Chet Hanks Defends Himself Against Cultural Appropriation Critics With Bullfighting Example

He spoke about the backlash he's received for his Jamaican accent.

BYErika Marie
Link Copied to Clipboard!
7.0K Views
Bennett Raglin / Stringer / Getty Images

He has often faced off against accusations of cultural appropriation, but Chet Hanks will not be deterred. The son of famous actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson rose to viral fame after videos of him delivering his best Patois and Jamaican accent circulated online, and now, Hanks is back with an explanation of why he became so fascinated with the culture.

"I was hooking up with this chick and one day she was on the phone with her family in Jamaica and she was really in the middle of a heated conversation," said Hanks in a video before he began giving his impression of the woman speaking Patois. "I really had no idea what the f*ck she was saying." 

It was then that he seemingly became intrigued with the language and asked for the woman to break down the meaning. "She was just telling me how to say different sh*t, so for like, a week, I was really on a Jamaican tip and that just happened to be the week of the Golden Globes." Then, a clip of Hank's viral moment was aired.

"I had Jamaicans blowing up my Instagram," Hanks added, saying that he was receiving nothing but love from Jamaican people. "Then you got all these social justice warriors in America saying that I'm a f*ckin' villain." When asked specifically about his feelings regarding "cultural appropriation overall," Hanks gave an eample.

"I don't f*ckin' know, dude. If I'm interested in f*ckin' bullfighting, I can fly to Spain and go watch a bullfight," he answered. "And if I want to go talk to a matador and say, 'Hey bro, can you teach me how to f*ckin' fight the bulls?' and he's like, 'Hell yeah, bro! Here, put this on.' He's stoked that I'm stoked, right? Some asshole out there is gonna say I'm f*cked up because I'm culturally appropriating the matador culture."

"But I'm not even mad though because all these haters, they're on the way out, dude." Check it out below.

  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.