Your Nails are Racist

When it comes to my nails, I’ve always been pretty simple. I like different shades of pink, red, or beige, simply because it makes me twitch if my nails clash with my outfit. These days I don’t wear polish because I’m a homemaker and it won’t last longer than a day. The reason really isn’t deeper than dishwater. But according to the BBC, my preference toward simplicity means I’m a racist.

The New York Post reports:

The BBC is catching heat for an article claiming that the trend of leaving fingernails unpainted is a racist way of pushing “white supremacist standards of beauty.”

The national broadcaster interviewed Paloma Buddemeier, a London nail salon owner, who shared that more and more customers are asking to skip the nail polish after their manicures, a fashion trend synonymous with “quiet luxury.”

But the BBC claimed that nail art is “linked back to black, Latino and Asian communities,” and the viral “bare” look could “stigmatize bold manicures.”

Fashion shifts, so I can see how the “bare face” trend of simple makeup is translating to minimalist nails now. I also wonder if it has something to do with the fact that getting your nails done regularly is incredibly expensive. Women opting out of polish may allow them to space out their appointments.

…OR they are big, giant racists who hate brown people. Because that is a totally sane conclusion to come to.

The article continues:

The outlet spoke to beauty journalist Kristina Rodulfo, who had no trouble connecting the seemingly innocuous beauty choice into a malicious act targeting communities of color.

Bare nails, Rodulfo bafflingly claimed, “really promotes blankness and this kind of sameness and erasure of culture and identity that is so important to black and brown communities.”

“They are often called elegant or tasteful, and these are often usually euphemisms that perpetuate white supremacist standards of beauty,” she continued.

Rodulfo pointed the finger at “white women or celebrities” for perpetuating the fad, claiming they “often conflate class and taste with that bareness.”

It’s so simple to be white these days, isn’t it? If you’re natural, your bareness is viewed as white supremacy. But if you adopt trends set by minorities, you’re committing the horrific sin of cultural appropriation.

So go ahead, pick a nail color you like—or don’t. You’re gonna get called a “racist” either way.