by
Black Girl With Long Hair
Celebrity and gossip magazine In Touch Weekly is coming under fire after publishing a picture comparing Solange Knowles to a dog. In a column called “Double Creature” the magazine published the following reader-submitted picture and blurb;
“Yorkipoo Jackie is “basically twinsies” with Beyoncé’s sis, says the 5-year-old pup’s owner, Brian Murray Jr. ‘They rock the same hairdo…’
A web search for In Touch Weekly’s “Double Creature” feature didn’t produce any results outside of the Solange reference, so it’s unclear whether or not this is a regular column. It still is tasteless (not surprising for a gossip magazine) and a sobering reminder of the resistance some black women face when they choose to rock their natural hair unapologetically. The comparison feels particularly shady given that Solange’s recent media coverage has mainly involved her stunning, stylish and universally praised wedding.
Ladies, what are your thoughts on all this?
56 Responses
This is not a big deal. There is no undercurrent of reinforcing a negative image because the section is LITERALLY about comparing pets to celebrities. You know what? Betty White looks like a Bichon Frise and Gwyneth Paltrow looks like an Afghan Hound. Being natural is about being secure with your looks and crying wolf to something like this is showing insecurity which people who actually do want us to feel bad about a texture can use against us. Don’t add extra context to something as dumb as this. It gives THEM power.
I wouldn’t pay any mind to what they have to say about Solange’s hair. This is another way for them to make us feel bad about our hair texture, which is not working because we sisters know our hair is beautiful. Solange’s hair looks healthy, soft, fluffy and strong to me. I don’t care what other people think about our hair. I wear my 4z afro to work and I dare someone tell me my hair looks like a poodle.
If I was Solange I would have been like, “I am a sexy bitch.”
I know this is supposed to be funny but it’s usually black people with Afros they like to make comparisons too
Honestly sisters, let’s not get too up and arms about this. Sure it insensitive and immature but this is the reaction that they want. All they have to do is push a hot button and smugly sit back and observe with glee our hurt feelings. We know our hair is beautiful, da bomb, all that and a bag of chips. Lol. They’d do anything to keep the oppressed,oppressed but we are smarter and above that. Just don’t buy their magazine or go to their website. Continue to support people like blackgirllonghair. As we continue to embrace our beauty others will feel threatened because its always been their beauty that’s been glorified. And now that we are no longer trying to emulate their beauty but are confidently showing off our own they must react with stupidity like this. It’s a desperate attempt to keep us focused on what they think of us. Let’s not buy in….
Peace
Wonderfully stated. Who cares what they or anyone else thinks about our beautiful God given kinks, naps and curls. We know everyone won’t embrace us for our decision to boldly go against the brain washed notion that we must straighten our hair to please the masses. #lovemykinkyhair
Does this factor in the problems that young black kids have with their hair and skin? Young girls are insecure enough and they’re the ones reading these magazines. Like it or not, black people are influenced by popular culture and internalise a lot of negative things because of articles like these. We can try to stay positive, but subconsciously, constantly seeing negative things about blackness does have an effect.
Insensitive and tacky! That is a picture of her natural hair in it’s 100% natural state and it is being compared to an animal…..It’s common sense that it is tasteless and just downright wrong but as I always say”Common sense isn’t always common” smh…
First of all as people of color we need to stop putting each other down, that is part of the healing process. Then we need to realize that with freedom from oppression etc comes persecution and keep our heads held high as we continue to instill in ourselves our worth. Who in their right minds has time to sit down and do such a comparison and post it on media with good intentions? I’ll tell you who, a psychologically impaired, self- hating buffoon with no life. Let us rejoice in the fact that when it rains our hair does not smell like that same dog but that the rain enhances the rich enticing smell of our hair, cause I know some people who actually smell like dogs when it rains and they do not have Solange type hair!
LOL, that’s interesting but I had a revelation one day. I have a miniature poodle who looks very much like this little doggie but more classic poodle. I looked at him one day while looking at a picture of myself with a puff and realize that we had the same spirally hair and texture. I said, wow, my Pepper is African American!! My husband also thought our hair looks alike. LOL. So I wouldn’t take it too seriously. Poodles have some very nice hair.
And poodles are one of the most intelligent dogs in the canine family!
Wow! I see that they were possibly trying to be funny, but… That’s not. I see what they mean with the texture, but come’on really?! I think it would have gone over better if they compared how beautiful the 2 were, but they didn’t now any little person or even bigger person that is trying to rock that style won’t want to because they don’t want to be compared to a dog. But I do have to say that is a cute dog.
I don’t think it’s in good taste to compare a human’s hair to a pet’s, but less face it. Solange’s hair does look like it needs to be combed/styled. When will you learn that natural hair doesn’t mean unkempt. Natural hair is the type of hair you have (no chemicals, etc), not the style. When you get out of bed and your hair is all over the place, do you walk outside that way? I would hope not! It’s like having a Mercedes with dirt, mud and paint all over it. To have a Mercedes, but not take care of it, is just plain lazy and dumb. Keep your natural hair but also keep it looking presentable. I think that’s what the article was trying to portray. Why do you expect that you can act and look ANY KIND of way and everyone is just supposed to accept it? Uh, no!!
So an Afro is unkempt? I wonder how Angela Davis would feel about this sentiment. Even in the natural hair community there is shade. Just because a type 4 can’t rock coils like a type 3 does not mean her hair is not maintained. BTW it’s her head. She’s her own boss. How she wants to wear her hair is her business.
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No an afro isn’t unkempt but wearing your hair all over your head is. Like o_i760 said Angela Davis looked great. Just look at my avatar that’s Angela Davis. See how every hair is in place? She rocked her fro and made us feel proud.
Exactly what I was ‘trying’ to say. 🙂
Were you having problems understanding what was written? And where on earth—–did you misinterpret unkempt hair with an Afro????? What? Duh….. An Afro looks beautiful. The issue here is looking like you just rolled out of bed. BTW Angela Davis looked GREAT! and I NEVER saw an article with her hair sticking out every kind of way. She wore an average to large style Afro and she wore it well! And she kept it tidy looking. She was a lady who “represented” the people and no one was embarrassed by her appearance. It was her own business how she decided to wear her hair and she obviously decided to wear it presentable. Type 4, 5 or 6 is irrelevant. It doesn’t justify not properly taking care of your hair. To say that someone cannot “rock coils” is a copout. If someone cannot rock coils, then use your brain and rock something else…….Just look at my Avatar / That’s Angela Davis.
that is disgusting totally uncalled for, shameful
Nah. I’m not okay with this. Just pick the first celebrity you can remember that has a fro and compare it to a dogs fur? Nah
I read about this on another site. It was tasteless. Either way it goes, some of them don’t appreciate our hair and some of us don’t even appreciate our own hair. I’m sorry, but I don’t see the innocence in this at all.
I think it was innocent. Afterall everyone’s hair straight or curly can be compared to some animal’s fur. Besides, the poodle’s coat is gorgeous and so is Solanges hair. Big deal!!
The problem is, the person who made the comparison did not mean it as a compliment.
Innocence/ignorance doesn’t excuse offensiveness though.
We’ll always be the butt of their jokes whether it’s comparing our hair to animals or making fun of our features. On the other hand they are so jealous of what we have. Their behaviour just doesn’t make any sense to me.
^ I see what you did there. The “butt” of their jokes. Hilarious! Still, this isn’t as bad as the Swiffer commercial. In that spoof, a white, straight-haired lapdog went under the couch to get a toy. When it came back out, it was an entirely different variety, black, with naturally growing fur cords.
The writers blamed the dirt under the couch. I haven’t bought a Swiffer product to this day.
If this magazine has other celebrity/pet lookalikes, then it’s fine. If not, it’s a sure sign of jealousy on the part of the editors. Some things they just can’t have unless they join us, genetically speaking.
REALLY?! I have never seen that commercial! How long ago was the commercial?
They had other celeb/pet lookalikes, but they were all white and none of the other comments mentioned their hair.
I was definitely not amused, this was tasteless and insensitive. It’s garbage as a feature
I could see how this might be borderline offensive, but I don’t think the owner meant to be ….the editors use of double creature maybe a bit shady…but I think it was supposed to be cute. The dog is cute and the pic of Solange is flattering… and the guy seems happy to have a dog that looks like a star with the same hair cut.
Stace, please see my response to Tina, and apply that same advice to yourself. Have a good day!
It doesn’t matter if it’s “meant” to be or not. Intent doesn’t magically erase the history behind black people being compared to animals. I can intend to not offend someone and still do or say something offensive. What matters is the end result of what you did/said.
I think it’s a little dangerous to carelessly imply the article was racially based. Pulling the race card frivolously really takes away from the validity of serious race issues.
That being said, the original article was written to be humorous. People of various races and hair styles were likened to what most regard as lovable pets. They used a feature of each person whether it was their eyes, hair, teeth, face shape, etc. to show humorous similarities. Solange was just one of many on the comedic list.
I think creating a race baiting article for the sake of adding a new post to BGLH is what is really in poor taste. IMHO
Why is it that when someone brings to light how offensive and racially insensitive it is to compare a black person’s hair to ‘object’ and animals someone else has to decide that ‘the race card can’t be used for everything’ argument. Has anyone compared Sarah Jessica Parkers hair to a dog’s hair? Has anyone else made light of a majority white female basketball team’s hair? There are ‘attempts’ at humor, but there is also such a thing as common sense. Just because YOU find it ‘humorous’ doesn’t mean someone else does. And please, if you’re going to talk about ‘race baiting, then take a look at the current political system in this country and comment on that. There’s more than one ‘card’ in the deck and more than one way to play the game, and until you can determine who’s responsible for placing the ‘joker’ (race) in the deck, then keep your mouth shut. If you’re going to talk about race baiting and the race card, then talk about the entire game, and not just the one you personally feel comfortable with. Happy Holidays!
Good2bfree: What is so great about life is that we are all entitled to our own opinions. With this in mind, I will not challenge yours. I will, however, respond simply to correct a couple of fact based issues. There are so many articles like this one in various magazines. Google it if you would like. The majority of them include non-black comparisons. It is actually more likely that you would see a white actress in this sort of article than you would a black person. So your example of Sarah Jessica Parker actually negates your entire point.
Secondly, your use of the words race baiting unfortunately reveals that you don’t understand the meaning. Using the words improperly undermines your point as well.
I won’t go further into this because this is all becoming a bit too negative. I just hope that the conversation has shed a little light on the possibility that sometimes an article is just an article and not necessarily an attack.
Ultimately we are both passionate about the upliftment of our people. At the end of the day, that is all that matters.
You keep posting this comment about people not comparing white actors’ hair/features to [insert something offensive]. This happens all of the time! Is it still tacky and juvenile? Yes. But you don’t know what you’re talking about.
SJP has been compared to a poodle, a dog, a horse, etc. Please Google “celebrities that look like dogs.” You’ll see the following celebrities’ hair being compared to dog hair (their hair specifically): Julia Roberts, Cher, Kristen Stewart, Donald Trump, Lady Gaga, Snookie, Taylor Swift, etc,
Calm down!
SJP is white, that’s the difference. It’s not the same history. Y’all know it’s dehumanizing when black people are compared to dogs and you still act brand new and compare it to when white people are.
This difference is White actors/celebrities aren’t marginalized for their looks, natural features. Etc! It’s not race baiting when Black Afro hair has been and remains a tool used by white America to denigrate black women! Only people who don’t have to deal with race issues would think it was okay to compare Black hair to a dog’s mane! And only a Black woman who is denying how her own identity shapes this racial debate would call a comment criticizing this post as race baiting! Wake up people!
It was a stupid article for a stupid magazine. I hope no one will ever subscribe or buy this magazine again!
Well… Their hair does look alike. Just saying.
Haven’t ya’ll seen the dog with dreads like Whoopi Goldberg? Not a big deal. The hair looks the same. I don’t like that they called it “Double Creature” but everything isn’t racist. Straight blonde haired dogs look like people too.
But has anyone ever compared a white actress’ with straight blond hair to a dog’s?
Yes.
judith light! have you ever seen broad city? lol
Well well the biggest problem with your statement is HUMANS have HAIR and DOGS have FUR!!!
Okay, but when people wanna be racist, they compare black people to animals because they know that it’s dehumanising. That’s not the same as saying a white owner resembles their dog.
It is definitely tasteless, but seriously who reads this trash magazine?
While I have seen dog/owner lookalike ads, it doesn’t mean something similarly done with a black woman is funny. She did not participate in it willingly. The harm done lies in perpetuating existing falsehoods regarding the nature of our hair and it’s characteristics. As women of color learn their natural hair in record numbers, others are far behind. There is still a very real fight for acceptance of natural hair as part of who we are, not a trend or a fad so the humor is largely lost in this instance.
I’m not sure there’s illwill meant by the column, but it’s a bad move.
oh come on! There are people who match their hairstyles to their dogs all over. I’ve seen white people in real life who match their dog and it is hilarious. The column was in good spirit in my opinion. I think worrying about this is being too dramatic… I doubt they are trying to say she looks like a dog because she is natural.
Lol, but this isn’t her dog…maybe if the dog owner had said, “I love Solange, but my hair won’t do that. I was so happy when i saw my dogs hair could.” I could jump on board with ya, but naw that’s an insult in my book.
InTouch weekly is basically twinsies with toilet paper. -_-
Lol this made me LOL so hard at work! Your exactly right. That trash is only fit for toilet paper. I think this was indeed a stab at her hair. Just goes to show you how naturals are no where near as mainstream as we would like to believe.
Used* toilet paper.
Omg, love the analogy. Quick, someone make a meme with the mag next to really crappy quality toilet paper 🙂
It can be interpreted as rude, but then I am reminded of Dog Fancy’s look alike contests between pets and their owners. I can’t really tell if this was made as a joke or as something ‘cute’. And… Just because they have textured manes, doesn’t mean they look alike. I don’t see much of a resemblance. 🙂
I don’t recall seeing in the article where Solange was in a contest with her dog. Either way, the suggestion isn’t cute.