Is Beyonce betraying her roots/heritage by having blonde hair etc?

[MissyKLo]

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has written an interesting article about Beyonce and the 'impact' her 'look' has on impressionable youngsters.

I am not white myself and would be interested to see what people think about Beyonce's look... is she trying to look more 'European'? Is Yasmin right when she says that:

black celebrities appear to deny their heritage by trying to make themselves look white, I despair for the youngsters who see those images

and she also says:

The answer is that 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

I do think that people should always wear and be however they want to be, but I can't help but feel that Yasmin has made some good points here, especially about young women of colour having strong role models of colour - I embrace my skin colour and would never dye my dark hair blonde because that is my taste, but is there more to Beyonce's new look? Is she betraying her heritage?

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1358119/Beyonce-Knowles-Why-I-believe-betraying-black-Asian-Women.html

whatever stiflersmom

whatever, if you feel the need to insult me for using an expression that says more about you than me

Beyonce's hair is a weave, not her real hair. She can have it any colour she wants, like the rest of the world, I don't see how having a different hair colour means you are betraying your roots.

BUT - if she is skin bleaching, I think that's sad, and dangerous. Colourism is rampant in certain cultures , basically if you're female, the lighter your skin colour is the more attractive you're perceived to be. :(. They sell a skin "bleaching" (don't know if it actually bleaches?) cream in Asda by me called Fair and Lovely!! I just went on the website, its horrible! Fair and Lovely.

Interesting page on colourism here.

ooooooooooooh no it doesn't

LeQueen

againnnnnnnnnnnnn

I was just raising the subject that's all!

I think it is actually rather stupid to suggest that black women can only have black hair and to do anything with their hair is betraying their roots.

white women dye their hair blonde, black, red, green, blue...

and straighten it, curl it...

why should black women not do that too? a white woman's hair is just hair and a black woman's hair is her racial identity?

I seriously think whoever wrote that has got waaaaay too much time on their hands.

I see what you mean hectate

Yasmin the woman who wrote that does do a lot of 'cultural' type articles and yes, women should do what they want to their hair

MissyKlo i understand that you found the article interesting but i found it very offensive and racist.

If this was another way round say Cheryl cole, dying her hair, getting a perm, tan then some stuck up white bitch made an article saying she just wants to be black and is betraying her roots and what about the impact on the kids. then there would be uproar.

by the way i am white and my gran parents are spanish/ olive skinned.

I know people who have tried to bleach their skin - it is horrible that they do this

I do think some people clump about going "I'm different! Persecute me!", looking for things to bleat about

who gives a fuck about your hair? I don't care what colour people are. I can't imagine being offended by somebody else's barnet

except possibly Leona Lewis's, there's NO excuse for that

Starlight she aint conforming to anyones idea. she has done it for herself and to think otherwise is stupid and ignorant.

I wasn't talking about her hair.

just Google Beyonce & click on images - 1000's of photos of her and in each photo she is a different shade of brown. She looks quite pale in lots of them. I'd say the differences are down to season, sun exposure, has she been on holiday, photography/lighting etc

good point spoc

seeing the article from different angles now!

the skin bleaching is a different kettle of fish

I do find that alarming and sad

but people like the OP encouraging others to make value judgements about other women's appearances - that's counterproductive and a bit silly

im am glad you can see the article from the other side.

what is your contribution here stiflersmom? was that who gives a fuck about your hair aimed at me?

stiflersmom Fri 18-Feb-11 15:06:35

except possibly Leona Lewis's, there's NO excuse for that

:)

skin bleaching is sad, dangerous and should be stopped the best you can but Beyonce is not doing that. there is no evidance to say she is.

my contribution here is what it is, I don't feel compelled to provide you with accompanying notes

public forum - them's the breaks

what is your problem stifler?!!!!!!!! i simply wanted to see what people thought and if they agreed or disagreed with the article

you are being more and more ridiculous every time you come here

If I was Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, I'd be embarrassed to have written such an inane piece of crap.

Beyonce fancied a change. Big deal. It is no more or less significant than that.

you are quite ridiculous but i won't resort to name calling as you are not worth my time or effort stifler

good points karmabeliever! Beyonce does change her look a lot

If white journalists cricised Beyonce for betraying her roots by dying her hair blond, (don't imagine they would) no doubt Yasmin wots-er-name would take the reverse position, stating black people were just as entitled to bleach their hair as white people

I think she's a stirrer with a chip on her shoulder. White and black cultures are less opposed to each other than you think Yasmin.