Culture Vulture: Artists Accused of Cultural Misappropriation

#VarietyHeadline puts Elvis Presley on blast.

Elvis Presley - The architect of the rock 'n' roll business, Elvis Presley, took the burgeoning genre and put it in films, large venues and music hubs around the world. But he didn't do it without some side-eye from the Black R&B community that birthed the music. He's even been rumored to have said, "The only thing Negroes can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes."That attitude persisted all the way to 2014, when Variety published an article titled, "Elvis Presley Invented Rock and Roll 60 Years Ago."Needless to say, the publication was taken to task, especially online with the #VarietyHeadlines hastag (i.e., "Justin Timberlake Tells Variety He Taught Michael Jackson How to Moonwalk #VariteyHeadlines" and more hilarity). The publication soon changed its language to "Elvis Sparked..."But Elvis and Variety aren't the first o...
Miley Ray Cyrus, ‪@MileyCyrus - Tweet: "Me: 'did you know I'm pregnant with ‪@therealjuicyj baby this morning' @CheyneThomas : 'what are you gonna name it?' Me: 'Juicy J Jr DUH'"Did Juicy J's bands make Miley dance? The stripper-loving rapper was the focus of a rumor that had Black Twitter on serious joke time during the BET Hip Hop Awards weekend. Also amused by the news, the "Wrecking Ball" singer joins in the fun.(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel)
Madonna: August 16 - The Material Girl continues to defy age and gravity at 55.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Gwen Stefani: October 3 - No Doubt's leading lady — who is pregnant with her third child — turns 44 this week. (Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Clear Channel)Vanilla Ice - Ice was on the brink of losing his Palm Beach, Florida home over unpaid dues to the Homeowner's Association earlier this year, but the rapper managed to stop, collaborate and listen to the organization and keep the roof over his head.(Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

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Culture Vultures - Miley Cyrus's controversial twerking at the VMAs got folks up in arms over decency on TV (again) and also reignited a touchy topic: culture misappropriation, which, according to the Internet, is not only lifting another people's symbols and rituals, but misusing them as well. (That's not what foam fingers are for, Miley.) (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel)

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