Wat-Not Staff
Chilean influencer and gymnast Maria del Mar “Marimar” Pérez Banús found herself in a tricky situation after a video she posted on her Instagram account sparked widespread backlash. In the video, Pérez uses a torii gate, a traditional Japanese gate that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine, as exercise equipment while performing pull-ups on her popular cha-cha slide. Although she probably intended the message to be light-hearted, the video was deemed disrespectful due to the gate’s sacred role in Japanese culture.
The Torii is a revered symbol, marking the boundary between the profane and the sacred. By using it as a prop for his fitness routine, Perez unintentionally offended many people, raising concerns about the need for cultural sensitivity in content creation. Although the video was quickly removed, the damage was done, sparking widespread criticism on social media platforms.
Apology and Social Media Response
“I want to apologise for my behavior in Japan,” Perez wrote on social media in response to the outrage. I did not intend to offend. I sincerely apologize for the thoughtless thing I did. Kindly stop sending me messages or comments. I am grateful. Many critics have not been appeased by her apology video, though, and many internet commentators are still upset about what she did.
Reactions to the video have been mixed, with some drawing attention to the larger problem of influencers ignoring cultural icons for their own amusement. “Cultural appropriation in the name of entertainment should not be accepted,” said one commenter. Some, on the other hand, defended her, saying Perez should be given the chance to grow from the prank and that it was an error. One comment said, “She is simply trying to have fun; can we not give her a break?”
The Broader Debate on Cultural Sensitivity
This incident has rekindled conversations about the obligations influencers have when interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds. Many contend that influencers should exercise extra caution when working with symbols that hold religious or cultural significance, especially since their content is viewed by people all over the world. As one user noted, “It’s alarming how influencers often ignore cultural symbols for views,” underscoring the possible harm that such behaviour implies.
Some, however, think that public outrage might be overly strong and counterproductive. They support more productive dialogues in place of scathing criticism. Another remark made the suggestion, “Mistakes happen; let’s learn from them instead of tearing each other down,” echoing the discussion of how to effectively handle cultural blunders in the internet age.
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