When I returned to the college I work at part time debuting my new hair, one of the students called me Whoopi Goldberg. After we got into it (he is doing some weird scraggly beard thing that I had to give him what for about) he moved on and I thought about what was bothering me. It’s not the Whoopi comparison; I think she is fantastic and beautiful and should the day come when I meet her I am going to go all Swim Fan on her (not really). What bothered me is the lazy comparison. As an avid player of the Celebrity look-a-like game, I got beef over the fact that when this student, and pretty much anyone who is not Black, wants to make a comparison of me the go to is Whoopi. Whoopi is well known because she has been rocking locs since forever but other than her locs, her beautiful smile and her glasses we do NOT even remotely look alike.
I present a little evidence.
Whoopi:
Me:
Locs…glasses…and the resemblance ends there.
*shakes head and rolls eyes*
I again assert that it’s just lazy and, if I were so inclined, would also include that here is yet another form of privilege. (Keep reading and stop rolling your eyes). Why do people assume that everybody knows the same things about the same stuff? Id is youth who thinks I know all of your pop culture people? Race? Genge? Was it just this particular person, his youth, his ignorance of Black pop culture or just his being a bit of a tool (he really is one) that made him think that he was making a funny by comparing me to Whoopi? When I called him on it, his response was to get defensive, get angry that I compared him to a Mexican actor when he (the student) is clearly Puerto Rican, and move on.
Like I said…total tool.
To help out those who want to play celebrity look-a-like while expanding their knowledge of talented Black actresses, here are some other celebrities who rock locs and can be used when you want to play celebrity look-a-like.
Ledisi
If only I could sing like her….Anywho, I think she looks like my womb mate (aka twin) but that may just be because of the red hair. Honestly, she rocks her locs like nobody’s business and I welcome THIS comparison.
Shanola Hampton
She plays V on the US version of Shameless. Shanola’s character and I share some things, (our boos are both White, we *think* we know more about the medical profession than we do and we both rock fly lip color), there are some things that onscreen V does which makes me blush!
Photo credit Criminal Minds Wiki: http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/criminalminds/images/c/c0/Shanola_Hampton.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140111015443
Vanessa A. Williams
She was utterly underused on Melrose Place, quite excellent on the series Soul Food and she’s such an underated actress. Yeah, yeah, I *may* be taking a little leap with this comparison but hush. Here is an actress a little closer to my age that I would allow as my look-a-like.
Celebrities I will also allow:
Kim Fields. The blond hair gives me pause due to an awful experience I had dyeing my own hair a while back.
Alice Walker. Yes. I went there.
Lauryn Hill. We EVEN share the same time management issues!
Having worn locs for over ten years, I am proud to be compared to these women who are fantabulous. But in the future, when you think you are roasting me with a Whoopi comparison, remember that you are not even trying and that your words are a compliment.
Great Post, I love your locs!!! Thanks for sharing.
You do rock the locks and look nothing like Whoopi.I saw a couple of girls looking at me and they said to me, ‘”Nice Top’, then after I said thank-you and walked past they said “love it when older women try to look stylish”. What? Sometimes people need to shut up!