by
Klassy Kinks
In today’s cultural appropriation news, Mane Addicts, a pretty popular hair related blog, thought that Marc Jacobs’ fashion show hairstylist Guido Palau invented bantu knots, and decided to give them a new name: twisted mini buns. The fail is that Mane Addicts didn’t realize (or chose to ignore) that black folks been wearing bantu knots/chiny bumps since the beginning of time. To add insult to injury, the blog tutorial also recommended to  “pair the hairstyle with ‘tribal inspired makeup'”.
This isn’t the first, nor will it be the last time, that white America has tried to take a historically black hairstyle and pretend to have invented it (remember Marie Claire + Kendall Jenner?), but this might be the first time they actually realized their mishap. Apparently #BlackTwitter (and #BlackInstagram) scared the hell out of Mane Addicts, because they’ve since taken down their original post.
Tell them @youlovesmeisha @RStewartJewelry @marcjacobs cultural appropriation.
— Nan Hayes (@hayes_nan) May 26, 2015
And now that Bantu knots have officially been renamed “twisted mini buns” I think I’ll go ahead and follow through with my suicide.
— t? (@BloodyKnuckls) May 25, 2015
So @maneaddicts is praising @marcjacobs for discovering Bantu Knots?! #culturevulturesonthemove! Stop appropiating black culture.
— Deborah Conton (@deeeebo_x) May 26, 2015
@ManeAddicts your post on the “Marc Jacobs inspired ‘mini buns'” are ACTUALLY called BANTU KNOTS. Respect their African roots. Look it up.
— Keyzee Okonma (@FBliss6) May 26, 2015
Dear @maneaddicts surely you meant Bantu Knots when describing this hairstyle on the @marcjacobs models #learntoday https://t.co/TRf2IabpFy
— Keri Henderson (@DivaStateMind) May 26, 2015
What the heck is next with the beauty industry copping our hairstyles without giving us credit?! Kim Kardashian is going to get some crochet braids and white America is going to call them Kimmy Extensions. #youhearditherefirst
Ladies, what are your thoughts on this fiasco?
31 Responses
waitaminute: these are not bantu knots, those are “twisted mini buns”. that shaggy, wispy mess–with choppy bangs, no less–is atrocious. Palau and Jacobs can have it.
……but when you stop to think about it? are bantu knots really ours, or did they develop simultaneously/independently in Asia and Africa? I mean, why did we call them “China bumps” in the first place? are these proven to have Bennett a pre-colonial African hairstyle? where did Asian women get this style? they are known for very elaborate styling too.
Over the years men’s hair styles have changed drastically. Some that worked and some that, well, are questionable. However, what are the 100 Best Hair Styles for men in 2015?
http://lifetailored.com/style/grooming/best-mens-haircuts-short-medium-long-curly-hair/
Bantu knots look so much more chic on us, but that’s just my personal opinion. They don’t translate into straight thin hair very well for styling purposes.
If white people consider black people ignorant and savage why are you so obsessed with us? You go to complain to the world that you inveted everything, then why certain always you try to appropriate the black figure?The truth you hate us but you’re obsessed with us ! If white people feel so omnipotent in this world you must have at least the dignity of not being so hypocritical!
What pisses me off is that the owner of that blog is kim kardashians makeup artist and her son is half black. Just to show you these white women want nothing more from black men but s3x. You lay on your back for a black man and have his child but you don’t teach your self about black culture etc.
What pisses me off is that the owner of that blog is kim kardashians makeup artist and her son is half black. Just to show you these white women want nothing more from black men but s3x. You lay on your back for a black man and have his child but you don’t teach your self about black culture etc.
Oh please…until marc jacobs, and all the other white high end brands start selling foundation darker than a paperbag, buzz off #teamnotopressedbymyhairanymore
White people are too exhausting I swear.
Europeans have a history which goes back centuries for cultural appropriation. This was my topic for my dissertation when doing my degree in Fashion. They descend on our clubs to find out the latest dance craze. They visit our neighbourhoods to see what we are wearing on the streets. They go to our(what use to be)record stores to hear what music we are listening to. They listen to the way we talk, our accents, lingo, the way we sing then appropriate those things. The hairstyles the women are wearing in the post already did it’s round when Bork Bjorn and other European artists wore them back in the early 90’s. A French braid is called so because our Ancestors imitated the hairstyle on European hair during slavery. They recreate our traditional medicines. The only time they talk/write about us in an historical context is when they are discussing slavery. The fashion world are aware of where the hairstyle originates it’s just that they are not good at giving credit where it’s due. I can never in my life time imagine that Europeans will truly recognise our contributions to their societies.
And it goes beyond culture–I ran into a White man the other day that was under the impression that White people invented Medicine, Astronomy, Written Word, and a plethora of other things. This is what they are taught of themselves, and what they are taught of us! We are worth far more than our aesthetic, which they hate to admit they want!
Omg—someone actually knows about Chiney Bump!!!
This whole thing is hysterical to read. My mom used to cal them that!
These fashion mags do this over and over and over and over again.
They.do.not.care. and I’m glad their asses get called out for it. They could not do more to show that they do not value black people and especially black women, just whatever feature or style we create and eventually tickles their fancy. I used to be pretty interested in fashion but I was done when I finally realized how racist and messed up the industry is.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………white……………………………………………………………………………………………………people………………………………………………………………….*sigh*………………………………..
Lol Kimmy exstentions ????????….too funny
Fucking white people. smh.
And to think… I used to hear people say that Black people have no culture…….I guess that’s because everyone else tries to steal it
Whites have always Whitewashed, or stolen our culture we should have learned this the moment they told you Whites are native to North Africa LMAO!! This just proves their thieving nature.
Soon they gonna “discover a picked out afro and dark skin, put it on white bodies as “oh so fashionable ” but ugly on us. White people stop. Just stop.
They’ve done that already with the perms and spray tans
You called it! Lol You’ve post this 6 months ago..Lol since then a magazine has done the afro and twist I think..Lol Look at the beauty market now. Butters and oils are in everything because black women are embracing their beauty more than ever now and they of course FOLLOW along. It’s crazy that ppls actual career is to stalk us. I know they be on YouTube obsessing over us. I wonder how much they make. #stalkingisacareerswhilebeingwhite
I don’t know if you guys know this, but after the initial backlash a lot of naturals posted selfies wearing bantu knots to Mane’s fb page. Go there now and they have deleted all past posts and comments to their page! It’s crazy that instead of acknowledging their mistake, they are trying to make it seem like it never happened.
You’re right! I never heard of Mane Addict until now. I went to the site to see if the original post was back, but it’s gone. There was an older post about the beauty of afros, though. Apparently, “Blondes and brunettes alike have sported this look” (followed by two white models in fashion shows). Interesting.
Marc Jacobs didn’t “inspire” bantu knots anymore than he inspired cornrows, or any other hairstyle that black people have been wearing for centuries. Anyone claiming otherwise is clearly running out of their own ideas. squint emoticon
Well i saw an article yesterday citing white women as the frontier forgers of the natural hair movement and of their finally embracing their curvy bodies and full lips. I can’t make this up.
WHAT?! Where?
Maybe it’s better we don’t know.
Wow! These people are insane.
Huh? I know this post is old..but how? These ppl are delusional.
Typical, I’m not surprised anymore. They did the same things about Timberlands and cornrows and Kendall Jenner..
I say round of applause for the community shutting it down. Though off topic, I’d love to see our voices have the same affect on movies and shows that white wash our culture