Yesterday, I covered Zendaya Coleman’s Vivienne Westwood dress at the Oscars. Z also sported some fresh dreadlocks, which were part of her red carpet look. The dreadlocks are gorgeous, and Zendaya wears them well.
On yesterday’s edition of Fashion Police, Giuliana Rancic mocked the dreads. This Vine video shows Rancic saying, “I feel like she …. she smells like petroleum patchouli oils, or weed. Maybe weed.” Zendaya penned a response:
There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful. Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that left me in awe. Not because I was relishing in rave outfit reviews, but because I was hit with ignorant slurs and pure disrespect. To say that an 18 year old young woman witl locs must smell of pachouli oil or “weed” is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive. I don’t usually feel th need to repond to negative things but certain remarks cannot go unchecked. I’ll have you know my father, brother, best childhood friend and little cousins all have locs. Do you want to know what Ava DuVernay (director of the Oscar nominated film Selma), Ledisi (9 time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter and actress), Terry McMillan (author), Vincent Brown (Professor African and African American studies at Harvard University, and an MA and PhD from Yale University) as well as many other men [women] and children of all races have in common? Locs. None of which smell like [marijuana]. There is already harsh criticism of African Amercian hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of thei hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind peole of color that our hair is good enough. To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion’s mane. I suggest some people listen to India Arie’s “I Am Not My Hair” and contemplate a little before opening your mouth so quickly to judge.
[From Zendaya on Twitter]
Zendaya’s response is perfect. She has a good head on her shoulders and dealt similarly in the past with the Aaliayah biopic scandal. Here, Z calmly and rationally called out Rancic for a ridiculous generalization. For what it’s worth, Rancic has “apologized” if anyone was offended.
Dear @Zendaya, I'm sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!
— Giuliana Rancic (@GiulianaRancic) February 24, 2015
Eh. The damage is done. Rancic didn’t think before speaking. She wasn’t talking about some “bohemian chic” stuff. She drew the connection between dreadlocks, Bob Marley, and marijuana and applied it to anyone with dreadlocks. There’s some hypocrisy too — people aren’t buying Rancic’s apology. They’re calling out Rancic on Twitter, especially because Kylie Jenner’s recent dreadlocks (and Lady Gaga’s) were treated much differently on E!
Gaga wore dreads. edgy and cool. Kylie wore dreads. edgy and cool. Zendaya pays tribute to someone, she smells like weed.
— skittles. (@chasemylovex) February 24, 2015
when Kylie Jenner got dreads they were "edgy" and "urban". Yet when Zendaya got them, they smell like "weed & oil". THIS IS WHY WE GET MAD.
— aquatic mistress (@momodamermaid) February 24, 2015
Photos courtesy of Zendaya Coleman on Twitter & WENN
My immediate reaction to this was “hippie” dirty disgusting hippies. I could see were people could get offended tho.
Why was that your immediate reaction? Do you know from where those hippies “culturally approbated” those dreads? The origins of style does not being and end at the white person rockin’ it.
I’m leaving.
Applauses!
*claps hands*
seriously. I don’t even know how to respond to some of the posts, riddled with total ignorance.
@Pinky take me with you LOL, I can see where this thread is going *grabs handbag*
You probably mean “appropriated” because “approbated” means approved or sanctioned. Hippies are associated with patchouli so it’s a valid thought.
Bravo Pinky! You said it all and succinctly as well.
“Culturally approbated”? Lol!! That means culturally sanctioned, fyi.
@ Pink + 1,000,000!! Wow!
It’s sad that in 2015 ignorance still rules.
Green Eyes
1. Happy to see you back. Long time fan of your posts.
2. How is stating your opinion ignorance in this situation?
They’re stating where their thoughts go. Not from hate. We all instantly judge eachother within moments of meeting. And more often than people will admit they can be racists. It’s a truth of the world.
When I see dreads I think “liberal arts degree” because that’s my association. Snow’s is hippie. The dirty aspect is from a lack of grooming which is the origin of the hairstyle. I didn’t read “criminal”, “black”, or “smoker” in snow’s comment. Only assessment. And they are not so ignorant and closed minded to not see how this can be offensive.
Judgement goes by many names. Some get praised and ssome get shunned, but all are judgement.
Just dropping by quickly to point out that white people having dreads is not necessarily “cultural appropriation.” My hair dreads naturally, it’s so course and curly, I have to go through a painful paddling process every night to keep it from dreading. Lately, I’ve been saying ‘screw it’ and letting it do it’s thing. But I’m white. I’m not appropriating anything, I’m just trying to rock what the good Lord gave me 🙂 That being said, what Rancic said was stupid and offensive.
@florc, puzzled by your comment. you think locks origins from “a lack of grooming”? Its origins are political and religious in non western cultures. the liberally arts thing you are talking about seems to be a modern day american fashion statement and maybe you have encountered people who didn’t wash that wore locks but that has nothing to do with the origins of locks.
Locks, especially well maintained locks, like zenadaya needs a lot of up keep and grooming, a lot more than your regular wash and go.
I’ll drive.
Really? Why? My immediate reaction to her on the red carpet was who is she? She’s very pretty, love the hair but what stylist let such a pretty stylish girl leave the house in that monstrosity of a dress.
SnowGlow
I get what you’re saying without smelling blood in the water and going for an easy attack.. Cough.
I went to a very liberal university for undergrad and I always associate dreads with that blended smell of patch/weed/sandalwood. Everyone had them. Dreads are more associated with hippies, ethic groups, lifestyles, than many will admit for fear of coming off racist or stereotyping. The hairstyle came about for function and reason. It was prevalent because of a lack of grooming. Things are different now, but that is the root of it (unintended pun).
It’s all in your surroundings an perception. It’s that simple. You can view a hairstyle and link it to something without being racist or hateful.
To the dreads and Rancic. The dreads are amazing! Very well executed. Rancic rarely thinks before she speaks so i’m not shocked at this. It’s still pretty bad. Though Zendaya is showing herself to be a lovely and well put together woman that speaks so well and carries herself so well.
HAHAHA, people of different races/cultures have been wearing their hair in dreads for millenia, and “lack of grooming” is NOT the reason! Are you an anthropologist? Because I am, and you would hear a lot of laughter if you said that uneducated BS in a room full of us. But by all means, go with whatever you can pull out of your backside to justify your ignorant, reactionary attitude.
You’re attempting to paint yourself as intelligent and want people to listen to your esteemed opinion on the “origin” of dreadlocked hair, yet you’re so ignorant that you can’t even step out of your own preconceived notions, however incorrect they may be. Why would anyone listen to you?
“You can view a hairstyle and link it to something without being racist or hateful.”
How is that? You KNOW that your view is incorrect, or at least you would if you read a book or possessed critical thinking skills (defending your willfully ignorant opinion as not “hateful” is symptomatic of immature cognition) yet you still choose to have and defend it. That’s your choice. You WANT to see people that way. It says a lot more about your personality and mindset than it says about people who twist their hair.
Ignorance is NOT bliss
I have a degree in cultural anthropology (my degrees are in comparative religion, cultural anthropology, and I have an MD in Psychiatry) and while yes, poor grooming is NOT one of the reasons dreadlocks or jata exist, I think I would have have refrained from being mean spirited in my response and used the moment to educate rather than denigrate.
@RosettaStoned– FLORC was referring to the root of the stereotype. People are allowed to have their own viewpoints and opinions. Jeez, someone pissed in your Cheerios this morning.
Please take 20 minutes out of your life to tell me what a terrible person I am and how a room full of anthropologists would disagree with my ignorant statements.
I think Rosetta Stoned was harsh to the point of losing her message, which is unfortunate because aside from the personal attack she’s right.
Also this young woman is totally gorgeous with absolutely beautiful dreadlocks!
(*sighs) And this knee jerk reaction is EXACTLY why we as a society still have so very very far to go.
Yes, it’s called profiling. We are at a stage in our society where we recognize that profiling exists, might even be natural, but still something we should re-train ourselves to avoid. Most people do not want to be reactionary. Better to cut it off at the pass and learn to be more cerebral. It really isn’t any different than assuming a person with darker skin wearing a hoodie is automatically a thug or up to no good. I can understand profiling – we were taught profiling whether intentional or not and we’re young in moving away from that type of thinking, but I cannot understand defending profiling.
When I think of someone whose hair looks dirty and smelling of pot & patchouli oil, I think of Johnny Depp.
they really don’t look good, imho. But it’s her business.
Exactly! They look dirty on everybody who chooses to wear them, male & female, black & white, child & adult. They look like your scalp would itch constantly
Her hair doesn’t look dirty in the slightest. Her dreads look clean, polished, neat, sophisticated, shiny, and luscious.
I really had better leave before I Hulk out.
Agreed @Pinky.
& you would know that because you got to rock them? The human race is diverse & that is the beauty of it. Maybe it is time we learn to do just that.
@Pinky
100%
Such a rude and disgusting comment.
@Pinky what’s hilarious to me is that they aren’t even dreadlocks, they’re faux locs so comments about them looking dirty to me are funny. She’ll probably have them out by the end of the week, she’s been changing up her hairstyles a lot lately.
Let’s see they look dirty,itchy…
Funny I hear that about Afros,locs,braids,twists…
Coincidence?
Agreed, I wanted to type out a long response, but with some people it’s just not worth it. They HAD to know that a comment like that would be perceived as offensive and they chose to type it anyway. Which means they won’t be open-minded about it no matter the response.
I think she looks pretty and immaculate.
The hair looks fine to me. Just because someone is sporting dreads doesn’t mean they are dirty or unclean.
That would be your opinion, Tristan. Her locs don’t look dirty in the least and either do the locs of anyone I know who has them.
Actually her dreads don’t even look real – far too equal and perfect – I suspect they are just pre made extensions, which sort of defeats the whole point of dreads. And lets be honest folks real dreads do smell abit fusty.
We all have a right to our opinion. I don’t like stringy dirty greasy straight hair dyed blonde with two inches of dark roots.
I have worn an afro, braids, a fade, a relaxer and locks. FYI: Locks take the most work to manage. They have to be washed often and twisted.
Are there people whose locks are dirty and smell? I would imagine with all hair, (regardless of texture) there are people who lack hygiene and their hair smells. When I envision a person whose hair smells like pot:, a pothead comes to my mind. It has nothing to do with race or hair texture. It has to do with lifestyle.
Some dreads look dirty.her’s look clean and silky.
And yes. Some dreads smell so terribly.
crtb
I dated a guy in school nick named “nugz”. He had a wealthy family and was very good looking. He also lived up to his nickname and had dreads that smelled like rancid weed. We dated once he removed the dreads. I would gag, but he and his roommates were use to the odor as it was about the same as the house they rented.
Then there was a store owner of a local hippie style shop. He was white, well spoken and generally great guy. His hair stunk though. It was a process of his religion/beliefs to not wash his hair and instead he used oils and constant insense to mask the smell for customers.
I think people need to simmer down on this. We’re all coming from a different backround and some people generally hate dreads. A friend has issue with the texture and drives her batty with her ocd and textures.
I agree with my buddy minx, she looks pretty and immaculate. Perfectly stated.
Oh, WOW! Amazing how many people loooooove to spout willful ignorance. I know about Caucasian hair and don’t judge. Wish you would check the Google and learn about mine!
Are you looking at the same picture that I am?? Because her locs look well groomed, shiny and CLEAN. As someone who wore my hair loc’d for MANY years, the idea that locs are dirty and smell like “patchouli and weed” (WTF) is offensive. Deeply so. In a time when they are now commonplace, it amazes me that people still think this way. And the ignorance doesn’t just come from “non-ethnic” people, but from black people as well. These dusty, outdated stereotypes need to left in the past. Come join us in 2015, won’t you please?
What????
You condemn every dreadlock in existence?
Go back to your cave.
@Florc white people generally think that dreads mean “don’t wash your hair and don’t comb it” and that’s why their “dreads” are ugly and smell. Their hair type wasn’t meant to be dreadlocked so that’s why it looks so bad and now ignorant people connect dreads with smelly hippies. Just because your boyfriend didn’t know how to take care of his hair (because it wasn’t his culture) it doesn’t mean that black people who correct wear them correctly don’t either.
Anna
He did know. The time to grown out the hair and then get it done was a lot.
He just smoked a lot and got lazy.
Dread locks take a lot to keep up if you wish to maintain them. I’m not arguing they’re a default hairstyle for all those who give up conditioner and combs.
And it’s not just white people that think this way. It’s just focused more coming from them.
People are tossing around ignorance here and it bothers.You can be ignorant of a hair style you’ve only ever known to be associated with negative stereotypes. You can be ignorant to why people would want it today or why Zendaya wanted it. That doesn’t make you hateful or racist though and many here are posting comments like it’s a direct link. It’s not.
I’m white. I’ve seen more white people wearing dreads than non-white. The majority being in Denmark. I know how costly and time consuming it can be to have them. It’s a hairstyle you have to commit to.
Anna
I do appreciate your post and being so well spoken on your point.
I thought her hair looked beautiful and was fascinated by the zig zag part. And she wore it with such confidence and happiness.
Agreed, her hair looks beautiful and not dirty in the least. They don’t look like the dreads that I’ve seen in my life. My brother in law had them for years and yes his were dirty and smelly, they were not neat looking like hers.
i´m no fan of dreadlocks either, but this girl (sorry don´t know who she is) is so beautiful that her hairstyle doesn´t matter.
One of my fellow students had one(!) dreadlock (is this the single form?) back in the day. He looked idiotic with it, but he obviously liked it and that is all that matters!
Elly
Disney star.
Recently launched in the gossip headlines as she was cast as Aaliyah in the Lifetime bio pick. Then there was backlash because allegedly (?) Aaliyah’s family and not allegedly people were saying she wasn’t black enough to play the late pop icon. She’s half bi racial.
She was weell spoken and handled the whole situation with such poise.
How can someone be “half bi-racial”?
Jaye
Typo. I think I was caught between half black and bi racial.
They don’t look good with the dress. They are too long.
Show me a chart that proves this empirically or SIT DOWN AND LEARN FROM THE GODDESS.
It’s one thing to say you don’t like a hairstyle. It’s another to praise white women for a historically black hairstyle to then go on and insult an actual black woman for the exact same hairstyle. Also, I don’t remember anyone saying Jennifer Aniston smelled like weed with her funky looking dreads she sported years and years ago.
It’s about the connotation and stereotype projected onto the black girl that is offensive, not that she didn’t like the style. It was fine when she said it looked heavy for her look. What she smells like is a whole other line crossing.
That tweet saying THIS IS WHY WE GET MAD is perfect.
*claps hands*
I cannot fathom Rancic making the same comment about Jen A. or Shakira wearing dreads (both have)… nor can I imagine her making that comment to a woman of Toni Morrisons’ stature.
Which is funny, since by some accounts J. Aniston is a big pothead, or used to be.
Bravo! Anyone saying that this “isn’t about race” needs to read your comment. You are totally correct. I really don’t want to tear other women apart, but this heifer makes me want to call her all kinds of terrible names because she is so vacant, shallow, and ignorant!
+1000.
Thank you.
Why are we getting all wound up over dreads that aren’t even real. A few weeks ago she had a damn pixie cut. Oh look she’s culturally appropriating Julie Andrews! Calm down everybody. This is weave that people are getting wound up about. My only issue is that she’s teeny tiny and I feel like that much hair overwhelms her.
Joy
Not the point. The point is how Rancic spoke of the dreads.
So if the hair was real it makes it less offensive that she was insulted for wearing it this way when these same women gushed about the style on white women? Hmmm, okay. Yup, nothing to see here folks. Pretend this doesn’t happen everyday so we can all sing kumbayah and get along.
Point missed. Entirely.
Amy
I think more to the point Rancic has her bills paid by E! and they have their bills paid by the K clan. They aren’t going to talk poorly about a breadwinner on air.
Agree with Lana and pinky. They don’t look good and it has NOTHING to do with cleanliness, etc. I believe they are just to large in size…maybe in length also. I’m not a fan of jumbo braids either.
She and outfit are beautiful otherwise.
I love it when the person who gets bullied flips it and shows how stupid the bully is. Love it! !
But we should be careful to not become the bullies.
Rancic is an air-head. At this point, that show is scrambling to come up with the most offensive things to generate controversy and relevancy, which they fail miserably every.time. Zendaya comes across as very classy and mature for her age, you keep doing you girl!
Only Joan could get away with “mean-isms”. For some reason an older “tell it like I see it” person can have that type of humor and it’s not cruel, just a generational shock reaction. For a woman of Joan’s generation, the association with dreads and weed its funny, but for a younger woman, like RAnsic or even the new red haired lady, it just comes off as bullying.
Homegrrrlll
That’s because Joan executed it in such a witty way. And would follow it up with something smart and nice. 1 in a million she was.
Rancic has a type of humor and way of speaking that seems like she only has to say half a thought and finish it with “you know”. For others to fill in the rest. That’s my impression.
And Kathy Griffin tried to reel in Rancic. She tried to ignore the rest and drift to how pot is legal i lots of places. She did not reinforce her statement. She’s no Joan, but she could be worse.
I think she looks beautiful.
I’m really disliking *Rancid. She just sounds so mean and nasty then a judge of fashion.
*not a typo
She’s no Joan and I doubt she’ll get a pass for this kind of “humor”.
I hope E calls her on this. Guilana is in desperate need of a time out. Enough.
I call her Rancid too-LOL!! That comment only proves that her body isn’t the only thing that is anorexic.
True. She’s just awful.
Starving the body does also starve the brain. And the mind starves without being used. It’s a true statement.
Zendaya is beautiful and has a great head on her shoulders. No need to backtrack, G. We all know what you meant subconciously.
SIDENOTE: Momodamermaid (one of the tweeters shown above) is an amazing spoken word artist. I interned in DC in an area that shared a space with the DC Youth Slam Team and had the pleasure of watching her and her friends perform. I highly recommend all of you look up the poem “Waters” by DC Youth from last year’s BNV.
Zendaya has a new, permanent fan.
Word!
Great response from Zendaya! If Rancic wasn’t so insular and preoccupied with trying the fashionista bitchy she might be aware that all kinds of people wear dreads and for a long time now.
Oh, please. Hasn’t Zendaya ever heard of Rastafarianism, if that’s the correct name, a religion which prescribes dreads and considers weed a sacrament? (They also think Haile Selassi was a prophet, and the Pope the anti-Christ, but that’s a topic for another day.) Why are people so touchy all the time? If you must complain, please pick up a newspaper or an encyclopedia first, or ask your agent, to make sure there isn’t a totally innocent way to construe the remark that has your undies in a bundle. That, or get a sense of humor.
Did you read those tweets? Where the famous white girls get labeled “edgy” by Rancic when they rock the dreads, but the (half) black girl is labeled a pothead/Rasta (or “dirty hippie” as others on here like to point out). And, yeah, part of the point is that she’s NOT a Rasta, even though she’s of color.
Black people who wear their hair in locs or in any other style that showcases their hair’s natural state is always unfairly targeted and stereotyped as “dirty,” “unprofessional” and many other negative things. As many people have pointed out, white people who do the same thing get praised for being “cool” and “edgy.” Rastafarianism or not, she was still stereotyped. If you can’t see the problem with that, then that’s on you but i’m not black so i’m gonna step back and let someone else take the mic if they so wish.
Why weren’t Lady Gaga or one of those Kartrashian girls attacked like this when they were wearing dreads?
Lol, so they invented the hairstyle according to you, eh?
No black tribe ever wore them before/after Rastafarism became a way of life either, i guess?
& which part of locks being worn in her family did you miss? Or the fact that the “less” well-done version on Kylie’s head was called “edgy” by the same wannabe “fashion expert”? Sensitivity chip dear, sensitivity chip.
There’s sensitive and then there’s over sensitive. Why don’t you take one or two of yours out? Also, I didn’t say invent, I said prescribe. Dictionary dear, dictionary.
So because one religion does it, everyone who wears their hair like that must be doing so for that reason? Your comment doesn’t even make sense.
Sure it does: 1) Not all Rastas are black; 2) being a Rasta is nothing to be ashamed of–it’s not like their faith tells them to go out and behead people; 3) non-Rastas who originally adopted the style in the 70s, along with weed and patchouli oil, did so because it was hip; 4) if you’re going to adopt the style, you should learn its history so that you don’t take offense where clearly none was offered.
Except the style she’s adopting has nothing to do with the Rasta religion, you merely believe that and are using it as an excuse because she’s a woc. Nice try.
What’s a “woc”? Never heard the term before. I’m not saying she is a Rasta, just that that is how the style became popular in the US. If Rancic’s remark is something to get upset about, I guess major discrimination must be over, and nitpicking is all we can come up with.
Angie, a “woc” is a woman of color. Aside from that, your argument makes no sense. Major discrimination is very much a real, every day problem that POC who wear their hair in its natural state have to deal with. From being profiled by police to being passed over for jobs, it’s not something of the past and it certainly isn’t “nitpicking” when people get upset about someone making a stereotypical remark that has very real consequences in life.
Assuming a person’s hair is dirty or smells based on their hairstyle can be a form of discrimination.There have been people who have been asked to leave schools, jobs ,etc because of wearing ” natural ” hairstyles.There are people who are harassed by police,store owners, based on their hairstyles.
#Happytobenappy
Rastafarians did not invent locks.
Samtha
The history and origins of the dread locks are very interesting. dating back further than many would think. Even Samson’s hair were dread locks that Delilah cut off.
Excusing an ignorant (at best) or racist (at worst) comment by leaning on historical definitions is a tired way addressing how crappy Rancic sounded. Many stereotypes can be connected to various so-called truths, but that doesn’t mean the stereotype is the rule; it is oversimplification at its worst. Rancic made a stupid statement — made even worse by her own recent description of dreads as “edgy” — and her lame-ass apology is ridiculous.
Major admiration for Zendaya! You gotta love a young woman who has more public composure and stronger communication skills than a pro. Go Zendaya!
you should come out more and introduce yourself to humans. Not all dreads are from Rastafarian roots. Rasta was part religious and we’ve grown since the 60s where your narrow conclusion was drawn. Get out, see the world – ask before you assume.
You think Rancic has read up on that? LOL.
white folks dont go broke by taking up the chastisement or say something bad about black or brown people as a career. You may lose your soul, but you can just go buy a new one with the cash from your book deal/radio show/TV pundit gig/speaking fees…Thanks for your input on dreadlocks…I guess you never heard of cleopatra but then again according to western narrative she was ‘edgy’ Have a good day but I think you need to get out more…
What makes you think I’m white? Just because I don’t ride the grievance train? Sounds like racial stereotyping to me…
What on earth are you talking about?!?!?! Dread locs didn’t originate with Rastafarians. The hair texture of people of African descent, left to its own devices will loc.
So maybe you should pick up an encyclopedia or even GOOGLE before you jump on the bandwagon of an ignorant racist comment.
Actually, dreadlocks or jata have been worn by a great many cultures – from ancient Greeks, to the Maasai, to Hindu holy men and women, to Buddhists, to the Sufis, to the Dervishes… all wore dreadlocks, and many, if not the majority, wore locs for religious reasons.
But they didn’t all smoke weed, did they?
smoking weed has nothing to do with dreadlocks. Rancic’s statement is just plain dumb.
LOL! It sure makes your point better dear, doesn’t it? Semantics always do. Not!
The fact that rastafarian beliefs are the example you used to dismiss Zendaya’s point of vue proves that you meant it to be understood AS IF they were invented by them.
Nice comeback by the way, if only it wasn’t made invalid by your own statements. Don’t be mad you got educated on this, just learn from it & keep it moving. 🙂
Methinks the tide is turning on Rancic. Notice how they didn’t have her interview anyone at the Oscars? She has shown herself as vapid and phony, and it would do E! well to move on or just let Ryan do it all.
Yeah I suspect that show will be cancelled soon, they’re just not hitting the mark with the ‘humor’ and it’s really bringing down people’s opinion of the network even lower.
They Sure did stick her in a room with a Kardashian to lick each others bums and echo chamber on their fabulousity or whatever… She is So Obnoxious and People are tiring of her Inanity and her Schtick and the stupid Manicam and the sycophant- blabber and Thirst she displays, As Such I for one Im LIVING for the Online Dragging she’s getting, they are reading her for filth and it couldn’t have happened to a better person
As For Zendaya, Personally I didnt like the look cause she is always wearing ill fitting stuff/wackadoodle things and while this was an almost for ME ( I did Love her makeup) TO ME ( as in personal Opinion!) her dreads looked WAY WAY heavy for such a petite featured girl , not on some of this stupid B*llshit some of these previous Posts Up there are about “dirty” “hippies” or whatever derogatory stuff they wanna assign to a hairstyle (when Black People and POC wear them ONLY tho), all and all she keeps acquitting herself quite well and super poised so Good for her
If I were an actress on any red carpet, I would refuse to talk to her. I HATE Fashion Police and the way they tear women apart based on their clothes/hair/makeup. I’ll never forget when Solange debuted her natural afro style, and Kelly Osbourne (don’t get me started on her) said she thought it should either be taller or shorter. What?!?!? So Solange was out of fashion because she didn’t grow her natural hair a bit longer for Kelly’s liking before she appeared on the red carpet! The nerve of that skanky little girl criticizing these beautiful and stylish women for the smallest things.
I think they’ve gotten a lot of complaints about her. I too noticed that she got stuck in the box with those other idiots instead of being allowed on the red carpet with the stars.
That was a foolish and rude thing she said, and Zendaya handled her response beautifully.
Wasn’t there a rumor a while back that E was trying to get rid of her? They had Maria Menudos do the red carpet instead of her, except it backfired because no one like Menudos so they all complained that Rancic was not there? So I think there is a backlash against her even before this, but until they find someone likable to replace her with, it won’t happen. Atleast, it wasn’t going to before this……
A celebrity said something mildly offensive, Twitter got in an uproar about it,celebrity apologized. All is well with the world.
lol.
ETA: @ Rancic=celebrity.
Mildly?
If that’s how you describe racist attacks.
Racist attack? Just stop. Did Rancid prejudge her because of the dreadlocks? Yes. Racist attack? No.
@FingerBinger
FYI
Im sorry IF you were offended is a non apology it puts the issue back in the offended persons court as if they are the ones who are overly sensitive
If nothing else Cumberbatch showed the world how to make a proper apology
To be fair, she said “I’m sorry I offended you and others”, it’s a bit better than saying “sorry if you were offended.”
Hey OKitt, how are the streets? And yes, that was a decent apology.
I think it would have been a better apology if she said something like, ” I regret making those comments. It was insensitive of me, and I apologize to anyone I offended.” If you’re going to apologize, own it completely, don’t make it half-assed.
@Jane16-I think that apology is too many characters for Twitter 😉
@Kiddo-still pretty terrible. It was 2 degrees on my two-mile walk to work this morning so I don’t think the snow will be melting anytime soon. Thanks for asking, though.
Fingerbinger, if it was unrelated to race, why did Rancic think dreads were edgy on that Kardashian wore them? Why no smelly hair comment when GaGa wore dreads?
…ugh.
When will people wake up and realize that people have a different hair texture and different methods of styling their hair intrinsic to their culture.
If you don’t think dreadlocks look good then that’s fine, I don’t think stringy desperately bleached blonde hair looks good either but let’s face it one comment probably has more to do with sterrotypes of someone’s race than the other.
After all clearly all those saying her locs look dirty and unkempt know a damn thing about locs in first place right? Right??
Zendaya is amazing. Congratulations to her for shutting it down so hard and shame on Rancic (this woman has far too many things that could be mocked including her name) and Osbourne for pulling the, “I’m not racist! My friend is black!” Card.
the irony is that the locs actually make a great statement look with that otherwise very pretty but boring white dress. She looks about 200% more interesting with that hairstyle than she would have with bohemian flowy waves i.e. Standard Hollywood Hairstyle #2.
She looks confident and brought some personal style to her looks? No way that’ll stand stand on a major red carpet!
I am totally out of my element here. I am white with straight hair & grew up in a pretty segregated area- just an FYI. I remember in high school & college reading books written by African Americans that blew my mind when it came to the stories about hair. I think a lot of people don’t understand the cultural significance, prejudices & experiences some people have when it comes to hair. I can understand why it’s a hot topic with deep emotions for some. I remember seeing a woman with multiple, deeps burns (scars) on her neck from her childhood of straitening her hair. It was horrible. I have a friend with an adopted African America child & she’s talked about learning about her hair, the upkeep & peoples reaction. She’s had people come up & rudely commented about her daughter’s hair. I’ve never had one person comment on my son’s horrible shaggy, unbrushed bed head (I think it’s cute). I just have no experience other then my “it takes 10 min to get a hair cut & pull back in a pony tail” hair but I do find it interesting & like hearing more details about what I do not know about. Ps- my brother had dreads once (he’s a hippie) & they never, ever smelled bad. He showers constantly but he still got crap for being “smelly”.
It’s “patchouli oil”, not “petroleum”. I don’t think she accused her of smelling like a BP gas station.
I found that funny too. She can’t even get the stereo type right.
ha! thank you, I hadn’t worked that out (early morning here) and was confused.
Yes, that part is funny cause it’s dumbz. She can’t even get her attempted stereotype part right.
But isn’t everyone on fashion police now just a product of nepotism, basically?
Cannot stand Rancid and E News is just an hour of Kardashian promotion/pandering now.
Good riddance to both.
absolutely!
throw them all on a plane to nevernever land.
I think the ‘fashion police’ are trying to compensate for Joan’s loss, and it ain’t happening. As much as Joan could be mean and sometimes went too far, she had a history as a comedian and sometimes a self-deprecating one at that. That gave her a bit of a ‘pass’.
Exactly. Joan made fun of herself as much as everyone else, which IMO, is why she got away with it. The one thing I always wished, however, is that Joan take Rancid or Kelly and put them on her worst dressed list because sometimes, they deserved it.
I agree & am guilty of some things that Joan said being given a pass by me. I grew up listening to her, laughing with her while she was laughing at herself. She made fun of herself as much as others which made her comments more palatable. I miss her. And Ranic, et al are not the same as Joan (fashionistas not comedians who clawed their way to the top) so they don’t have a hall pass! Back to class!!!
Rancic and Osborn aren’t fashionistas. Truly they often belonged on the worst list. Or at least the ever popular Bitch Stole My Look.
Sarah- so true! I take back my statement. What is their job title? Wanna-be-fasonistas…..stupid ladies that somehow got air time on E…..anyway they are no Joan Rivers!
And yet somehow they both have clothing lines! It’s crazy!
You should also include Kelly’s “Did people forget my friend is black?!” Tweet.
If your ‘friend’ was cool with your nonsense, she wouldn’t have written the response in the first place. Stop thinking your lame offensive jokes about people’s race, name or green card status are funny cause you’re ‘friends’.
I saw that and laughed. If she was your friend, you would’ve called out G when she made that “joke.”
Kelly was not defending the comment.She thought the comment was racist.She is threatening to quit show.
We shall see if her word is her bond then.
You know what would have been a nice response from Rancic? “Wow, I was really inappropriate and out of line. I spoke out of ignorance and I’m sorry.”
HOW EFFING HARD IS THAT? Fake apologies are the worst.
Right?! But, then again, it’s pretty obvious that she’s not really sorry at all, hence the fake apology.
She looks pretty good to me. And who is this Rancic chick to say anything bad about anybody? What kind of talent does she have? Oh, none, thats what I thought. Go away, have a cheeseburger
THANK YOU. I mean, have a sandwich and shut up. I’m not one for body shaming, but Rancid is now setting bad examples in entertainment journalism, body image, and racial sensitivity. Just shut up already. Ugh. I can’t with that chick any more.
oh boy, Rancid? Yeah, the jokes come far too easily with this one.
Rancic is stupid. Plain and simple. She’s also racist, but of course, she doesn’t see that. She has black friends. This is why I don’t watch Fashion Police, support E! or pretty much care about bobble head Rancic.
How do we get rid of E! and all their idiotic cronies?
Ummmm….stop watching?
I personally don’t watch the channel. But they are everywhere. You can’t read gossip much without running into them. They were the “hosts” of the Oscars red carpet for pete’s sake.
I look like a bland white woman with hair like Jennifer Anniston. Aside from my crap style, I’m everything this tw@t would love, but I’m a weed smoker. I don’t want to promote drug use, but these stereotypes are so off, I don’t know where to begin. I just wish GR and the rest would go away.
Same here. Rancic would do well to smoke a doob – maybe she’ll get the munchies and frickin’ eat something!
I like you BengalCat (and I like your name). You get it, and I appreciate that.
Since you brought it up, Bengalcat, wouldn’t it be great if we removed the stigma attached to pot-smokers entirely? Assuming someone is a pot-smoker because of their hairstyle or skin color is ignorant as hell, but so is assuming that pot-smokers are lazy, stupid, or unproductive members of society.
It’ll be great when weed is legalized and people realize that people who smoke a doob after a long day aren’t any different than people who drink a cocktail after work.
Thanks for the love guys, I needed it! ☺
The stigma about marijuana drives me crazy. I have had an eating disorder for most of my life. Pot helps me with this. Alcohol turns me into either an asshole or a whore. I am lazy, yes, but I’m also productive, well read and fun.
None of those things have anything to do with pot!
I agree! Luckily I live in a city where the stigma is going away & a lot of people love their pot here. I know a lot of great, tax paying, hard working, sweet people who smoke (they are funnier after a toke too). Reefer madness is not accurate…mmmmmkay?
I thought she looked amazing.
I really like it on her!
We can’t take anything that Rancic woman says seriously, because she is STARVING TO DEATH and therefore probably very hangry.
LOL!
Good response by Zendaya. And Rancic’s apology is bogus. By the way, I thought Zendaya’s hair looked gorgeous!
Think my hubby called it right.. Rancid is jealous. She looks too thin & sickly & Zendaya looks healthy & polished.n
I was *just* about to say that Rancic probably wants to skin and wear Zendaya like a damn coat. You hit it exactly, Z is thin and beautiful and youthful…all the things Rancic are not. 😒
So glad Rancic got called out for that stupid comment. Who is she to judge anybody’s fashion or style anyway? Rancic – I’ve been saying for years is down-right ugly – she looks like Flick from a bug’s life. And up until two weeks ago, her body looked skeletal and insect-like. I can’t stand to look at her.
Just for the record, there is a misconception that because dreads don’t get washed in water like undreaded hair, that it must be dirty. Not true. People who wear dreads use a dry wash or a dry shampoo. They are most always clean and to say that this particular girl’s dreads are dirty-looking is ridiculous and simply not true. They shine. They’re beautiful. If you don’t like dreads, you don’t like dreads, but don’t say stupid things like they’re dirty or everybody who has them must be pot-heads.
I was just coming here to say that! It’s actually such a high maintenance hair style, quite the opposite of the perception in mainstream media. Plus, why can white people mimic “bedhead” with tousled curls and spiky looks, but when black hair, which coils naturally, gets the dreadlocked style, it’s dirty and unkempt? Black hair is just another type of hair, you don’t need to be afraid of it. I wish people would educate themselves, and stop with the foolish comments.
I can’t hack the ignorance. I am a 46-year-old white mid-westerner from a podunk country town and even I know that dreads are higher maintenance than almost any other hair style. I don’t expect people to take courses about various hair types but the lack of exposure is what really grinds me. Some people are so limited to the tiny bubble they live in. I have said it before and I’ll say it again – working in a diverse environment provided me more knowledge than college did. Don’t get me wrong – college is necessary for learning skills and obtaining a degree to make us marketable, but it’s the exposure to different kinds of people that really opened my eyes and made me realize how little I really knew.
Zandeya is breathtakingly beautiful. She could wear a bowl of fruit on her head and she would still be leaps and bounds better looking than anybody on Fashion Police. Hypocrates – all of them.
JenniferJustice- love your comment!!!!
The girl is absolutely gorgeous! Rancic’s remarks sound racist to me. She’s lucky she works for E! & not Fox, if she did, Al Sharpton would be on the case & people would be screaming for her to be fired.
I’m just completely fascinated by her look, so beautiful! Now I want to try the locs myself!
I love dreads and I’m half black, but I also didn’t feel that this comment was especially offensive. I did not take this to be a racial comment, I took it to be a hippie generalization aka the patchouli comment. My friends tease me and call me a hippie because I love patchouli soap and oils. I don’t think Rancic was referring to race.
that’s the way I took it. I think she was trying to make a joke and to her, hippies wear dreads and like patchouli. but her joke went badly. Rancic has a lot of issues but I don’t see her as a racist.
Ha, ha- G. thought the kid would be an easy mark. She isn’t. I have Disney channel on enough that I see her in those interim things they do. She has a very interesting theater background and didn’t just do TV commercials but rather actually (gasp!) trained and was interested in the whole production process. She comes across as intelligent and well-spoken and has many more options than the usual kid actors. I don’t think she just had some PR person write her response. G. is outclassed by this one.
Well, Rancic is always kind of an idiot, but I’m having a hard time working up any outrage over some girl being insulted over somebody taking a cheap shot at her fake dreads. Franky, I think the fakes are kind of an insult to the people who devote years to creating this look, and to the many for whom it’s a religious thing.
Zendaya is smart enough to grab herself some cheap PR, though, after the not black enough controversy. In a very short time, she’s taken herself from not black enough to defender of her race. That’s pretty well done for a very young woman.
IMO, Zendaya’s hair was too heavy and long for her outfit and distracted from the drape of the dress. If the dreads had stopped at her shoulder or collarbone, she would have looked absolutely perfect with her hair framing her beautiful face but still showing off the cut of her dress.
I think she looks adorable. It would be helpful if white people educated themselves about the history of racism in regard to black hair. If you sincerely care about not adding to the problem, google it.
I’ve known plenty of people with locs and they all washed them.
I’m white, and the texture of my curly hair at the back of my neck causes it to dred on its own even though I wash it as much as most white people wash their hair. I use thick conditioners to keep the tangles at bay, but this is a common issue for lots of people with naturally curly hair–regardless of race. It’s not due to lack of grooming.
For everyone in ignorance of locs who want to learn.
There is a GREAT book called Dreads,
by Francesco Mastalia, Alfonse Pagano, Alice Walker
Wonderful pictures of people all over the world wearing Dreads.
And, also, most importantly, if you do NOT have textured hair, if you do NOT have kids with textured hair, you have no idea at all how difficult it is to deal with. My daughters hair is a 4th person in our family. I wish she would grow locs. And maybe, if more people like Zendaya do, she will learn to embrace her hair.
But, with all the Rancids out there, at this point, straight hair is the goal. :-{
I don’t know who this actress (…or singer, maybe??) is, but when I saw the lead photo I thought “Those are the cleanest dreads EVER.” However, I think they look ridiculous. That’s a hairstyle that requires gravitas and maturity to carry off successfully.
I vaguely remember who she is and might have a vague idea of her prior hairstyle. All I have to say is that her locs don’t suit her, they look overwhelming on her slight frame. Definitely not a fan of the way they were styled either, the giant part and the half up look too casual.
Zendaya is a pretty girl, but the dreads aren’t for her.
No woman will ever rock dreads like Lisa Bonet. Everyone else can go home.
Every women I know who rocks locks does it ten time better than Lisa Bonet’s, who’s locks looks like crap.
Zendaya’s response was amazing, and I am always glad when a young woman is so poised and eloquent in her comments. She also taught me something.
I was one of the people watching Fashion Police last night. I heard this comment and laughed at the time, and I really didn’t realize it was racist or offensive until I heard Zendaya’s response and I realize she is right. The reason I didn’t at the moment think it was racist is when I look at Zendaya’s hair it reminded me of Bob Marley’s big long thick braids, and yes I think of weed with Bob Marley. Not sure how much weed Bob Marley did, but know that I did a fair share listening to him, along with a whole generation of us. Not all dreadlocks remind me of him, and even some people of other ethnicity with dreads remind me of him. It is more the way they are done. Still it was offensive and I now take back my laugh, if you can do that. The most interesting part of this is that they were mostly fawning over Zendaya, although they didn’t like this look including the dress, they all thought she really brings it on the red carpet and was going to be really big one day. Still Zendaya thought this comment was offensive and cruel and spoke out. More power to her. It takes real courage to stand up about this in Hollywood.
At least you’re able to reflect and come to a new realization. So many people just plug their ears and refuse to see things from other’s perspective.
I think during moments like Fashion Police that it’s easy to get caught up and say more than should be said or forget the context of the words being used.
I think a lot of people forget the context of their words, it’s something I’ve especially noticed during this award season and it’s been troubling to say the least. People who come up to give praise to a minority individual and have to throw in a little *jokey* then when challenged respond with, “I’m their friend!”
Fine. You and that individual are friends and perhaps that’s the humor you share. But. Think of the greater context of what it says not just to that person but other individuals like them who are seat fillers, who are working the crafts table and bar, who are on security, who are watching from home after a long day’s work. People who have not made it to that level who are struggling. How do you think they feel when they see someone who looks like them, has their heritage, faced the issues they face be awarded a respected honorary award…only to have a sly little joke about their race, foreign name, or green card mentioned? How do they feel when someone doing 10x better than them still can’t escape stereotypes and jokes when they’ve managed to achieve something great? How does the young individual feel when they see a beautiful amazing young lady with hair like them walk the red carpet looking like a princess only to be mocked about probably having B.O. and smelling like weed?
How is it that all these ‘innocent’ little jokes never find their way to individuals who have the same qualities but a different skin tone? No one questions Eddie Redmayne’s citizenship status because he’s white. Kylie Jenner wearing locs is ‘edgy’. No one is stunned when a white author doesn’t like watermelon but it’s absolutely shocking a black one doesn’t.
I think a lot of people need to examine why certain insults or perceptions come to mind immediately. Why when awarding someone they need to cut them down a little and remind them of how the world views them. It would certainly slowly help cut down on embarrassing moments like this where a career can be torpedoed.
Zendaya was perfect at the Oscars, one of the few that you can tell knows what she is doing and the results are beautiful and inspiring, maybe artful. The others just wear a pretty dress and that’s all and it’s boring, except for Zoe Saldana who was PERFECT.
That airhead entertainment reporter isn’t even worth getting worked up about. Stereotypes are so ingrained in people’s heads that they don’t even realize when they are being discriminatory. This is a beautiful girl and her hair looks beautiful and clean. It’s edgy though when a white girl does it I guess. How would she like it if people stereotyped reporters that look like aliens as anorexic coke heads?
This. Rancic needs to be ignored. But Zendaya said what needed to be said, and with the utmost professionalism. I am glad she did, the world will not move forward unless the Rancics of the world get called out on this kind of behavior. They just load on the baggage until it gets so hard to relate to each other without being on guard all the time. What a waste.
I think the whole look is really pretty. I don’t give a crap about the origins or dreadlocks or any of the cultural angle – I think she just looks really pretty. The dress, the hair, the makeup, the accessories – it all works for me.
If she thought she was bohemian chic, why didn’t she say that instead of saying what she probably smelled like, patchouli oil or weed?. Spare me. Foot in mouth. The response by Zendaya was really amazing and insightful and classy and very mature.
Idk her yet, however, her hair looks absolutely amazing & smooth & glossy.
I have been a fan of dreadlocks ever since i was a teenager.
When I saw her picture from the OScars I thought to my self she looks like a girl from a fairy tale. The heroine is stranded on a desert island and comes out of the sea like a mermaid and my mind went to the last scene of shakespear in love.
I did not know who she is but she is beautiful. What kind of disgusting stereotype is that? Hair is just hair and beauty is just beauty. Meh. people.
Thank you for this and yes, she did look like a little princess!
I think this is important because we have young girls struggling to find representation in different forms of media and feeling like their unique form of beauty isn’t beautiful. Here’s a young lady who has beautiful clean well-done hair and since it’s not bone-straight and then curled with a curling iron its mocked.
Her hair was lovely and it set her apart from the other women.
I’m sure she didn’t mean to offend anyone. Honestly, our society don’t often see someone with a dreads on the red carpet so it’s a bit surprising. Initial reactions always going to be somewhat on the negative end but it always starts out negative and then it gets easier. I actually don’t care if she wore dreads in her daily life but perhaps she should have glammed her hair up more for the red carpet like had her dreads in a beautiful bun or something. Anyway, she is young and image may not mean much to her now but as she get older and want to star in movies and be more famous, which I assume is her goal, she will begin to rethink her image along with her hair choices.
I get your point, but so many actresses show up with their hair plain straight, without any glam, like Jennifer Aniston or Reese Witherspoon, and no one calls them out for that.
Flowing dreadlocks is a hair choice and I think they look beautiful on her; they have a real princess vibe to them. I thought the old-time Hollywood glamour gown with decidedly un-Hollywood hairstyle was a nice contrast. For me, it was great to see something differently beautiful on the red carpet. Year after year, they all look the same.
Trust me, I’m sick of Jennifer Aniston’s hair. I wish she would show up bald one day. LOL! Then I’d be like…yeah..that looks good.
I saw the episode when Rancic made this comment. I thought she had said the hair looked too heavy for the dress and Zendaya’s small frame, and then added that she looked like she’d smell like Patchouli oil (not petroleum). Then, Kathy Griffin added the part about them smelling like weed, and Rancic basically laughed and agreed with her. I’m not defending her, but IMO the comment wasn’t as offensive live as it appears to be in writing.
I find that Zendaya girl quite an hypocrite, I’ll explain myself:
Fashion Police is an awful show which makes fun of physicality and personality. Zendaya went to the show when Joan was still alive, therefore, participating or at least aproving the trash material that show displays.
I think she can’t complain after having been there and perpetuating the shaming of others with Joan’s comments, which many times were even more racist and offending.
That’s my opinion.
I think Rancic went over the line with Zendaya. She is young and she looks really great. She is trying to find her way and her style. Rancic is just being a bully because she is loosing her youth day by day.
Well done, Zendaya, whoever you are. I’m tired of people saying dreadlocks stink, that they’re dirty… It all depends, and hers look great at everything.
It’s time for these Fashion Police people to hit the trail. The mani cam, the vodka shots, the body shaming…and then you drag Khloe Kardashian sitting there playing with her hair half the night into the the mix. Just go with it all. We can all formulate our own opinions on fashion, I don’t need someone with purple hair and someone who clearly has an eating disorder telling me what’s fashionable much less completely insulting half of the world with their snarky comments. While I personally wouldn’t have dreadlocks at my age, I might have when I was younger and that girl looked absolutely beautiful. BTW my MOTHER buys the Yankee Candles in bulk that smell like Patchouli and she’s 65 and a Sunday School teacher…the dirty, weed smoking hippie that she apparently is…haha.
I loved her hair and don’t know what the hell was going thought Rancic’s haead to make a comment like that. Why would you look at the hair of a beautiful 18yo girl (in this case) and say she smells like pachouli and weed? Offensive, ignorant and rude! And she DIDN’T apologize, she just stated ‘it wasn’t about race’, so the weed and pachouli things still holds for her? What a dumbass.
Anyway Zendaya said it all really well, hope to see more from her in the future.
And I’m so tired of hearing Kylie Jenner is this great groundbreaking, cool girl. She’s not.
Is it weird that I love dreads on black people but think they look ridiculous, typically smelly and a true form of cultural appropriation on white people?
Zendaya is way overly sensitive. Fashion police is all about joking around with other celebrities. All of these tough bitches can take it and then some whiny 18 year old can’t. Well cry about it. It’s not about race at all. You all make everything to be something it’s not because you’re overly sensitive. You want to be offended and you want to start drama. If Joan Rivers were still here she wouldn’t apologize for the comment that didn’t mean to offend anyone. She would move on because the girl is being a whiny little bitch. Let’s be real here. If you want to be a celebrity, develop a thicker skin, and if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the damn kitchen.