Love. Appropriation. Music. Baby

With the release of her debut solo album 2004's Love. Angel. Music. Baby.No-Doubt front-woman Gwen Stefani turned to the street fashions of Tokyo'sHarajuku district for her inspiration. The platinum-blonde Stefani promotedherself by being constantly surrounded with an entourage of four voicelessAsian women dubbed her Harajuku Girls. They were on her CD cover shededicated a track to them they performed in her videos and they danced onher Harajuku Lovers live tour. Stefani even re-named them Love AngelMusic and Baby after her new record and clothing line L.A.M.B.. Thisstudy examines how the Harajuku Girls function as Stefani's humanaccessories - silent sexed-up submissive school-girl muses sent to save herfrom her dull whiteness. I introduce Stefani as an intertextual celebrity whoappropriates absorbs and cross-references cultural texts and ethnicities inorder to market and brand herself as a distinct entity in the worlds of musicand fashion. This book questions: - How has Stefani appropriated Harajukuculture in ways that reinforce Orientalist ideas of Asian women? - How hasStefani used Harajuku culture in order to reinforce her whiteness anddistinguish herself as a distinct celebrity brand? - How we may compare thetranscultural differences between Harajuku appropriation of American cultureand Stefani's appropriation of it? - What are the political and culturalimplications of Stefani's ethnic signifiers? The book is directed towardsacademic scholars in Communications media professionals and popularculture enthusiasts alike.