Vanessa Hudgens Accused Of Cultural Appropriation For Wearing Dreamcatcher

As High School Musical 4 heads into early production stages, one star of the franchise is making news that may not be in line with the image Disney wishes to present, though that’s not entirely her fault.

Vanessa Hudgens shared a new picture of herself with Instagram followers and, while the actress was admired and praised for her beauty by most of her fans, some were deeply offended by Hudgens choice in hair accessories. Are these fans just more of the easily offended internet trolls, or do they have a point in suggesting Vanessa is culturally insensitive?

Vanessa Hudgens Attracts Criticism For Dreamcatcher

According to Entertainment Tonight, Vanessa was just trying to share some new pictures of herself with her Instagram followers, showing off her eclectic fashion sense, but images in which she wears a Native American dreamcatcher has raised a controversy among her fans. Most of Hudgens’ followers were supportive and genuinely enjoyed the pictures, but some accused the High School Musical star of appropriating Native American culture by wearing the item in her hair.

“Chin up, Princess… Or the crown slips???? #monday@riawnacapri @beautycoach_com,” 27-year-old Hudgens captioned the photo in which she wears a purple dreamcatcher in her hair.

Some of the people to comment on Vanessa’s picture couldn’t even be considered fans of the High School Musical performer, lashing out at her with angry and abusive comments over a photograph that was clearly never intended to offend.

“Why are you like this???” one of Hudgens’ Instagram followers commented. “You constantly go out of your way to disrespect cultures to look ~boho. It’s rude as f–k. Don’t put dreamcatchers in your hair! That you have to constantly be told not to do this and dragged means you are not listening and it’s frustrating af!!”

The same person goes on to berate Vanessa for the use of the dreamcatcher, even though the commenter acknowledges that the actress is, in fact, part Native American. His main reason for having been offended is that dreamcatchers are not worn in one’s hair and states he’s open to admitting he’s wrong, if anyone can point to a Native American tribe that allows this practice. This critic closes his rant against Hudgens by asserting that this was not the first time she has been guilty of appropriating from various cultures.

That particular user might have been referring to a past incident in which Vanessa Hudgens was criticized for appropriating Hindu culture for wearing a bindi.

High School Musical Gets A Bad Lip Reading Parody, Courtesy Of Disney

Disney is helping to bring Bad Lip Reading to television in a full-length special, as the YouTube series mocks the High School Musical franchise with stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron. The half hour production of the High School Musical parody is the result of a partnership in which Disney allows Bad Lip Reading producers to use clips from the High School Musical films, reports Vanity Fair.

While visuals will be provided by Disney, the audio track will be dubbed in via Bad Lip Reading‘s producers. In the half-hour edition, Vanessa Hudgens’ Gabriella (A.K.A. Lumpkinella) is featured as “this girl who reads with her fingers in the middle of a party.” Elsewhere at the party, voice actors describe a big dance number, comically inferring the actions of the on screen performers.

“Let’s go bang on furniture! Then for no reason, everybody’s gonna walk around the tables!”

The Bad Lip Reading parody of High School Musical seems to have the ambition and the humor to morph into an updated version of Mystery Science Theater 3000, mocking our favorite reality shows and variety programs.

High School Musical 4 is still conducting casting calls, so there’s still no official word on whether Vanessa Hudgens will rejoin the cast.

[Image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images]