Would it kill these people to have a sense of humor?
Via Salon:
You do not put down with a Disney star. You do not treat a young woman like a punchline. Because she will rightly call you out on it if you try – as Giuliana Rancic learned this week.
On a Monday “Fashion Police” Academy Awards night post mortem, E! co-host Rancic dismissed former “Shake It Up” costar Zendaya’s elegantly dreadlocked Oscar look by saying, “I feel like she smells like patchouli oil or weed. Maybe weed.” But while plenty of other celebrities would have simply ignored the snark, the young actress and singer instead chose to challenge it. In a statement on Instagram, she said, “There is a fine line between what us funny and disrespectful. Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that left me in awe. Not because I was relishing in rave outfit reviews, but because I was hit with ignorant slurs and pure disrespect. To say that an 18 year-old young woman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or ‘weed” is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive.” Zendaya went on to cite dreadlocks wearers like “Selma” director Ava DuVarnay, Ledisi, Terry McMillan, Vincent Brown and Heather Andrea, noting, “None of them smell of marijuana.” And she added that her red carpet look was her statement “to remind people of color that our hair is good enough. To me locs are symbol of strength and beauty.”
Rancic swiftly tweeted in reply that “Dear @Zendaya, I’m sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!” But she then apparently thought more of it, and then followed up Tuesday with a more elaborate on-air apology, saying, ” Something I said last night did cross the line…. “I just want everyone to know, I didn’t intend to hurt anyone,” Rancic said, “but I’ve learned it is not my intent that matters, it’s the result. And the result is that people are offended, including Zendaya, and that is not okay…. This really has been a learning experience for me. I’ve learned a lot today and this incident has taught me to be a lot more aware of clichés and stereotypes, how much damage they can do. And that I am responsible as we all are to not perpetuate them further.”