What I love about browsing through blogs and other social media platforms are the comment sections. I love feedback. They are like another post on their own. Let’s be frank, sometimes the comments are even more fun to read than the real article! I can’t resist scrolling down to read the viewers’ opinions after watching a video on YouTube or reading an article on Yahoo. Always a delight (excluding all the useless trolls and spammers of course).
Lately however, I can’t help but notice the shade negative feedback from bloggers readers and just the general public towards black women who have been adventurous enough to play with different hair colours (ie blonde).
Here are a few excerpts from the web in which readers comment on Beyonce’s cascade of blonde locks.
‘Every woman of colour has an important social and cultural history that cannot simply be bleached away or denied by the use of hair straighteners. That’s why I passionately believe that Beyonce’s ignorance of how this betrays her heritage is so insidiously damaging to all peoples of colour,’ writes Yasmin Alibhai-Brown in the Daily Mail.
-She is a black girl. What happened to embracing brown or even black hair ? Beyonce has had black and brown weaves before and has looked simply amazing (even the haters would agree) …. Can black girls wear blonde hair or does it look contrived and fake? — Charcoal Ink
And this other comment from a reader on Stylist: ‘She didn’t go blonde; she went Caucasian. African American women are uniquely beautiful. Why do some of them want to become white? I miss the African American women of the 70′s who embraced their natural beauty. Oh, and I’m a white girl, by the way.’
Okay, have any of these people ever heard of freedom of expression or the freedom to choose? Why should brown or black be the only option? I personally believe art is expression. Each person is a package and if you think going blonde represents your whole person better, then nothing should stop you.
Since when did getting bleached hair mean a person was betraying their roots/race? Granted, bleached hairstyles will give the illusion of brighter skin but as long as you are not using any artificial lighteners to change your complexion, what’s the big deal?
I strongly believe in, if the shoe fits wear it. If you can pull it off, go blonde. Hell, go platinum! If it doesn’t suit you, fashion blogs will give you a thumbs down but who cares? That’s what they’re there for.
Eve, Rihanna, Mary J Blige and Nicki Minaj have all rocked (and slayed, mind you) the bleach blonde look. They werked the hell out of those wigs.
Like everything else in life, this look will not suit everyone. Trust me, I have seen people whose blonde tryouts failed and they ended up looking like the Wicked Witch from the West, bless them; but I have also seen several bloggers and Instagrammers (new word?) slaying this look and frankly I wish I could pull it off. It is gorge!
People are scared of change. We see a ‘black blondie’ and immediately we’re thinking, ‘Bitch is trying to look white’. Who makes these rules anyways? In the same way, we see a white girl in box braids to die for and go, ‘She probably thinks she’s black.’
What if Cinderella had box braids or Snow White had corn rows? Imagine Goldilocks was a black girl with golden locks…
Then what we consider outrageous and out of order today should have been completely normal because we would have been ‘familiar with the concept’.
I am strongly anti allocating hairstyles to specific races. I am black but that does not restrict me certain hair colours.
What is your point of view?
Eve
Yvonne Nwosu
Amerie
Eva Marcille
I came across Saiharii. She is into Gyaru which is Japanese fashion. If I had porcelain skin like hers, I’d definitely be in to Gyaru. Girl you look dreamy. I love!
Visit Saihairii’s blog here http://www.saihariigyaru.tumblr.com.
What is your opinion on this? Is this look a betrayal of one’s background or just a harmless and fun expression of style?
Love and Light xx
I love the way you write. I agree with you about tying specific hairstyle to certain races – it’s not right and I do it sometimes as well, guess its something we need to get used to. I love Eva’s short hair, if i could bleach my hair and look that good then I would but I won’t because I can picture what I’d look like lol. Lovely post. xx
http://www.duchessfifi.wordpress.com
Ify.
It’s all about what we can ans what we can’t pull off. If only i could pull off that Eva’s hairdo…
thanks!
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Amerie, Rihanna, Queen B… love it! they are representing.. And Saihairri is phenomenal..
very flawless
I dont like this whole responsibility thing that comes with being a celebrity, its like a person can not celebrate their own individuality without being question or ridiculed for it.
These women look beautiful and the should enjoy playing with what God gave them, they shouldn’t be chosen for. The colour of your hair does not change who you are inside.
thank you! my thoughts exactly
I love blonde hair on dark skin. I think it has nothing to do with wanting to be white. I love my dark skin but I also love the contrast that blonde hair on dark skin gives. If you can pull it off then shoot for it! try it, wear it, work it, play with it. However a lot of these stars also lighten their skin (if you say no then you’re ignorant) and so with lightening their skin AND hair, it really is giving off a not so good note about black women & as the white girl said, they’re not going blonde, they’re going Caucasian. Besides that, I think that Nicki and Amerie look gorgeous with their blonde locks. It somehow makes Nicki look more elegant, or is that just her new style in all? Either way, I love the look!