One of the funniest moments from this year’s Grammys happened on Twitter, in the midst of the very special birthday tribute/extravaganza for Diana Ross. What happened was that someone on Twitter pointed out that Diana Ross’s 75th birthday wasn’t actually in February, it was in March. Diana Ross really made the entire music community celebrate her birthday like two months in advance. Diana Ross is a legend in so many ways, my God. Anyway, yesterday was Ms. Diana Ross’s real 75th birthday and she celebrated with a star-studded birthday party at the Palladium. Look at Diana Ross’s amazing dress!! LMAO.
The guests at Diana Ross’s party included: Robin Thicke, Stevie Wonder, Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, French Montana, Leonardo DiCaprio (!!), Teyana Taylor, Heidi Klum, Tom Ford (!!), Bebe Rexha, Diddy, Bette Midler, Chris Rock, Gayle King and… the Kardashians. Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian all attended. Check out Khloe’s amazing wig and ensemble:
I know Khloe will be accused of appropriation and she would be accused of it if she wore this wig all the time, but damn – she looks great and she should consider doing curly hair for a while. Khloe is also one of the people responsible for letting the world know that Beyonce was also in attendance, and that Beyonce sang “Happy Birthday” to Ms. Ross. From Khloe’s Snap:
Beyoncé sings Happy Birthday to @DianaRoss at her 75th birthday party — Mar. 26th. 💖 pic.twitter.com/PLqbvaGVzS
— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@BeyLegion) March 27, 2019
More videos:
Beyoncé sings Happy Birthday to @DianaRoss at her 75th birthday party — Mar. 26th. 💖 pic.twitter.com/yrnTEy8uhD
— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@BeyLegion) March 27, 2019
Beyoncé attends @DianaRoss' 75th birthday party — Mar. 26th. pic.twitter.com/6aAJFoqDrZ
— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@BeyLegion) March 27, 2019
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Is it appropriation? Genuinely asking because at this point, they appropriate so much that it’s become a signature thing. Like. it’s just what the do.
She does actually looks great though and so does Kris. If there’s ever a time to wear glitter and sequins, it’s at Diana Ross’s birthday. Actually, I absolutely love the 70s vibe of that dress. I would rock the hell out of that.
I have mixed feelings about the appropriation. On one hand they are profiting off black culture, on the other hand I have noticed lots of the things that once disgusted people about my existence are now normalized and mainstream. A few years ago I started getting compliments on things like my hair, skin texture and lips. I spent a long time trying to not be so black and now people are loving it. I want people to love how my daughter and nieces look.
I don’t know how to feel about the appropriation and black facing these women do. Is it helping or is it hurting? Is it both?
I can see why you would feel conflicted. Just to gingerly weigh in on this without swerving out of my lane, I think if the physical attributes that you described are now appreciated and valued by our society in a LASTING, permanent way–instead of denigrated–then that’s a good thing. But if it’s just a passing cultural phenomenon that, thanks to the Kardashians and others, becomes the latest fetishized body type then that’s probably…not great. And it’s sad that it takes white women who’s “assets” are due to surgical procedures to bring mainstream acceptance to what many of us have always recognized as beautiful.
I probably already said too much. Anyway, it f*cking sucks that society made you feel less than and I truly hope your daughters and nieces don’t have to go through that. I have hope. <3
@kitten i appreciate your opinion. I hope its lasting, it’s going to take a long time because many of us still self practice degrading our looks. I do It to myself all the time.
It sort of is white peoples jobs to normalize black features, since they were the ones who demonized them in the first place. You can normalize without becoming black though.
The plastic surgery is sad. A lot of women who grew up in the 90’s are having their huge bolt on boobs taken out now because they are out of fashion. I have unpopular opinions about plastic surgery though.
@Wow, serious question, are you bothered by those comments? I’m white but love the look of “natural” African-American hair and always have (and I’m 40, so it’s definitely not a personal fad–I have no idea about society in general). I complimented a random woman who was rocking her natural hair in the store the other day and wondered if it was weird for her afterward! (I am the sort of person who tends to compliment random strangers of all races, genders, etc. if I like their hair/makeup/clothes/whatever, but of course she wouldn’t know that.)
I have very full lips, and kids made fun of me for them constantly when I was a kid (and sadly, much of that mockery used racist language). Full lips became considered culturally desirable around the time I started high school, which certainly made my life easier. I’d never even thought about the racial appropriation angle to that (although obviously, full lips are not exclusive to the African-American population). Now that full lips are SO popular, I wonder if people ever think mine are fake!
They don’t bother me, its perfectly normal to compliment others. I do feel instantly defensive though, but I have almost 40 years of conditioning to hate my looks.
It’s such a double edged sword. I remember feeling disappointment when my son got his fathers hair texture and my daughter got mine, then I felt guilty and ashamed even if it was just on the inside.
I think compliments and encouragement to embrace ones natural beauty is important, but there are people like me who struggle to believe its sincere. Hopefully all that changes. When I first started dating my husband it took a lot for him to help decondition my self hatred. I hadn’t dated a black man before that and I was self conscious about taking my wig and makeup off after an experience in my teens where two of my “friends” said yikes without thinking at a sleepover. Very very small unintentional things like that have a huge impact. Positive experiences with compliments and normalization will hopefully make those experiences others wont have to have.
I’m glad you aren’t bothered by compiments hope she wasn’t either! I very sincerely think natural hair is beautiful and hope you will learn to sincerely love and appreciate your hair and looks in time.
When I was in middle school, I had an African-American friend who loved to do *everyone’s* hair in the locker room after PE class. She told me that when she was a young child, she was insanely jealous of white people’s hair. She thought it was so beautiful and shiny and didn’t understand why her hair wasn’t the same. For a long time, she used to pray every night to have hair like that of a white person. I was too young to know what a heartbreaking image that was!
However, she said that all changed for her the first time she actually *touched* a white person’s hair. She had no idea that most white people’s hair was so difficult to style or get to stay in place. (I heard this entire story while she was doing something with my hair–probably giving me a French braid or something–and I’m thinking, hmm, it *is* annoying how my hair falls out of every style I attempt).) She said the first thing she did that night was get down on her knees and thank Jesus she had her own hair.
I hope all African-American girls achieve her confidence and self-acceptance in time. I haven’t kept in touch with her irl, but we’re friends on FB, and I have always thought she was one of the more beautiful girls (now women) of my acquaintance. She was actually one of the few kids in my class who was sincerely nice to me–I switched schools just before 7th grade, and the teasing-about-my-lips was especially vicious in that school, despite the fact that it was quite diverse (though of course the teasing came from other white kids)–and I will always harbor warm thoughts toward her for that reason.
@Wow as a black woman millenial who grew up in a very pride-afro centric borderline militant (black panthers) household, I was raised to not only appreciate my looks but to PUT IT ON A PEDESTAL ….like when i was in my twenties I would sunbathe and put tanning oil and bronzer on, and I’m dark skin. use to love when people say i look Ghanaian or another type of African ethnicity—- so its hard and sad for me to see that in real life my brethren were taught to hate themselves and their looks. But i feel you on immediate defensiveness with the kardashian kinky curly coarse wig…. you can tell KHLOE GOT ALLL HER LIFE from this look NOT because she wanted to have a 70’s throwback but because she felt like she was in fact (as some YT Peepo who appropriate feel inside) “pretty much black, now LOL” and thats the look i see in this family.
like ooooo well I’m pretty much almost black now…. and that’s what i think is so disturbing and I hate it. its something you can’t really put you hands on but we just know that’s what she was feeling.
to all other cultures who compliment of appreciate traditionally black/african features that totally fine and honestly its refreshing. no probs or awkwrdness here with that. i suppose its the way its done. are you grabbing a hand full of afro and saying ooooooooooo its so soft and pretty….or running your hands against someone’s skin and saying omg you complexion is sooooo smooth. its a thin line between compliment and petting zoo
if it was her natural hair no. my hair looks like that every morning. my mom was from Mexico and my white ass dad is from Washington state.
if you’re wearing Wig? i kinda say yes to fakedom. . .they’re kards though…we know they’re fake as hell and we all allow them to continue by clicking.
jmo
Was going to say the same thing – my curls are like this (more so with high levels of humidity) and I am not black. I don’t want to be accused of cultural appropriation but lots of people who are non black have hair like this.
That said… she is a Kardashian. They are all about stealing other peoples’ looks for profit.
I think it’s mainly appropriation because she wore this to a Diana Ross event. She’s clearly trying to emulate the look Diana Ross is famous for. If this was just a style for a regular photo shoot, something she does with her hair from time to time, or even her natural hair… I don’t think this would be an issue
I just thought it was Carrot Top when I saw the thumbnail lol.
Does anyone in the Kartrashian family realize they’re not black?
I don’t think so.
Lmao
nope
Can’t blame them for trying.
Love this
The levels of fame
Also is Beyonce pregnant?
I came here to ask the same thing. She patted her stomach several times. It definitely seems like she might be.
Christina Aguilera used to wear her hair like that. She’s claimed it was her actual hair, not a wig. I don’t recall anyone ever giving her a hard time about it.
Christina does not have a history of using black culture, using black women and man to their financial gain like the Kardashian’s do. And if she does and somehow we don’t know about it and wear that hair again, she should get dragged. Better? I never understood this arguement of “look over here at this person, what about them” is this article about Christina? No. It’s not what we’re talking about.
No we are talking about hair tho.
Also, from everything I’ve read it was a 70’s disco theme. This follows the theme.
Yes it’s appropriation, culture is not a costume. It wasn’t a costume party to dress as a white Diana Ross. Ugh, Khloe is exhausting. I hope she felt like a fool when she saw everyone else dressed like themselves at party!
What I don’t get is that she’s friends with WOC, correct? The father of her child is black and her BIL is black. She has PLENTY of people close to her that she could have consulted with, right? And that’s assuming she truly didn’t know which…is a problem in its own right, I suppose.
There are many white women with naturally big, curly hair. I don’t get how this is appropriation at all.
I have so much blonde curly hair, oh my. I spend a fortune to keep it straightened, but that’s how I feel most comfortable. I’m not one to defend Khloe, she’s so lame, but…I don’t think the hair was inappropriate, just ugly. She tries so hard and that is the problem. Just be yourself!
Yes, it’s appropriation, but curls do look good on her. She should have curls in her natural hair.
oh geez. she styled herself in the image of Diana Ross. big whoop.
to me this is NOT in anyway offensive.
I won’t speak on appropriation but it is Diana Ross’s birthday. You dont show up to Diana Ross’s party in Diana Ross cosplay and try to hijack her signature style! Have some decorum, lady.
Also her face is three shades lighter than her body and that annoys me. Grumpy old lady out.
THIS.
Yeah wouldn’t want to steal any thunder from the child molester defender.
Probably why Oprah wasn’t invited.
OMG thiiiiis. It wasn’t a bloody costume party!
Exactly! She’s doing the gross ombré trend with her spray tan and white face, her skinner gets lighter as it goes up. Looks ridiculous, if you’re gonna tan at least carry over the same foundation as your “tan”. So ridiculous each and everyone of them. Pimp mama Kris (credit to Michael K) looks like she’s riding on her kids coattails as usual
It’s a birthday party, not a “Show up in your best Diana Ross Cosplay” party. The hair is ridiculous and she & Kris need to find their actual shades because this Casper adjacent makeup is not it.
I know a couple of white women who have natural hair like that. Hers is not natural but I would rather see it as a tribute rather than appropriation. it’s not like she’s wearing corn rows claiming Bo Derek invented them.
No, she’s probably going to claim she made curls a thing…
Yup , If I saw a white woman with that hair I would not think its appropriation because I know several white women with that type of natural hair.
Seeing how this is the Kardashians, and the cosplay, major side eye here.
I am actually related by marriage to a “white” looking biracial woman who has a 4b hair texture that is a light brown almost blonde. It can look unnatural on her features, but only because of preconceived notions of blackness, one drop rule, brown paper bag test and so on.
The difference here is we know what khloe’s natural hair is like, and this ain’t it. I’m not concerned about the wig. I don’t like the promotion of tanning because it causes young girls to copy her then they have skin cancer extremely young which if on the face can be disfiguring. The darkening of the skin is gross on a black face level and also on the level of promoting tanning culture which is a one way ticket to cancer town.
Diana’s dress! She is ev-ver-ey-thing!
Khloe looks hideous
Khloe looks tacky as hell with this.
Why in the world would you try and upstage the woman ‘s signature look and hairstyle at her own damn party?
Klassless Kartrashians as usual.
Dont know why you’re laughing at Ross’s gorge outfit but not laughing at Khloes offensive wig. Not because the wig is appropriation or anything but cos the chick is tryna copy Diana’s signature look.
Beyonce??? I’m surprised they didn’t have Ashlee Simpson sing!
LOOOOOK AT MEEEEEEEE!
it’d be bad enough being seating anywhere near these skanks; but imagine having that hairball blocking your view.
damn, I hate this klan.
she looks like a drag queen on the first day of Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
It is a curly blonde wig. Is it appropriation when Beyoncé wears a straight blonde wig? It looks like people are more offended by Khloe’s very existence than anything else here. I’m pretty sure if Ms. Ross didn’t like it, she would have had her escorted to the door.
I don’t see the hair as appropriation at all because I know many white women with similar hair. Also, it’s a Diana Ross party and I’m guessing part of the theme was to go inspired by Diana. It’s like going to Pamela Anderson’s birthday and wearing a blonde wig – not offensive in the slightest IMO.
Also wigs are so common in the celebrity sphere I don’t think it can linked to appropriation. Most celebs experiment with wigs at some point or another – they are not like normal folk.