Actress Taraji P. Henson has surprised and amazed us one too many times, especially on Empire, but this time she is real life amazingness: Taraji. P. Henson has been rocking a short buzz cut for the past few days on social media and IRL, and per usual, the NaturallyCurly team is loving it.
Promoting @blackgirlsrock for BET, Henson has been seen recently rocking her natural for various events and videos, and social media has been all over it. And while her new haircut is gorgeous — and even a bit edgy for Hollywood standards — should we expect Henson to keep her hair in its natural state forever? Is this an ongoing trend with celebrities or a true change in accepted aesthetics and beauty standards? Recently we have seen the likes of Keke Palmer, Zendaya, Solange, Nicole Ari Parker, Issa Rae, and more rocking their natural hair on red carpets and social media. So does this mean that it is a thing?
While Solange has rocked her natural hair for a few years now, her undefined curls never stop to create unsolicited advice from critics regarding whether or not a celebrity should wear her hair natural and deciding if it will be a permanent decision.
For some reason, celebrities like Taraji P. Henson showing us what her hair really looks like is still a phenomenon. But why is that? Have we forgotten that they were probably not born with 25-inch long, blond weaves? Is our newfound happiness linked to the fact that our favorite celebrities are starting to look more and more like… us? I wonder if we have gone from admiring public figures and celebrities for their looks to actually connecting with them on a deeper level? Think about it: it is almost like sharing products with them. Right?
However, maybe we shouldn’t put the cart before the horse.
Solange Knowles had her big Twitter moment back in 2012, saying “I never painted myself as a team natural vice president. I don’t know the lingo and don’t sleep with a satin cap… However, I did [notice] when I picked out my hair, I kept seeing feedback about needing a ‘twist out.’ Confession: I hate twist-outs. Correction: I hate the way they look on me, so I end up always picking them or steaming them out. Look, all I’m saying is, my hair is not very important to me… so [I] don’t encourage it to be important to you.”
While the natural movement seemed to give many a sense of pride, it also has entitled others to critique and advise — even almost command — other people’s hair into their own ideas of what their hair should look like. So should we appreciate Taraji P. Henson’s hairstyle for what it is or should we expect her to be our new favorite natural hair guru?
What do you think about Taraji. P. Henson’s new look?
Or the latest wave of celebrities rocking their natural hair? Let us know in the comments.
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