Pop star Halsey, who has said in the past that “I look like a white girl, but I don’t feel like one. I’m a black woman” tweeted yesterday that “perfumed white people shampoo” given out for free by hotels “alienates people of color:
I’ve been traveling for years now and it’s been so frustrating that the hotel toiletry industry entirely alienates people of color. I can’t use this perfumed watered down white people shampoo. Neither can 50% of ur customers. Annoying.
— h (@halsey) April 27, 2018
Until this very moment, we never knew tiny bottles of shampoo could be racist:
This is so so true. https://t.co/CfooJFcBah
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) April 27, 2018
The blow dryer might be racist, too:
THIS! If hotels really wanna do something… put some Organix Shampoo and Conditioner in the bathroom , Shea Butter soap, and add a flat iron to go along with that lil raggedy blowdryer that hangs on the wall. https://t.co/q0oVhHjETd
— IG: AYANATHEDIVA (@AyanaTheDIVA) April 27, 2018
What the hotel industry really needs is Uber, but for tiny toiletries:
This is a great point. I can't wait for Silicon Valley to disrupt the tiny hotel shampoo industry! https://t.co/d8dFpgm0cL
— Arielle Pardes (@pardesoteric) April 27, 2018
But this might not go over as intended:
Lmao imagine if hotels had two shampoo types and labeled them “For Blacks” and “For Everyone Else” how the outrage would be ? https://t.co/0GefopRBR5
— ?????? ♥ (@Xiaxue) April 27, 2018
Others, despite their white people hair, agreed with Halsey:
Hotel shampoo makes my hair feel like Brillo pads. Don’t know why exactly but it’s terrible. https://t.co/NDcrZth5yJ
— Autumn Rowe (@AutumnRoweMusic) April 27, 2018
I’m white and it doesn’t work for me either. I have extremely curly/untamable hair, that’s also bleached. Tbh I’m not sure who it works for? Men/women with buzz cut haie maybe? https://t.co/7ZAKT4TthT
— Mandy Rain (@realmandyrain) April 27, 2018
But, come on:
Me & my “white privileged hair” (whatever that means) can tell you hotel shampoo universally dries out & destroys your hair. Crap shampoo doesn’t discriminate. https://t.co/CNvrn2iwfa
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) April 27, 2018
Now, has the very wealthy Halsey ever considered bringing her own?
TRUE story, I just carry my shampoo in a travel bottle since I started traveling YEARS ago. Hotels (even really nice brands) just don’t carry people of color products https://t.co/WZYuGKOwu7
— Atima Omara (@atima_omara) April 27, 2018
We suspect hundreds of thousands of Americans bring their preferred products with them every day:
Because bringing your own stuff to a hotel room is hard https://t.co/bIBx6vzqO7
— Bunni @ GamersOutreach (@ActaBunniFooFoo) April 27, 2018
For example:
I always bring my own shampoo and it has never crossed my mind that hotels are racist. Holy victim mentality, Batman
Does she expect hotels to offer every variety of shampoo imaginable so as to not discriminate against any hair types?
I can’t believe there are ppl this entitled https://t.co/zr3UmYvTA3
— Yasmine Mohammed (@ConfessionsExMu) April 27, 2018
Or maybe someone in the entourage can pack it?
It's fun to pretend that as a multi-millionaire performer you don't travel with a team that brings your own preferred hair care products with you to your luxury suites… score those social justice points though. https://t.co/Iv9jN2odWi
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) April 27, 2018
She later did admit to bringing her own hair care products on the road, but said it would be a financial burden for other women to bring their hair care products with them:
I’m fortunate enough to be financially in a position to do so, but POC traveling frequently for work/medical reasons might not be. Just making a point is all! https://t.co/6u7PWqc1yY
— h (@halsey) April 27, 2018
And she’s not sorry for any anger that she’s caused:
Who knew me acknowledging that white hair care products are the national standard (while POC are confined to a tiny aisle) would piss so many people off ??♀️ not sorry.
— h (@halsey) April 27, 2018
Over to you, hotel industry:
The point is that mass production of those products as the standard is part of a greater problem of disenfranchisement. If white ppl can enjoy the luxury/convenience, there should be an option for everyone to. Its an “insignificant” example of a bigger problem. That’s all! https://t.co/gWxHoboXCm
— h (@halsey) April 27, 2018
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