×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Thursday
01
Jan 2026
weather symbol
Athens 5°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> Lifestyle

Israel criticised for cultural appropriation in 2018 Eurovision song contest!

Maybe it is cultural appreciation....

Newsroom May 14 07:51

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest was won by Israel last night.

The song ‘Toy’ was performed by Netta Barzilai, besting tunes by the likes of Cyprus, Austria and Germany to claim top spot and the honour of hosting next years competition.

However, the performance has already drawn criticisms of cultural appropriation.

The song, which is an odd little number about defiance and not wishing to be controlled by anyone or anything, isn’t that problematic.

But Barzilai was made out to look like a stereotypical East Asian woman complete with a kimono, hair buns, controversial make-up and dozens of lucky waving cat figures in the background.

The not-so-subtle references to Asian culture didn’t go unnoticed online and lots of people were offended.

Appropriation of Asian culture has been a widely discussed topic in 2018.

Just recently, a girl’s Asian-themed prom dress went viral for the same reason.

Elsewhere, Hollywood director Wes Anderson’s latest film Isle of Dogs was criticised for using cliched images of Japan.

source: indy100.com

>Related articles

Israel: Bans 37 NGOs from entering Gaza that do not declare the names of their Palestinian employees

Netanyahu: Without complete disarmament of Hamas, the US plan for Gaza cannot proceed

Shocking: No prosecution of the Bob Vylan band for the anti-Israel slogans at the Glastonbury Festival

euro1 euro2 euro3 euro4 euro5 euro6 euro7

 

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#cultural appropriation#Eurovision#israel#Social Justice Warriors (SJW)#song contest
> More Lifestyle

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

THEMA wishes you a Happy New Year!

January 1, 2026

New Year’s Day with biting cold: Temperatures to drop to 2°C in Attica, -3°C in Thessaloniki – Where it will snow

December 31, 2025

Ministry of National Defense: Changes to the structure of the armed forces and new regulations for rank system, pay scale, and deferments

December 31, 2025

Taxes of €735.5 million and social security contributions of more than €7.7 million were paid by Karelia in 2025

December 31, 2025

Mitsotakis’ message for 2026: We still have pathologies to defeat, understanding is the top priority of the year that dawns

December 31, 2025

ELAS: Traffic regulation in Boeotia remains – Alternative routes for drivers

December 31, 2025

The planet welcomes 2026: Spectacular fireworks show in Sydney and Dubai — watch videos and photos

December 31, 2025

Protests continue for a fourth day in Iran, attack on government building

December 31, 2025
All News

> Lifestyle

Chiara Ferragni: A photo album from her trip to Colombia

During her stay in the South American country, the influencer visited the city of Medellín

December 30, 2025

Maria Callas: The fateful love with Onassis and the divorce that took 11 years

December 30, 2025

Nicole Kidman spent her first Christmas after divorcing Keith Urban in Australia with their daughters

December 28, 2025

Haris Alexiou turned 75 on Thursday, choosing to mark the occasion away from public attention and in the company of close friends

December 28, 2025

Helena Christensen turns 57 and takes a dip in icy waters

December 27, 2025
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα