MadameNoire Featured Video

WENN

You know what’s not fair: how Asian Americans can’t wear their natural hair to job interviews, on the red carpet and on the catwalk without being ridiculed, harassed and disenfranchised.

…Said nobody ever.

Well, that’s not true.

Apparently, the person – or team – behind this recent PopSugar Celebrity video seem to believe society is not paying enough attention to the natural hair woes of the tragic Asian American women.

No, I’m serious. And you can watch the video here.

For those of you who are confused by what is going on here, let me do my best to explain. The controversial video is in response to this year’s Victoria Secret fashion show, which featured 51 models rocking their natural hair. This included several African American and Afro-Latino models who wore TWAs  along with other styles using their natural hair only.

According to Refinery 29, which did an exclusive interview with VS fashion show hairstylist (and Beachwaver irons founder) Sarah Potempa prior to the taping of the show, the natural hair theme was meant to expand on last years’ “history” making show, which featured Angolan supermodel Maria Borges walking the runway with her own short and natural hair.

And as Potempa also tells the online lifestyle magazine:

“We want to embrace everyone’s natural beauty,” says Potempa. “We’re giving a carefree approach to the length and type of curl. Some women with shorter hair, maybe a lob, will walk with that hair. We’re not gonna add extensions to make it super-long. And if someone has short hair on the side or a tight haircut, we’re not gonna put a wig on or put extensions on their head. We’re gonna embrace it. There are 51 women, and we’re gonna make them feel their most beautiful.”

But as the Pop Sugar Celebrity video suggests, not every model on stage fit the show’s natural hair theme. In particular, all (four) of the show’s Asian models had their natural texture enhanced with big , bouncy curls.

And according to the video’s argument, this styling choice is a direct contradiction to what Asian natural texture hair is supposed to look like.

Okay, I get it: Asian American erasure is real thing. Politicians ignore them. So does the media. And they are not called the invisible minority for nothing.

So in that context, you can totally understand why someone sees curls on Asian Americans as “another example of how the Asian American community is left out of the race conversation.”

But honestly, I’m still going to have to call shenanigans on this one.

For one, why are only Black and Afro-Latina models featured in this clap back video?

Not every White woman who walked in the show woke up that morning with a head full of bouncy hair. Yet some of the White models walked down the catwalk like this (highlights courtesy of ABC News):

Play

And speaking of bouncy hair…

Potempa never said the show was anti-styling of any kind. In fact, while the show’s focus was on embracing each model’s natural texture hair (ie. Banning hair extensions), Potempa also told Refinery 29 that many of the models were given her signature waves, “using three different-sized Beachwaver irons to best enhance their natural textures.”

This includes multi-racial model Jasmine Tookes (featured in the video above) who wore her naturally curly hair straight, and with Potempa’s signature waves, during her walk.

Clearly the team behind this PopSugar video might have wanted to consider these facts before trying to wedge itself into the natural hair debate .

Like for real, if this were really about highlighting the erasure of Asian Americans from race conversations, why not talk about the homogeny of Asian models featured on the show?

Not to sound like our president-elect Donald Trump, but all of those Asian models looked a like. I’m talking the same hair, the same facial structures and the same hue.

The term “Asian” includes a vast body of ethnic minorities with different cultures, languages and most important aesthetics.

The irony of this entire clap-back is that in an effort to invalidate the significance of the show’s natural hair theme, the team behind this video ended up committing the same sort of erasure it claims it was speaking out against.

Good job there, PopSugar.

And honestly, while seeing Black and Afro-Latina models finally being allowed to rock their natural hair is a beautiful thing, Victoria Secret doesn’t really get a pass either.

Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t get excited when a company pats itself on the back for finally acknowledging the diversity in beauty.  More specifically, when said acknowledgement only comes after said diverse beauty element is now pretty trendy…

Images via WENN

Charing Ball is a writer, cultural critic, free-thinker, slick-mouth feminist and the reigning queen of unpopular opinions. She is also from Philadelphia. To learn more, visit NineteenSeventy-Seven.com.

Comment Disclaimer: Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN