Cringeworthy Wiggles song Pappadum resurfaces online six years later and goes viral for all the wrong reasons – but do think it’s offensive?
A cringeworthy Wiggles song called Pappadum has gone viral after it resurfaced on Twitter six years after being released.
In the film clip from 2014, the children’s band and an Indian woman are dressed in traditional Indian clothing while holding pappadums and dancing.
The song became the subject of heated discussion on Twitter when a woman shared the video and wrote: ‘To be clear, this was not the representation I wanted.’
Controversial: Cringeworthy Wiggles song Pappadum resurfaces on the internet six years later and goes viral for all the wrong reasons
The footage has since been viewed more than one million times and many Twitter users have criticised the stereotypical portrayal of Indian culture.
But it’s important to note that The Wiggles are children’s entertainers and the way in which they communicate different cultures to their young audience must be simplistic in order to be understood.
As a result, their songs about different cultures may lack nuance when viewed by adults more attuned to matters of racial and cultural sensitivity.
‘This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Poor girl just smiling the whole time… why can’t The Wiggles go back to making fruit salad?’ one person wrote, referencing one of the band’s famous songs.
Another said the video used stereotypes and compared it to the group’s song Hot Potato, which they jokingly suggested was ‘anti-Irish’.
Another tweeted: ‘And the worst part is that you won’t be able to not hear it in your head now.’
‘This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen!’ The video has been viewed over one million times and people have flocked to social media to criticise the cringeworthy video
Song: In the video, ‘Yellow Wiggle’ Emma repeatedly sings the word ‘pappadum’ while holding the bread in the air
The video for Pappadum begins with band member Simon Pryce holding the flatbread and rhythmically singing ‘pappadum’ over and over again.
The other band members, Lachlan Gillespie, Anthony Field and Emma Watkins, then start singing along.
Emma continues repeating the word ‘pappadum’ and holding the bread in the air.
Anthony then starts swinging a cricket bat around, representing India’s fixation with the sport, while his co-stars continue dancing behind him.
Video: ‘Blue Wiggle’ Anthony then starts swinging a cricket bat around, while his other co-stars continue dancing behind him