Entertainment
White critics slam Beyonce’s tribute to Hollywood ‘icon’ for ‘cultural appropriation’ and ‘double standards’
Megastar Beyoncé’s latest video has sparked quite a lot of discussion as she pays homage to ’90s icon Pamela Anderson by recreating a few of her most famous looks. Many people claim that the 99-time Grammy-nominated singer is a white fisherman who intentionally dresses as a white woman and thereby appropriates her culture.
But it leaves the query: Can a naturally light-skinned Black woman help if she has Eurocentric features, or can there really be something to be said by imitating the looks of a well-liked white woman?
In a series of scenes inspired by Anderson’s character as a lifeguard on “Baywatch,” her role within the 1996 film “Barb Wire” and her memorable performance on the 1999 MTV VMAs, the Houston native captures the bombshell vibe that made Anderson a popular culture phenomenon.
Although it was a part of her Halloween look, the music video celebrates Beyoncé’s long-awaited return to musical visuals after a three-year hiatus. However, while fans celebrated her return, the tribute was not without controversy.
The music video debuted on November 5, Election Day, and included a thumbnail encouraging people to “Vote.”
The first visual from her album, “Cowboy Carter,” not only captured the message of Election Day, but additionally captured the Halloween spirit as she dressed up throughout.
In it, Beyoncé dons three iconic Anderson-inspired outfits and seemed to emulate the Canadian native’s vibe from her biggest project, including her memorable red lifeguard suit, which morphed into “Beywatch” for the singer, referencing her nickname. She also rocked a fluffy pink hat that mirrored Anderson’s VMAs style, turning it around in a way only the “Dreamgirls” actress could.
While many fans loved the tribute, Beyoncé’s outfit sparked some emotion online.
When is additional television sent photos from the music video and compared them with real images of the “Scary Movie 3” actress, people wondered.
The platinum blonde wig and makeup made her skin look noticeably lighter, prompting accusations of “whiteface” and cultural appropriation.
Some felt her appearance was an attempt to appear to be a white woman, with comments like “So white face?” and “Gross cultural appropriation” flooding social media.
The response to these replies was, “I was just thinking about that, but it’s okay for her, right? It’s really embarrassing.”
“A white man would get in trouble for this,” another person wrote.
One user asked: “Why if a white chick dresses like a black chick she gets terrorized and canceled. But if black imitates white, it’s fine.”
Another bluntly stated, “Stop trying to be white.”
One X user wrote on Twitter: “I remember when Beyonce was black. The fact that she wants to dress up as a white Canadian shows us how much SHE goes out of her way just to get the Black vote when it puts her center stage. How do you people respect a hypocrite? She wants to be white.”
I remember when Beyonce was black. The proven fact that she wants to dress up as a white Canadian shows us how much SHE goes out of her way just to get the Black vote when it puts her on center stage. How do you people respect a hypocrite? I need to be white. https://t.co/U5nXTj7McA
— TheXFactor (@DeborahTaylor01) November 5, 2024
Someone else he wrote“Cancel Beyoncé for wearing whiteface and cultural appropriation. Liberals and their double standards are bulls…. Or don’t cry when it’s the opposite way around.”
This is not the primary time Beyoncé has faced such criticism. In 2023, she wore a silver Versace gown and a platinum wig to the premiere of her film “Renaissance,” which led to some accusing her of trying to appear white and comparisons to Kim Kardashian circulating online.
The debate over her appearance continued throughout the Paris Olympics when Beyoncé portrayed Team USA in a patriotic video. Dressed in a red, white and blue leotard and with blonde hair, she received each praise and criticism from fans, however the critics’ voices were loud, with many saying she was downplaying her African-American features in exchange for Barbie’s patriotic appearance.
The “Love on Top” singer has worn blonde hair throughout her profession, dating back to her Destiny’s Child days when she sported lighter braids. However, over the past few years, people have criticized it more and more, even claiming that it could even lighten their skin.
But there are occasions when she accepts darker facial expression. Throughout her work on the film “The Lion King”, the album “The Lion King: The Gift” and its accompanying visual project “Black is King”, your complete project focused on African identity and included the Grammy-winning song “Brown Skin Girl”.
She even modified things up in 2024 for Halloween by dressing up as Mexican-American singer-actress Apollonia and Prince. The move was met with a hotter reception, with fans celebrating her portrayal as a lady of color. However, some noted that her resemblance to Apollonia wasn’t quite accurate and said she was trying to rating points along with her core fans.
She also dressed like later funk singer Betty Davis, Miles Davis’ second wife, rocking her signature afro and mimicking the quilt of her 1975 album “This Is It.”
Although there have been critical voices, on this case there have been no accusations of cultural appropriation.
Interestingly, Beyoncé’s portrayal of Anderson has attracted more attention for her uncanny resemblance to a younger Pam Anderson than Anderson herself currently does.
Now 57-year-old Pamela Anderson has opted for a more natural look, often posing without makeup and sharing posts about self-acceptance. On one Instagram postshe showed off her freckles and reflected on changing beauty standards, a stark contrast to the highly stylized look that made her famous.
Despite divided reactions, Beyoncé’s faithful got here to her defense.
In just 4 days, the video racked up over 745,000 views on YouTube – a slower start than usual for her usual explosive results, but a reminder of her lasting impact.
As Beyoncé continues to experiment along with her style and pay homage to cultural icons, the conversation about her image, identity and public perception stays as dynamic as ever.
Entertainment
Melania Trump causes drama by refusing to meet with Jill Biden After Donald Trump’s victory, fans say they ‘don’t blame her’
Former and future first lady Melania Trump will reportedly break tradition by not meeting the present first lady on the White House following Donald Trump’s victory within the 2024 presidential election.
President-elect Trump secured 312 Electoral College votes to Kamala Harris’ 226 Electoral College votes. He will officially take office on January 20. The current POTUS and FLOTUS, on this case Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, normally invite the winning family to the White House before the following inauguration.
Melania already accepted Michelle Obama’s invitation to tea on the White House in 2016 and went on a tour of the residence with Barack Obama’s wife. However, she refused to meet with Biden’s wife after the controversial 2020 race by which Trump lost.
According to New York Post OfficeMelania declined Jill’s invitation to the normal meeting, sparking speculation as to why.
“She won’t go away,” a source close to Melania told the conservative every day, citing federal law enforcement’s August 2022 snub of Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, home as the explanation.
The source added: “Jill Biden’s husband authorized the FBI to look through her underwear drawer. The Bidens are disgusting.”
Under Joe Biden, US Attorney General Merrick Garland approved a search warrant issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the Mar-a-Lago resort and residence.
A federal investigation into then-former President Trump’s illegal storage of greater than 300 secret documents at a property he owned.
The FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago led to Trump being indicted on 40 counts by special prosecutor Jack Smith and the Southern District of Florida.
However, Trump’s appointee U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the costs in July 2024, Smith appealed the decision, but Trump’s victory within the 2024 election will likely end the case.
Online, Trump supporters commented on Melania’s decision to skip the meeting with the primary lady after she skipped taking the primary photo with her family after Trump’s victory. Many of the MAGA leader’s loyal supporters praised the previous model of Slovenian origin.
“I totally agree with that. I wouldn’t date trashy Jill either.” he said one person.
“They raided her house and tried to put her husband in prison for life,” one person said wrote on X in response to the news that Melania accepted Biden’s invitation.
The other person sarcastically he wrote“I wonder why she wouldn’t want to meet someone who has been brutally attacking her family for years.”
In contrast, one other user X he asked“Does Melania feel hurt because of something that she holds a grudge against Jill?”
Someone he replied“She can’t hold a conversation. There are no original thoughts. Her “career” was taking pictures with other naked women. While she was in the hospital, her husband had sex with porn stars without a condom. BELIEFS?”
Meanwhile, one other Trump supporter decided“If your husband ordered his goons to raid my kid’s bedroom and pull out my underwear, I won’t sit down for tea with you, Jill Biden.”
But some understand Melania’s understanding. – I mean, at the very least she’s not a hypocrite. Say what you wish about this woman, but she won’t pretend to be nice when she’s been quite consistent in her criticism of the Bidens,” one person said.
In May 2024, Trump became the primary former American president to be convicted of against the law.
A New York state jury found him guilty of trying to influence the 2016 presidential election by paying “hush money” to adult film actress Stephanie “Stormy Daniels” Clifford to keep their affair a secret.
Donald and Stormy’s alleged intercourse allegedly occurred 4 months after Melania gave birth to her husband’s youngest son, Barron Trump, in 2006.
On November 12, New York Judge Juan Merchan agreed to delay ruling on the hush money case in connection with Trump’s re-election.
Melania’s relationship with her husband has been under public scrutiny for years. There were just a few instances where she seemed annoyed to be in his presence.
The 2017 inauguration went viral when Melania stopped smiling at Trump on stage and immediately began grimacing as soon as he turned his head away from her.
When Melania introduced Donald at a MAGA leader’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York in October, viewers found their attempted kiss on stage awkward.
Additionally, social media users recently questioned why the Novo Mesto-born political wife didn’t appear in a post-election family photo shared by Trump’s 17-year-old granddaughter, Kaia Trump.
Although the New York Post reports that Melania refused to appear with Biden on the White House in connection with the Mar-a-Lago raid, CNN Claimed sources cite a previous “scheduling conflict” as the explanation for the rejection.
Although then-first lady Michelle Obama hosted Melania for tea and gave her a tour of the White House residence after Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, Melania didn’t provide Jill with the identical peaceful transition of power after the 2020 election. Both Trumps also left Biden’s 2021 inauguration ceremony in Washington, DC
Despite losing greater than 60 lawsuits filed by his campaign, then-President Trump insisted that the 2020 election results were tainted by his false claims of widespread voter fraud.
Entertainment
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama joins elite company (*82*) 82 games in the NBA
SAN ANTONIO (AP) San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama had one other monster performance that put him in the record books in impressive company.
Wembanyama had 34 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Sacramento Kings 116-96 on Monday night.
It was Wembanyama’s 82nd profession game, helping the 7-foot-3 French No. 1 pick in 2023 play a full season of games.
With his stellar performance, Wembanyama joined Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Blake Griffin and Sidney Wicks as the only players in league history to amass 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists in their first 82 games.
Experienced playmaker Chris Paul believes the league has yet to see Wembanyama’s best performance.
“I wish you could see the work you do day in and day out,” veteran Spurs point guard Chris Paul said. “You understand how talented he’s, but he has the will to wish to improve. His willingness to work on things. The more games we play, I feel we’ll all get to know one another higher.
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Wembanyama was named Rookie of the Year and finished second to compatriot Rudy Gobert for Defensive Player of the Year last season. In 71 games, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and led the league with a median of three.6 blocks.
In addition to his 4.0 block average, his stats are a bit down this season, but he’s feeling higher (*82*) an extended summer spent helping France win silver at the Paris Olympics.
Wembanyama had 24 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks in Saturday’s 111-110 loss to Utah. He set a profession high for 3-pointers by going 6-of-9 against the Jazz.
It was Wembanyama’s third profession game, in which he scored 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five three-pointers. That’s the most in league history, surpassing Boston center Kristaps Porzingis’ two such games.
Wembanyama made 6 of 12 3-pointers against the Kings, a career-high.
After a slow start that saw his three-point shooting drop to 25%, Wembanyama is 14-of-27 from three-point range over the last three games.
“I just hit better threes,” Wembanyama said. “Yes, of course, I feel better. I’m 20 years old and I hope to feel better over the next few years. There is no reason to feel worse.”
Entertainment
‘Glee’ star Lea Michele’s ‘racist’ past comes to light as fans link it to Keke Palmer’s allegations that the ‘Scream Queens’ co-star made a racist remark on set
Actress Keke Palmer has made an impact on Hollywood over the years. In addition to being an actress who gained acclaim from audiences on each the big and small screen, she made history by becoming the youngest person to turn into a talk show host, playing the first Black Cinderella on Broadway, the first Black woman to host the VMAs, and most recently, the first brand director of Crème of Nature.
Now he’s adding writer to his resume with a latest book, “Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative,” published by Flatiron Books.
In her latest memoir, the Illinois native talks about many things from her life, including one experience on a TV set that she held close to her chest.
In the book, Palmer recounted a disturbing moment on “Scream Queens” when a white star – whom she calls “Brenda” – uttered something at her that Palmer found offensive.
“Scream Queens,” which aired for 2 seasons from 2015 to 2016, starred Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele and Palmer.
According to Palmer, there was a misunderstanding on set and the Emmy winner tried to smooth things over. When she turned to “Brenda,” who was really upset, and asked if everyone could “have fun and respect each other,” it pissed her friend off.
“Keke, literally, just don’t do it. Who do you think you are? Martin F. Luther King?” Palmer remembers “Brenda” yelling at her.
“It was a very important thing she said, but I didn’t let that burden be put on me because I know who I am.” -Palmer – he says in his memoirs. “I’m no victim. That’s not my story, honey. I do not care what her ass said. If I let what she said cripple me, it will.
Palmer refused to reveal “Brenda’s” real identity to take away from her words. However, fans online have began investigating the matter and consider they’ve identified the unnamed actress.
Internet sleuths suspect the mystery co-star is none apart from former “Glee” star Lea Michele.
“It was Lea Michele,” one person wrote on Twitter after discovering that Keke Palmer doesn’t follow Lea Michele on Instagram, though she follows her fellow stars Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd.
It was Lea Michele https://t.co/ws89belMZN pic.twitter.com/i9ZtM0gXoG
— ✿ well ✿ (@dojasbin) November 11, 2024
“This explains why Keke and her didn’t share screen time in Season 2,” one other person said as well as.
Other super sleuths said they would not be surprised if Lea Michele was the perpetrator, pointing to her sketchy past with Blacks on set.
“I would not be surprised if it was really her. Just read what her Glee co-stars said,” one fan said he wrote.
“OMG I know why Amber Riley was right, Lea was bad acting.” he said other.
“We have been known and this is not the first time she has done this to a black woman as part of the RM (Ryan Murphy) project.” he said third person.
In the past, Lea Michele has faced many accusations of racism from her former colleagues.
In June 2020, after being posted by Lea Michele tweet supporting Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd, her Season 6 co-star Samantha Ware posted a scathing tweet.
“Lmao, I remember when my first TV appearance turned into hell,” Ware replied. “Because I’ll always remember. I believe you told everyone that if you happen to had the likelihood, you’d “shit in my wig!” Among other traumatic microaggressions that made me query a profession in Hollywood.
Ware’s Twitter thread quickly attracted the attention of other Black actresses who got in Michele’s way. Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Michele on “The Mayor,” and Alex Newell, who worked with Michele on “Glee,” shared their accounts of distasteful interactions with the actress.
Days after Ware’s viral tirade, Michele issued an apology, also noting that she had no memory of the “wig” incident.
“Whether it was my privileged position and point of view that caused me to be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate at times, or whether it was simply my immaturity and I simply caused unnecessary difficulties, I am sorry for my behavior and for any pain that has caused I caused it,” he added. Michele shared this via an Instagram post. “We can all grow and change, and I have definitely used these few months to reflect on my own shortcomings. … I have listened to this criticism and I am learning, and although I am very sorry, I will be better because of this experience in the future.”
In one other interview with DiversityWare delved into the details of Michele’s abuse, revealing that Michele “told me to shut up” and tried to get her fired after telling her she didn’t deserve her role on “Glee.”
“As soon as she decided she didn’t like me, it was very obvious,” Ware said. “It was after my first performance and that’s when it started – silence, stares, stares, under-the-breath comments and a strange passive aggressiveness. It all built up.”
“Does Lea even know what a microaggression is? I do not know. Her apology only confirmed that she had learned nothing. Am I calling Lea a racist? NO. Does Lea have racist tendencies? “I think Lea suffers from symptoms of living in this world, in an industry geared towards white people.”
According to the father of late “Glee” actress Naya Rivera, who unintentionally drowned in 2021 at the age of 33, Lea Michele and his daughter “hated each other.”
“There was always a fight between them. Always. Everyone knew. Everyone saw it.” he said Jerzy Rivera.
Apparently, certainly one of the black stars defended Michele. Live on Instagram interviewWhen asked if she thought Lea Michele was a racist, “Glee” star Amber Riley replied, “I won’t say Lea Michele is a racist. That’s not what I’m saying. “That was the assumption because of what’s going on in the world right now, and it happened to a black person.”
However, Riley clarified her statements during a sit-down with Ziwe in 2022. When asked if Riley believed Michele was blind to race and was equally rude to all solid members, Riley replied, “I believe she would probably say she’s blind to race, but like we mentioned earlier, everyone sees her.”
She also added that Lea Michele contacted her to apologize.
“She came up to me. I answered her. That’s where it ends for me,” she said. “I haven’t talked to this girl in two years. I harbor no hatred or ill will in this regard. … This is the first and last time I will say anything.”
Similarly, Palmer claims she hasn’t spoken to Lea Michele either. During a 2021 appearance on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” Palmer was asked if she was still in touch along with her “Scream Queens” co-star, to which she replied, “I have not talked to her for a minute, now that you brought it up. I say, man, where’s Leah? Where is Lea?
According to IMDb, since “Scream Queens” ended, Palmer has worked on 25 different film and tv projects, with 10 planned for this 12 months and 2025.
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