Gigi Hadid has recently been under a lot of scrutiny due to some things she has said and posted that have been quite racist. Some may argue that it was a lapse of judgement, but we must not forget that Gigi is a model who receives international attention. Another thing to remember is that Gigi is half Dutch from her mom’s side and half Palestinian from her dad. One would expect her to be a bit more sensitive given her mixed background. However, during an awards show, Gigi was quick to use an accent to mock Melania Trump. I am not a fan of the Trump Family, but mocking a person’s accent is extremely low. Moreover, she has made jokes by squinting her eyes while eating Chinese food.
I understand that everyone makes mistakes, however, the fact that she does not realize the impact of her actions in today’s day and age surprises me.
I am in no way saying Gigi is the only person doing it, but given that she is in the spotlight, people look up her. And this causes for people to see this gestures and comments as mistakes and not as an actual issue. Many people nowadays say things and then explain that due to the fact that it was not meant maliciously it is ok. And that is truly problematic. A racist comment is a racist comment. Even if the intent was not malicious, the comment in itself is malicious. As a society that is living in a harsher political environment, there needs to be a greater understanding. You cannot simply say something and then get away with it. It does not matter if you are Gigi Hadid or just a plain jane. A joke is no longer a joke if it attacks a minority, a race or religion.
It is not always about intent. It is about the real issue. Racism has become to common.
