In a bold move sure to stir controversy, Roseanne Barr debuted a new hairstyle on social media ahead of her upcoming standup gig.
As Barr prepares to take the stage at Cap City Comedy Club in Austin, Texas, she drummed up some buzz, perhaps to sell tickets. The comedian, known for her Emmy-winning role on her self-titled sitcom, took to Instagram wearing blond locs accessorized with a white and gold “Make America Great Again” hat.
The reactions online were probably exactly what she was aiming for … explosive.
Critics wasted no time accusing Barr of cultural appropriation, questioning whether the locs were extensions or attached to the hat itself.
Under her post, one commenter exclaimed, “Stop appropriating black culture!” while artist Danny Simmons voiced his disdain on Facebook, stating, “Ummm why does Roseanne Barr have locs?”
“We don’t want her and that hair does not give her a pass,” he added. “Let’s not forget she’s reported 2 be Trumper racist???”
“They don’t want us, but they want everything about our culture!” said another person on his thread.
One of his Facebook followers added, “She needs attention. Let’s not give it to her.”
Yet amidst the backlash, there were some defenders. Pushing back against claims of cultural appropriation, one supporter argued, “Hmmmm were your ancestors black vikings?!”
This comment gauged a historical angle, asserting that the origins of locs should not be traced to Africa but to Viking culture in Scandinavia and beyond.
More of Barr’s supporters rallied in her defense.
One Instagram commenter quipped, “Waiting for some hater to point out that ‘Rosie is culturally expropriating black culture’ with this new bad ass look! Looking good, Rosie!”
Meanwhile, others turned the situation into a political punchline, joking, “Oh the Dems will DREAD this!! Yay Rosanne!”
The 71-year-old is no stranger to stirring the pot. This isn’t even the first time she has played with locs as a hairstyle. A 2011 photo resurfaced in 2018 showing her with locs.
Me with dreds 2011 pic.twitter.com/nvcc0DrsZm
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) March 6, 2018
Months later, in 2018, Barr tweeted a nasty comment about Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser in the Obama White House, causing ABC to cancel her TV show. Around 2 a.m. in the morning, she wrote that Jarrett was the product of the “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes.”
She later apologized, blaming Ambien for her racist words, “I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter,” she tweeted. “It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting — it was memorial day too — I went 2 far & do not want it defended.”
During her hour-long interview on Sean Hannity’s Fox News Channel, Bar revealed that she was remorseful for her actions. “It cost me everything. I wish I worded it better,” she said.
Hannity repeatedly urged Barr to apologize to Jarrett on air.
In the interview it seems she was tired of being asked to apologize and fix it with the political player, saying, “I already have said I’m sorry for two months.”
However, Barr eventually gave in, saying that she would tell Jarrett, “I’m sorry that you feel harm and hurt, I never meant that. I never meant to hurt anybody.”
Some of her colleagues, like actor Anthony Anderson, called for her to get “help” after hearing about the comments.
Others, like fellow comedian Mo’Nique and “Straight Out of Compton” actor Jason Mitchell, believe the world is too uptight. “I think it’s tough that society has come to a place where like, we can’t even take a joke anymore, you know what I mean?” Mitchell said when the offensive tweet surfaced.
He added, “Like, I grew up on ‘Roseanne’ and I don’t see no wrong on ‘Roseanne.’ She’s a comedian. I mean, if we can’t take a joke, you know what I mean?”
It is unclear if the locs and braids are attached to her hat or are extensions. It is clear, however, that she’s garnered lots of attention.
