Three days after Avengers’ Thor actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky hosted a New Year’s party and Pataky posted a photo to Instagram of themselves and partygoers dressed as “Indians”- Social media has blasted the couple for ‘cultural appropriation.’

In the photograph, about 10 of the party-goers are dressed in headdresses, wigs and cowboy hats, and have their faces painted.

The Instagram photo has received over 19,500 likes and hundreds of comments in support and against the photo.

Some of the comments:

johnpaille: Loving all the people defending them because they're Australian so they don't know better. Would they dress up as Indigenous Australians for a party theme? Probably not (hopefully)

sandra.ohlin: Some people forgot to take their chill pills this morning.

krysmarie99: I'm Hidatsa/Assinaboine/Sioux from the TAT tribe in North Dakota and Fort Peck in Montana. All the time I see people who dress like Native Americans for Halloween or parties and my personal take on it is that they may not know better or understand the cultural. (sic) I do know that's not how Native Americans look, even when they dance at the celebrations, far from it! It's going to continually happen. We can't control how people act or represent something they think they know. Do I agree with it? No, but it is disrespectful. Its just my opinion like everyone else, I'm neither right or wrong.

pixiecarlisle: Cultures are not costumes. How many times have we said this?! After all of the campaigns around Halloween telling people how offensive this is, it is shocking that you would host this event. You cannot even claim ignorance at this point, it is just flat out racist. May 2016 be the end of white privilege and stupidity.

brookedrewg: Nothing says Happy New Year like a smile and a middle finger while being inappropriate. Well f-you too. Who knew the Hemsworths were trash?

tifcee: Wow so ignorant and racist! So disappointing. #notcool

The actors have yet to respond on social media or to the press regarding the matter and representatives for the actors have not yet responded to ICTMN’s inquiries for comment.

 

Follow ICTMN's Vincent Schilling on Twitter - @VinceSchilling