(ThyBlackMan.com) Yesterday Beyonce unveiled her new hairdo on instagram—a short blonde pixie cut. And, of course as with everything Beyonce does, the world went crazy.
Peoples’ reactions were a mix of praise, shock and disappointment, which is truly saddening even as I write this.
Twitter had a #beyhairheadlines hashtag where a slew of people offered their reasons behind and opinions on the singer’s new look (via pseudo story headlines):
?@PatricePinkFile There goes the weave industry! #beyhairheadlines
@Treigh_Iam ?#BeyHairHeadlines if you liked it then you shoulda put a wig on it
@brokeymcpoverty SHADE! Beyonce Cuts Hair, Sends Tresses to Keri Hilson With a Card Reading ‘Good Luck!’ #BeyHairHeadlines
@jhsting32 “You are not Etta James! Is Beyonce having an identity crisis?”
#beyhairheadlines
@JuWilk Beyonce cuts hair like Bernadine, are her and Jay in a rough patch?? #BeyHairHeadlines
Even a few celebrities reacted to her haircut; multiple online news sites covered the “debut,” and some people told me that their local news stations even dedicated personal airtime to talk about her chopped locks.
To me this is all just crazy.
It reminds me of a few weeks ago when I turned on the TV and ET (Entertainment Tonight) was on. I don’t typically watch the show, but bored, I left it on. (Kanye shrug)
Anyway, the big story of the day was Prince William and Kate Middleton leaving the hospital after the birth of their son. It was insane: The “royal expert” (is this really someone’s job?) explained what Kate wanted to eat while in the hospital; how Prince William never left her side; how she wore a polk-a-dot dress while leaving the hospital like Princess Diana did after giving birth and what this symbolized.
He talked about when Queen Elizabeth arrived to see the baby and how the new parents didn’t immediately tell the Queen about the birth. Who went out to get them food and what kind of food it was. How Kate was wearing Princess Diana’s engagement ring as she left the hospital and what this meant. How the couple came up with the name George and why it was such a good name. He, and a few others, even talked about concerns that Kate would try to lose her baby weight too quickly.
They talked about where the couple and newborn were headed and how they had yet to hire a nanny and when the baby would take his first official photos. If you’re overwhelmed after reading all this, believe me, so was I after watching.
I mean…really?
Why are people so consumed with celebrities’ lives? Why do we analyze their every move and decision and act like the world has ended anytime something celeb-related happens? Why do we care so much?
On Facebook, a few of my male friends commented that they wondered how many girls are now going to go and cut their hair like Beyonce’s. Another friend advised women not to follow the star, saying “Ladies, just because Beyonce cut off all her hair doesn’t mean you have to.” And what’s sad is plenty of hair stylists were probably flooded with calls today from women setting up appointments to get that “new Beyonce cut.”
It’s one thing to be a fan and respect an artist’s talent, but it’s an entirely different thing the way these “Beehive” people (and others) choose to act. Beyonce cut her hair, okay? Should this be headlined beside a story on the current wildfires in southern California causing 1,500 people to evacuate their homes? Or an article on Derek Medina, the man who killed his wife and posted pictures of her dead body on Facebook before turning himself in to police?
I think we need to reexamine what’s newsworthy and important in society. An article on Janelle Monae’s excellent acceptance speech at the Essence Dinner party or Ebony dedicating four of its September covers to the “We are Trayvon” movement won’t even get a third of the comments Beyonce’s hair getting caught in a fan or Kim Kardashian stepping out post-baby will.
Why though? Why is it that, most often, the more detailed it is about a celebrity and the more drama and dirt it has, the more we’re drawn to it? Or in this case, if it’s about a celebrity—no matter how trivial it is—it’s newsworthy?
Staff Writer; Shala Marks
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Service is her passion, writing is her platform, women and the Black Community are her avenues. Shala Marks is a writer, editor and soon-to-be author. Through her work, Marks aspires to demonstrate “The Craft of Writing, and the Art of Efficacy.” She has a B.A. in journalism from ArizonaStateUniversity. Connect with her at http://www.sisterscanwespeak.tumblr.com.