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.”

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.