilly Singh and her Badgyal Video: Some found it doubly offensive that someone from a culture that holds anti-black racism would have no problem borrowing from it.** Photo Credit: www.twitter.com

We found one in her favour…

And then it just got weird, with people dragging Mindy Kaling & Priyanka Chopra Jonas into this mess.

**Then it turned into an opportunity to express disdain for Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as inappropriate representation of South Asianness in Hollywood..** Photo Credit: www.twitter.com

And finally …

Main Image Photo Credit: www.imdb.com

Hina P. Ansari

Author

Hina P. Ansari is a graduate from The University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario). Since then she has carved a successful career in Canada's national fashion-publishing world as the Entertainment/Photo Editor at FLARE Magazine, Canada's national fashion magazine. She was the first South Asian in...

COMMENTS

How Teen Star Leela Ladnier Brings "Mira, Royal Detective" To Life

COVID-19: Our Lockdown List Of April 2020 Bollywood Films & Shows To Binge On

COVID-19: Feel The Love With These Bollywood Quarantine #CoupleGoals

Mindy Kaling's 'Never Have I Ever' Is The Show We Have Been Waiting For

Remembering Irrfan Khan (1967-2020): The Cinematic Man For All Seasons

Rishi Kapoor (1952-2020): A Loving Look At Some Of His Iconic Bollywood Songs

The World's Largest Fundraiser! Our Fave Moments From The "I FOR INDIA" Concert

Get Streaming! May 2020 Bollywood Movies & Shows To Binge On

'Transplant' Star Hamza Haq Represents The Refugee Experience On His Top-Rated TV Drama

Filmmaker Shreya Patel & Podcaster Sachit Gupta Launches #LOVESPREADS For Global Artists & "Unity" Documentary To Connect The World During These COVID Times

Bollywood's Back! Check Out These Bollywood Films That Are Going Online

Take Pride In These 7 Books By South Asian LGBTQIA+ Authors

Get Streaming! Binge On These June 2020 Movies & Shows From Bollywood & Beyond

The “WTF?!” Reactions To Lilly Singh And Her Badgyal Video

by Hina P. Ansari

Hina P. Ansari

COMMENTS

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE