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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions
Ereshkigalangcleg · 02/10/2026 11:17

TheeNotoriousPIG · 02/10/2026 11:15

If women with bare nails are apparently white supremacists, the BBC needs to get out more! Fancy nails might look pretty, but they are not always practical. I work on a farm, and even hard-wearing BIAB nails do not last very long on a farmyard! My vet friends or others linked to agriculture in some way don't tend to have theirs done, either, due to it not being practical or easy to maintain. We are more interested in practicalities rather than the politics of white supremacists.

Do you have a black Labrador though.

Maybeitllneverhappen · 02/10/2026 11:20

I don't wear nail varnish because I don't have time and I'm hopeless at applying it. Surely I'm not the only one?? Sometimes the simplest explanation is the obvious one?

Katiesaidthat · 02/10/2026 11:22

Lifejigsaw · 02/10/2026 10:29

Hang on, that's not what it said!

"They (blank nails) are often called elegant or tasteful and these (terms) are often usually euphemisms that perpetuate white supremacist standards of beauty.”

Later in the piece, Rodulfo was quoted again as saying: “The examples are almost always white women or celebrities … [and] they’ll often conflate class and taste with that bareness.”

I think it's quite clear that it's the conflation of white beauty standards with elegance which is being called out!

Can´t black people have bare nails, tastefully filed and buffered? Anyone who thinks they can´t is surely the racist.
I stopped painting my nails when my daughter was born 8 years ago, can´t be bloody bothered. My nail varnish pots are past their best now so throwing away the lot. File and buffer is great, I also type a lot and the varnish would come off the top of my nails the first day.

AnonyMumAuDHD · 02/10/2026 11:26

HorseandHeron · 02/10/2026 11:17

I wonder if I can get the BBC into spasms by claiming it is disablist. I can't afford to have my nails done so do my own with very pale or clear varnish because I am dyspraxic and attempts at coloured polish all over my fingers, feet and clothes don't look good.

This is why I’ve never worn polish too. Am not dyspraxic (have a collection of other ND letters tho, so maybe …) but have never been able to get coloured polish on neatly. Spend days rubbing and peeling it off the cuticles, buy which time it’s bloody chipped anyway.

I do wonder whether there was a racial subtext to the suggestion that white women [should] have natural nails, though. I know black and Asian ladies love their nail art - my Aunties (Asian) have always had colourful nails and if they are sporting henna designs on their arms/hands as well it looks stunning.

EllieQ · 02/10/2026 11:28

I was so annoyed by that article that I actually submitted a formal complaint, so I’m glad it’s been removed. It was really frustrating to see that instead of writing about the issues with nail bars - trafficking, unhealthy working environment due to chemicals - the article was focused on something so trivial. It honestly seemed designed to bring a backlash against the BBC by the ridiculous ‘white supremacist’ comment.

It was also irritating that the beauty journalist they quoted was American, rather than a British journalist who could have actually commented on British class issues, which I assumed was the focus of the article when I clicked on the link.

It could have been a more interesting article - are artificial nails considered lower-class in the UK, what is the impact of increasingly costly beauty standards, is there an equivalent for men such as the expectation of going to the gym to improve their bodies/ their health (while women are expected to decorate their bodies), all that kind of thing. Instead it was just so shallow.

PlantainArama · 02/10/2026 11:29

How fucking dare they pick women's appearances apart like this.

Utterly misogynist

As if women don't have enough actual barriers to being allowed to exist with equity in this world, some twat creates some extra bullshit

Surprised the Guardian aren't in agreement, fairly sure they tried to tell my tits make me right wing a few months ago because Sidney Sweeney.

Zov · 02/10/2026 11:30

What in the what the fuck? Confused

How on EARTH is a woman who doesn't wear nail varnish a 'white supremacist?!'

Does this also go for wearing earrings? Friendship bracelets? Pink knickers?

Honestly! Hmm

!

TheeNotoriousPIG · 02/10/2026 11:30

Ereshkigalangcleg · 02/10/2026 11:17

Do you have a black Labrador though.

No, but I do have a black and white Collie, and another tri-colour dog! They are much more practical for herding than a Lab (lovely though they are!).

ArcangelaTarabotti · 02/10/2026 11:32

Thebutterflyslovemybush · 02/10/2026 10:04

I mean there's reaching and then there's this. Utter madness

Howling with laughter at that article.

ArcangelaTarabotti · 02/10/2026 11:33

Maybeitllneverhappen · 02/10/2026 11:20

I don't wear nail varnish because I don't have time and I'm hopeless at applying it. Surely I'm not the only one?? Sometimes the simplest explanation is the obvious one?

same!

TheDogsMother · 02/10/2026 11:37

This is so fucking bonkers I can barely find the words. Men don’t get this shit do they.

MarieDeGournay · 02/10/2026 11:41

HorseandHeron · 02/10/2026 11:15

Thank you for bringing the phrase 'Foucault-addled grievance gerbils' into my life.

You are very welcome!
That's the origin of the gerbils who run the Bluestocking Women's Pub -
'Foucault-addled grievance gerbils' was used by somebody in the context of a PhD student from Aston Uni 'scraping' MN data to prove we are all transphobes or something.
The phrase appeared on t-shirts and mugs, and then obviously the gerbils got organised and decided to seize the means of production and set up factories to make the t-shirts themselves...
Then they went into catering, and won the catering contract for the Bluestocking, and because the gerbils are committed to inclusivity, the workforce grew to include wombats, capybaras, tree kangaroos and red pandas.

I'd hate anybody to think that the Bluestocking gerbils were just cute furry little faces, with strangely humanoid hands, and impeccable customer service.

Many books have been written about their proud entrepreneurial history, as you can see...

[recycled image from an old Bluestocking thread]

BBC removes article that says women who don't wear nail varnish might be white supremacists.
guinnessguzzler · 02/10/2026 11:41

I read this article when it came out and genuinely found it quite interesting. Beauty standards are very closely linked with class, place, ethnicity, and other such factors. The beauty industry relies on cultural norms and people wanting to conform to these. I wouldn't particularly argue with the below (although just saying white rather than white supremacist would have been fairer):

"They (blank nails) are often called elegant or tasteful and these (terms) are often usually euphemisms that perpetuate white supremacist standards of beauty.”

Although I would broaden the concept somewhat, beyond nails and to encompass class. Elegant, tasteful, classy, understated; these are often aspirations for the rich and powerful, who don't need or want to show off their wealth in such an obvious way. Adding in the various higher paid professions who won't have painted nails (mainly thinking of Drs but there will be others) and that's another factor. When I think about people I know, certainly it is women from more working class backgrounds, often, but not always, in lower paid jobs, who have bold nails, lip fillers, obviously dyed hair etc. I have always assumed a combination of feeling like you have something to prove and having limited control over other aspects of your life eg housing and so spending on what you can make a difference on have fed into and supported an overall culture leading to different priorities.

Sorry if this is clumsily worded and I know class can be a really contentious issue but I think it's hugely relevant when it comes to beauty standards and cultural norms.

Ultimately though, blank nails means not spending my hard earned cash on something I find entirely unnecessary so I'll continue putting my plain-nailed two fingers up to the capitalist patriarchy 🤣

ArabellaScott · 02/10/2026 11:43

guinnessguzzler · 02/10/2026 11:41

I read this article when it came out and genuinely found it quite interesting. Beauty standards are very closely linked with class, place, ethnicity, and other such factors. The beauty industry relies on cultural norms and people wanting to conform to these. I wouldn't particularly argue with the below (although just saying white rather than white supremacist would have been fairer):

"They (blank nails) are often called elegant or tasteful and these (terms) are often usually euphemisms that perpetuate white supremacist standards of beauty.”

Although I would broaden the concept somewhat, beyond nails and to encompass class. Elegant, tasteful, classy, understated; these are often aspirations for the rich and powerful, who don't need or want to show off their wealth in such an obvious way. Adding in the various higher paid professions who won't have painted nails (mainly thinking of Drs but there will be others) and that's another factor. When I think about people I know, certainly it is women from more working class backgrounds, often, but not always, in lower paid jobs, who have bold nails, lip fillers, obviously dyed hair etc. I have always assumed a combination of feeling like you have something to prove and having limited control over other aspects of your life eg housing and so spending on what you can make a difference on have fed into and supported an overall culture leading to different priorities.

Sorry if this is clumsily worded and I know class can be a really contentious issue but I think it's hugely relevant when it comes to beauty standards and cultural norms.

Ultimately though, blank nails means not spending my hard earned cash on something I find entirely unnecessary so I'll continue putting my plain-nailed two fingers up to the capitalist patriarchy 🤣

It'd be good to see the original article to see if there's context missing.

The quotes in isolation read as absurd and extreme.

OP posts:
MarieDeGournay · 02/10/2026 11:46

guinnessguzzler · 02/10/2026 11:41

I read this article when it came out and genuinely found it quite interesting. Beauty standards are very closely linked with class, place, ethnicity, and other such factors. The beauty industry relies on cultural norms and people wanting to conform to these. I wouldn't particularly argue with the below (although just saying white rather than white supremacist would have been fairer):

"They (blank nails) are often called elegant or tasteful and these (terms) are often usually euphemisms that perpetuate white supremacist standards of beauty.”

Although I would broaden the concept somewhat, beyond nails and to encompass class. Elegant, tasteful, classy, understated; these are often aspirations for the rich and powerful, who don't need or want to show off their wealth in such an obvious way. Adding in the various higher paid professions who won't have painted nails (mainly thinking of Drs but there will be others) and that's another factor. When I think about people I know, certainly it is women from more working class backgrounds, often, but not always, in lower paid jobs, who have bold nails, lip fillers, obviously dyed hair etc. I have always assumed a combination of feeling like you have something to prove and having limited control over other aspects of your life eg housing and so spending on what you can make a difference on have fed into and supported an overall culture leading to different priorities.

Sorry if this is clumsily worded and I know class can be a really contentious issue but I think it's hugely relevant when it comes to beauty standards and cultural norms.

Ultimately though, blank nails means not spending my hard earned cash on something I find entirely unnecessary so I'll continue putting my plain-nailed two fingers up to the capitalist patriarchy 🤣

That's very interesting, guinnessguzzler, I can relate it to interior design where 'minimalism' is only minimalism if you can actually afford a lot more 'stuff' than you chose to display, whereas the 'minimalism' of my childhood homes was because we didn't have 'stuff'Smile
edited for grammar

guinnessguzzler · 02/10/2026 11:48

Tbf, as @EllieQ suggested, it didn't really cover class issues at all. It could have been much more interesting and relevant, especially given the clear people exploitation going on in nail bars up and down the country as others have pointed out.

UnaPersson · 02/10/2026 11:50

PlantainArama · 02/10/2026 11:29

How fucking dare they pick women's appearances apart like this.

Utterly misogynist

As if women don't have enough actual barriers to being allowed to exist with equity in this world, some twat creates some extra bullshit

Surprised the Guardian aren't in agreement, fairly sure they tried to tell my tits make me right wing a few months ago because Sidney Sweeney.

I kind of like Sydney Sweeney. She is having a high old time winding up the virtue signallers, whilst doubtless making lots of money in what's likely a short career.

As for the nails, I like short painted nails but can't be bothered to do something which is a faff and lasts 2 days max.

It's given us all a good laugh, this article. I hope the BBC doesn't go under as I'm really enjoying The Sky at Night at the moment.

TorturedParentsDepartment · 02/10/2026 11:56

As an aside - my nail bar is owned and staffed completely by white British middle-aged women who I wouldn't fucking dare exploit cos they'd collectively deck anyone who gave them any shite. Costs me about £30 a month to get them done but without them I'd have bleeding shredded cuticles and nails chewed down to the bed within a week (I have no willpower to stop the damned habit).

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 02/10/2026 11:57

This is in the feminism section- are you all just pretending that women’s fashion and beauty trends are not often political?!

it was a badly written article (I did read it when they published it) but there is clearly a trend in fashion away from all black-coded fashion and beauty. It’s not wrong to suggest there might be a political aspect to this, although they did a bad job in that article.

the article wasn’t about the sort of women who have never painted their nails, it was about women who do go for manicures deciding the flashy nail art look is no longer fashionable or desirable. This is not about caring how your hands look, but caring greatly and deciding the nail art look is no longer something you want, and a bare nail look is something you’d spend money on.

Bare long nails are very hard to achieve, you can’t do a lot of housework, you can’t have a manual job. You need a good diet and good health.

Anyone with a spare £50 can go get gels put on, there are nail bars all over the UK, this is easy to achieve now. But bare, long, healthy nails are more exclusive. This is a class signifier.

ArabellaScott · 02/10/2026 11:58

Ereshkigalangcleg · 02/10/2026 11:02

Thats hilarious- surprised the Guardian isn’t defending it!

TBH that was partly what made me raise my eyebrow.

This is a relevant blog, from the woman quoted.

'I will not be falling for the bare nail propaganda. And, I think it’s harmful to conflate the naked nail look with better “taste” or “class,” or “understated elegance,” all of which are often just euphemisms for white supremacist beauty standards. '

https://archive.ph/wip/vAItp

Babe, your lack of intersectionality is showing 💅

Bare nail propaganda has got to stop!

https://kristinarodulfo.substack.com/p/bare-nails-trend

OP posts:
ArabellaScott · 02/10/2026 12:00

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 02/10/2026 11:57

This is in the feminism section- are you all just pretending that women’s fashion and beauty trends are not often political?!

it was a badly written article (I did read it when they published it) but there is clearly a trend in fashion away from all black-coded fashion and beauty. It’s not wrong to suggest there might be a political aspect to this, although they did a bad job in that article.

the article wasn’t about the sort of women who have never painted their nails, it was about women who do go for manicures deciding the flashy nail art look is no longer fashionable or desirable. This is not about caring how your hands look, but caring greatly and deciding the nail art look is no longer something you want, and a bare nail look is something you’d spend money on.

Bare long nails are very hard to achieve, you can’t do a lot of housework, you can’t have a manual job. You need a good diet and good health.

Anyone with a spare £50 can go get gels put on, there are nail bars all over the UK, this is easy to achieve now. But bare, long, healthy nails are more exclusive. This is a class signifier.

I will freely admit that I could not give less of a fuck about nail polish or manicures. So yes, I am not the target demographic.

Thanks for extra context. All of this possibly bears discussion; the conflation with 'white supremacism' is the problem, imo.

OP posts:
Echobelly · 02/10/2026 12:02

Seems a bit silly and rather an overreach to me but bear in mind this was just one person's view in a longer article - some places were touting it as BBC SAYS BARE NAILS ARE RACIST which it wasn't.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 02/10/2026 12:04

ApplebyArrows · 02/10/2026 10:28

For this type of person, it seems, copying black people is cultural appropriation, and not copying black people is white supremacy.

Correct. And white people can't win whatever they do. It's quite a neat setup.

thesealion · 02/10/2026 12:09

Echobelly · 02/10/2026 12:02

Seems a bit silly and rather an overreach to me but bear in mind this was just one person's view in a longer article - some places were touting it as BBC SAYS BARE NAILS ARE RACIST which it wasn't.

This. Is media literacy really this poor that people can’t distinguish a person being quoted in an article from an opinion piece or endorsement?

Beauty choices are contextual to class, race and cultural norms, and this was a piece about a current online trend that also looked at wider cultural nuances. Whether or not you think the opinion about white supremacy was silly, the fact that someone with this opinion was quoted in an article does not = endorsement of the opinion or “the BBC saying” it.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 02/10/2026 12:09

Mapletree1985 · 02/10/2026 11:12

I have a strong negative visceral reaction to fake nails. Seeing people with those huge plastic nails glued to their hands give me the newbie-jeebies.I can't let myself be touched by anyone wearing fake nails.

I worked with a colleague (white, as it happens) who had long fake nails. Quite apart from the logistics of using a keyboard, I couldn't help wondering what lurked underneath.

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