The Michelle Williams “Red Face” Cover Debate: Political Correctness vs. Extremism

| March 14, 2013

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If you weren’t sure if ye olde aphorism “a picture is worth a thousand words” was true or not, you can rest assured that it is and then some. Michelle Williams (a.k.a. the Millennial Meryl Streep) recently posed for various covers of AnOther Magazine. Sounds innocuous enough, right? WRONG! In one of these covers, Williams is pictured with feather-adorned black braids, a look obviously inspired by Native American culture. Jezebel immediately posed the question “Why Is Michelle Williams in Redface?”, Refinery 29 was struck incredulous (“What?? We Can’t Believe How Offensive Michelle Williams’ Latest Cover Is”), and Paper Magazine just went the full mile and deemed the cover racist (“Thoughts on Michelle Williams’ Racist Magazine Cover”).

Let’s unpack this, shall we? I do agree that the headline featured on the cover is beyond unfortunate. “There’s No Place Like Home” is supposed to refer to Williams’ latest film, Oz, the Great and Powerful, but it’s not much of a stretch to correlate that tagline to the expulsion of Native Americans from their homes. Hands down, this is a pretty egregious error on some editor’s part. It’s insensitive and deserves a discussion.

But that’s not what this uproar is focusing on. Most blogs are concentrating on the editorial look and instantly branding the display as “red face” and “racist.” Maybe my eyes aren’t working, but Michelle’s skin looks like the same tone it always is and she doesn’t appear to be smoking a peace pipe in a teepee while trying to look sexy in a head dress. If that were the case, the racism charge might be deserved. But a few fashion flourishes that have roots in another time period or culture (like any fashion movement) does not mean she is dressing up as a Native American. Are we supposed to never engage with the Native American culture and pretend like its influence does not exist or affect us? Is that somehow better? Our culture has made great strides in accepting a range of minority groups in recent decades. But on our way to a more politically correct destination, have we missed the mark and gone too far to a trigger-happy place where the knee-jerk reaction is to be offended by every little thing?

The U.S. has built its name on being a melting pot. Our culture, and art in general, is one of appropriation: one fashion trend or musical genre is inspired by another that was inspired by yet another. So why are some things allowed and others not? The appropriation of hip-hop culture is widespread and influences the way many of us dress and speak, among other forms of self-expression. Like Native Americans, many of the originators of that style are still subjugated to this day. So why does a feather make someone racist? Madonna appropriated vogue culture from predominantly poor African American gay men. Does that then make her homophobic and racist?

This whole debate feels like a red herring in terms of what the actual racial issues are. A fashion look in some magazine provokes outrage, while the real issues plaguing Native Americans (poverty, self-governance, alcoholism) don’t get much ink. The only way we can exact positive change is to fight the real battles through activism and at the ballot box, not by clutching pearls over accessorizing. We’re all capable of so much more than that.

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Category: Celebrity, Ceremonies, Fashion, The Internet

About the Author ()

Emmanuel Hapsis received his MFA in creative writing from California College of the Arts. As an Interactive producer, he helps produce The Writers' Block (an audio podcast featuring author’s readings), the websites for The Do List (radio and online weekly event picks) and This Week in Northern California (a TV weekly news roundup), writes for the KQED Arts blog, and is a co-editor of KQED Pop. He spends a majority of his time crushing on Abe Lincoln and sharing his whiskey far and wide.
  • disqus_hZmwa0RVWu

    “not by clutching pearls over accessorizing.”

    Holy shit. THIS IS NOT “ACCESSORIZING.” THIS IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Any attempt to excuse this type of disrespectful behavior is racist.

  • http://twitter.com/OhItsRichard Richard Datuin

    Sorry that some people are offended that caricatures of Native Americans have trickled down their way to become culturally appropriative fashion statements to exhibit looking like “the other”. I hope they’re real quiet next time.

  • Steph

    FACT: No one cares about Native American women until you dress up a rich, famous white woman as one. How, in God’s name, is this cover “engaging” to Native Americans? This article is basically trying to explain one’s right to offensive and racist imagery, you know that, right? It’s all kinds of embarrassing and messed up.

  • TrainingBra

    “The real issues plaguing Native Americans (poverty, self-governance, alcoholism) don’t get much ink.” This is what makes your entire article carry the stench of blind ignorance. Speaking as a native I will tell you exactly why this is racist, appropriating yourself into a culture that is greatly ignored as a whole by America and whitewashing it into a pseudo kitsch of hipness does nothing but teach others that the faces that created and still live by this way of life are unimportant in the psychosocial makeup of this society. Do you ever see natives on the cover of magazines, or in mainstream films, or widely accepted as being part of the greater whole of entertainment? But it is fine for whites to “borrow” from us when they want to look jazzy. This is red face – this is the same as Al Jolson yelping “Mammy.”

  • beyondavalon

    So basically white guy wonders why people of color are offended at what he doesn’t find offensive. Gee could it be because you are not native that you do not find it offensive.

    How arrogant are you, to feel that you cast the decisive vote on if cultural appropriation of natives is offensive or not ?

    Here is some light reading from my fellow tumblr buddy (via ONTD)

    http://this-is-not-native.tumblr.com/resources

  • SRS

    Wow, this article is dumb as all hell.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501557447 Yvette Rhea

      And full of entitlement and in par with the institutionalized racism that goes on against natives today. They are also without any knowledge that the eagle feather is a sacred item to Native people that is used for prayer. It’s also earned by warriors. How about we start mocking peoples purple hearts and crosses and tell those offended that they are just over reacting and to quit forcing us to be pc.

  • http://www.facebook.com/alex.ludington Alexander Jay Ludington

    I agree with most of what the article is saying. Anyone who has taken any basic art history class can recognize that no art or fashion is completely new, but is built on prior aesthetic and can be placed as a mere point in the trajectory of recycled motifs and artistic developments. I don’t see how appreciating Native American aesthetic is any different than Mexican people adorned with southern pacific tribal patterns, or a white guy with Japanese “yakuza” tattoos.

  • Mindy

    Until mankind is peaceful enough not to have racism on the news, there’s no point in taking it out of magazine covers that need it for entertainment value….Thank you

  • Leigh

    “she doesn’t appear to be smoking a peace pipe in a teepee while trying to look sexy in a head dress.”

    No you did not even say this.

    So since she doesn’t look like your idea of a sterotypical “Indian” then it must be totally ok. Riiiiight.

  • Carrie Leilam Love

    Leave Michelle Alone! j/k. Emmanuel, I had a similar reaction to the response to this piece — the image felt referential more than appropriative. Also, Michelle Williams is literally, my *favorite* actress, so I feel protective.

    That said, as someone with no indigenous roots, I don’t think it’s up to me to decide if this image is appropriate or offensive. I am BIG INTO trying to have discussions about race that assume we all have blind spots and don’t vilify people, and I also think along with that has to come an understanding that oppressed people have legit anger and frustration around these issues.

    Part of the problem is that the “real issues” you mention are not totally independent of the cultural appropriation issue. The cultural appropriation creates an environment in which native culture is commodified and de-valued, which in turn contributes to those “real issues.” Sort of like how rape culture doesn’t = rape, but creates the environment for assaults to occur. Maybe I don’t think this particular image is contributing to all that, but again, it’s not my call.

    Some resources for this discussion:

    Me and my buddy Michael discussed this topic at Ironing Board Collective a while back: http://ironingboardcollective.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/dont-mess-up-when-you-dress-up-response-to-bitch-magazine/

    Native Appropriations is a blog dedicated exclusively to this topic and has A LOT of nuanced discussion and several posts that talk about the ways in which we can engage & reference cultures outside our own respectfully: http://nativeappropriations.com/

    And lastly, here’s bell hooks on Madonna and vogueing: http://stevenstanley.tripod.com/docs/bellhooks/madonna.html

    Love
    Carrie

    • Emmanuel Hapsis

      Thanks for the links, Carrie! Your thoughtful response is exactly what I was hoping to get out of this piece, which asks more questions than it tries to answer. My intention was not to suggest that I have any authority on the matter, but to start a civil discussion about some of the issues surrounding something like this. I love your Ironing Board Collective chat and hope that the point that rises to the top of heated conversations like this will be: “If you want to find a way to “honor” a culture you admire, why not find out what ways different communities in that culture need support?” Here’s hoping that every person who expressed their passionate view point on this thread and all the others spends as much time volunteering to help these communities as they spend commenting on the internet about them.

      • http://www.facebook.com/lizzy.acker Lizzy Acker

        You guys are the best.

  • Melinda

    The time you all took to comment on something you were SO OFFENDED by, could have been used to take interest in any of the hundreds of organizations that help the Native Americans SUFFERING on the Rez. (A “happy” place where white Americans had promised would “preserve” the Native culture) Pine Ridge being one of the major.

    Entitled brats hiding behind a keyboard and trying to find anything to take offense to. I don’t find this offensive. Should Greeks be offended at Bieber’s magazine spread dressed as a Greek God – is that Olive Face? How about models dressed in Geisha? All cultures have gone through trials and tribulations in history. It is what molds a culture. Good, Bad, Ugly. We’re all people. YOU all make it racist and make sure it continues. You think by making some of the awful comments about this piece you’re being fighters in “keeping racism in check?” How dare anyone prohibit a magazine from expressing a message through culture. We’re a free nation. Do something with your lives that isn’t spreading this bull. This article was simply allowing a channel for discussion over the matter. The guy never made a definitive stance.

  • KJ

    http://www.friendsofpineridgereservation.org/

    You morons should stop posting about a harmless magazine cover and actually be useful – donate to the cause. I hope everyone who had the time to blog such comments will make a difference!

    http://www.friendsofpineridgereservation.org/

  • http://www.facebook.com/naehelen Renee Griffin

    I’ll help you out with why this is offensive:

    http://this-is-not-native.tumblr.com/resources

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