BBC removes article that says women who don't wear nail varnish might be white supremacists.

[ArabellaScott]

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/sep/30/bbc-removes-article-linking-bare-nails-trend-white-supremacist-standards-beauty

I think that's the gist.

It's so fucking barking mad I'm not actually sure.

My friend has a whippet and a flap cap.

Should I be concerned about his political views?

Agreed.

I mean that link is fairly well established .

🚩🚩🚩

🏃‍♀️!!

There's a whole BBC news article waiting to be written about dog type and political leanings isn't there?

That's northern-coded. You're maybe ok if you are upwards of the north-south divide, but don't get me started on where that allegedly is.

He's a southerner. He says Barrrrrthhh and other such nonsense. He moved to the north. Still says Barrrrrthhh. He had the whippet before he moved.

Eee by gum, is there no end to the lad's cultural appropriation?

@ArabellaScott
Now hold on there,
Let me flick my hair back,
Then check my nails right now
Says this Queen
Who don't be giving the donkeys behind about what white supposedly "supremacists" stupidly think or claim

Absolutely this!

I read the article because I can’t bear to have varnish on my nails, it feels horrible. It was a very stupid piece, but the Beeb seems to put up a lot of influencer/cultural nonsense atm. Why, I have no idea. They could usefully get rid of all the staff who come up with these inanities.

Great username

It used to be rare for people I knew to get their nails done, and 20 years ago, there were few nail salons on the high street. I've never bothered to do anything beyond buy a polish from Boots, and the same goes for a lot of my friends. I'm pretty sure none of them (whatever their colour) are in any way white supremacists!

Ah, thanks. That explains it.

As someone who cant stand long acrylics but does favour a (very) short painted nail and keeps an eye on pop culture trends, this all seems increasingly outdated and certainly very US centric. Beauty trends just don’t work like this anymore, everything is globalised, moves faster than ever, and is increasingly focused eastwards towards South Korea and China. You can’t open a fashion magazine without seeing East Asian models on the catwalk and in editorial because the market is huge. The West just doesn’t have this level of supposed pop cultural hegemony anymore.

@Heggettypeg
But I'm a black lady
Who owns a black labrador
Whatever am I supposed to do now?
Considering I rarely visit the pub

Does that mean if you're a Black woman who has bare nails you're a white supremacist?

My ex boss was born in Bradford and possessed a whippet and a flat cap. His ancestry was Yemeni. TBF, the whippet was a bit ironic, though the cap was because he was bald and his head got cold.

It would seem so

For some reason still pondering this thread [having not read the article] and now wondering whether painted nails will come to be considered cultural appropriation when adopted by white women?

Just as we’re not allowed to wear braids (despite evidence that the Romans and other white/European cultures wore them). Though it that case it was pushback from the black community, I think, when Adele wore them.

You do know that it's cheaper without the Polish? Especially gels as you then have to pay for a soak off. Also, I like paraffin manicures which cannot have colour applied afterwards. I don't really think you have a lot of manicure knowledge.

Absolute madness.

I don't wear nail varnish because
a) I don't like it
b) I have always had horses and also worked as a nurse both of which can lead to crap under your nails which need to be easily seen to clean and for nails to be kept short.
c) I am of a generation when manicures etc were not the norm
d) I think it is a waste of time and money

Which of these makes me racist?

2+2 does not equal 76.

Inappropriate overuse of such accusations make them meaningless and harms everybody.

@ThunderThunderThunderThunderCats
Hmmmmm,
I'd say you've more sense than that and
Its either because you've yet to book at the salon
Or
You just cant be arsed to!

No they aren’t. White women having been doing it for years but in line with commentary on racism and class, long colourful nails tend to be labelled “ghetto” on black women” and “chav” on white women.

Also there is no “black community”. Black Americans had a lot to say about Adele’s bantu knots and Jamaican flag bikini. Black Jamaicans did not care.

As for braids, the types that tend to get labelled “cultural appropriation” by some people tend to not be the braid styles worn by the European groups you mention.

But the gatekeeping tends to go both ways. Black people who do Irish dancing or ballet tend to get a lot of vitriol on their social media from some white people.

Agree completely, my point is rather that women apparently have an impossible choice, white supremacist or modern day slave trade supporter. (Although I didn't actually say that as I was in a hurry to go buy some pansies.)

Also shows that sometimes the Beeb do good journalism showing real problems in society, and sometimes they publish vacuous nonsense.