The Internet Cannot Handle ASL Interpreter’s Gestures for Cardi B’s ‘WAP’
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion have changed the game when it comes to female artists in the rap industry. Their hustling mentalities and out-of-this-world bars are just two of the many reasons the rappers have accrued so much success since their debut albums. “Bodak Yellow” and “She Bad” were some of the hits off of Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B‘s very first album. As for Megan Thee Stallion, “Big Ole Freak” and “Freak Nasty” were some of the songs to put the Texas native on the map and in the charts. It was only a matter of time until the two stars collaborated, and in August 2020, their fans and followers got just that. Let’s take a look back at “WAP” and all of the hype surrounding an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter’s recent performance of the song.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s song ‘WAP’ is controversial
It was almost exactly one year ago that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released their highly-anticipated collab. Since the two rappers have always been very straightforward and candid, their fans and followers probably knew to expect something hot, raunchy, and on brand. However, nothing could have quite compared the world for “WAP.”
As many already know, “WAP,” naturally, stands for “wet-ass p***y.” From the catchy yet seductive beat to the very on-point and explicit lyrics, the rap song allowed for a powerful and inspirational moment to freely celebrate the many different sides of women’s sexuality.
Of course, fans and followers of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion couldn’t get enough of “WAP,” but, as the famous saying goes, “haters gonna hate.” The musicians received a lot of pushback and criticism regarding “WAP,” but needless to say, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion have not let this stand in their way.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’ performance from Lollapalooza has been highly discussed
Chicago is well-known for many things, and Lollapalooza is one of them. The largely celebrated music festival took place just a few weeks ago, and there were many social media-worthy moments, to say the least.
Nevertheless, some people were far from pleased when it came to the ASL interpreter’s performance of “WAP.” As Daily Mail put it, there were fans who found it “more offensive than the actual song.” However, to put it bluntly, the argument doesn’t really make any sense.
The internet cannot handle this ASL interpreter’s gestures for ‘WAP’
To be offended by watching the ASL interpreter’s gestures but to be OK with listening to the lyrics is, in many ways, an obvious double standard. At the end of the day, it was two different mediums presenting the same exact message. Though there was no need to get panties in a bunch, plenty of panties were indeed bunched.
Of course, it is always a shame to see people uncomfortable with differentiation and inclusion — but fortunately, on the other side of things, hundreds of thousands of people felt the exact opposite. Kelly Kurdi, the ASL interpreter at the center of it all, has received a tremendous amount of support and attention for her work during Lollapalooza.
The Los Angeles Times highlighted how Kurdi’s performance went viral and reminded readers of the importance that ASL interpretations truly should not be shocking at all. Alexa Listza, an editor at BuzzFeed, tweeted a portion of the live performance and wrote, “EXCUSE ME BUT THE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER DURING MEGAN’S PERFORMANCE OF WAP MUST BE SEEN.”
Of course, it can be easy to see how it is important to be mindful when it comes to young listeners, but, fortunately, they are not the targeted audiences for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. Overall, it is clear that the rap song “WAP” is an iconic masterpiece.
Whether listeners like the song or not, the facts will always speak for themselves, and the fact of the matter is, “WAP” is an award-winning, chart-landing hit-song. The ASL interpreter may have received some backlash after performing “WAP” alongside the rappers at the Chicago music festival Lollapalooza, but even more people have been celebrating and recognizing Kurdi for her outstanding performance. Hopefully, moving forward, ASL interpretations will become both staples and the norm when it comes to concerts and music festivals.
