Update: Looks like the backlash Miley Cyrus received after wearing dreadlocks during the 2015 VMAs went into one ear and out the other. The singer picked up another hosting job for SNL's Season 41 premiere, and in the video promo she appears to still be wearing dreadlocks — this time, a shorter version of the same ponytail. No word on whether this will be the same 'do she wears during the live episode, but hopefully Nicki Minaj makes a guest appearance to, yet again, snatch her back to reality.
This story was originally published on August 31, 2015.
There were plenty of WTF moments from Miley Cyrus' stint as host of the VMAs last night (and we can't say we were very surprised). Chief among them were her outfits, her beef with Nicki Minaj, her nip slip, and her surprise album drop. Another moment that got everyone talking (and fuming) was her appearance on the red carpet sporting dreadlock extensions, which many deemed as cultural appropriation.
Cyrus was called out after the 2013 VMAs for "twerking" and using black women and their bodies as props in her performance — and some think she hasn't learned to change her ways. As actress Amandla Stenberg so eloquently put it: “Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated, but is deemed as high fashion, cool, or funny when the privileged take it for themselves.” Case in point: When actress Zendaya wore the same style, she was infamously described as smelling like "patchouli oil and weed" on the red carpet, but on Miley — and in the past, on Kylie Jenner — dreadlocks have been deemed "amazing" and "edgy."
Scroll through to check out some of the internet's reactions to Miley's look. And let's give Minaj a virtual round of applause for snatching Miley (and her faux dreadlocks) back to reality. Some didn't even attempt to fake surprise.
Scroll through to check out some of the internet's reactions to Miley's look. And let's give Minaj a virtual round of applause for snatching Miley (and her faux dreadlocks) back to reality. Some didn't even attempt to fake surprise.
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Miley Cyrus's whole life is culture appropriation so I'm not even surprised she is wearing dreads to the VMAs. pic.twitter.com/1xDCUCCT75
— ebon (@tyriquex) August 31, 2015
While others chalked it up to a nightmare or a bad dream. (Spoiler: It was neither.)
Lord please tell me that Miley Cyrus didn't just abuse her whiteness and wore dreadlocks to the VMA's tell me this is all a bad dream?
— Nyfizzle (@nya_ikemifudu) August 31, 2015
The irony of it all #whitefeministonfleek.
nicki: *calls out racism at the VMAs*
miley: *says Nicki only made it about herself*
miley: *arrives to the VMAs with dreads*
— Ro (@MafiosoRo) August 31, 2015
Artist Chance the Rapper called out Cyrus for both wearing locs and, later, for calling Snoop "mammy," a term with a lot of negative history.
The dreads <
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) August 31, 2015
She's definitely been taking one too many lately.
Miley Cyrus in a blonde dread high pony cuz sometimes you OD on your appropriation pills.
— FLEEKNIK (@Judnikki) August 30, 2015
Of course, there was no shortage of Rachel Dolezal comparisons.
Miley's look is Rachel Dolezal meets a Lisa Frank trapper keeper
— rachel syme (@rachsyme) August 31, 2015
But our favorite of the night goes to...
Nicki about to snatch those fake dreads off Miley's head pic.twitter.com/4o4G2ptNDL
— The Gay Burn Book (@SouthernHomo) August 31, 2015
There's always next year and/or the Grammys.