Oscars 2012: The Red Carpet Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis (Photo credit: Beacon Radio)
Normally I don’t consider most movie starts to be “role models”–especially when it comes to how they look. But when Viola Davis stepped out on the red carpet at the 2012 Oscars, in that gorgeous jade green Vera Wang gown, with her natural hair I felt that, finally, a Hollywood star was taking a stand for something that impacts every woman. By eschewing the wig or weave or torturing relaxer, Davis said “here I am! This is me! I’m a black woman and this is my hair and I’m proud of it!”
Of course, the response to natural-haired Davis was not all positive. Some Internet fashion pundits thought it was terrible. How dare she not conform to White American standards of beauty that dictate that women have straight, silky hair and be stick-thin? Really now! How dare she have *cleavage,* too, since she’s not some starlet! (Many of the starlets, much to the disappointment of some, showed up very, very covered up.)
So I was very excited to read the short profile of Davis in this month’s InStyle, sandwiched between profiles of Gwyneth Paltrow and Denise Richardson, two stars much younger (and much more straight-haired) than Davis (who turned 47 this past August) Unfortunately I am unable to locate the profile on InStyle.com , we’ll have to settle for a screenshot of the best quote from the profile, courtesy of Afroistas and the City
By being herself, Davis is definitely taking a stand for black women–and taking a stand for those of us who don’t fit the tall, skinny, Hollywood blonde stereotype. If you want to read the entire profile, you can still purchase the October, 2012 InStyle.
Related articles
- Viola Davis Welcomes Controversy Around New Movie (atlantablackstar.com)
- Viola Davis’s Natural Hair At The Oscars & The Brave New World It Created For Women Everywhere (ashleytruly.wordpress.com)
