Thoughts About the New Hairstyles (Gatekeeping and Restrictions)

[Cosmic-chan]

This has honestly been super discouraging to see. I don’t go on Twitter often, and when I do it seems that these conversations seep into my timeline even when I try to stay away from this side of Twitter (hence why I made my post about gatekeeping here). I’d totally understand if, say, a user goes, “hey, just wanted to let you know these are actually afro puffs, not space buns! I’m really glad you love them though. Here’s some more information and history on the hairstyle: *insert link about afro buns here*.” Not only have you corrected the user on the correct term for the hairstyle, you’ve brought them into a kind discussion where they can learn something they might not have before.

I’m all for representation and love that black people (and other ethnicities) are finally getting attention in a game where this should’ve been common sense (although, being as this is a Japanese company, they might not have even been aware the impact of their game on other ethnicities—but now they know and are adjusting accordingly). When people try to rudely exclude others from their culture, they unintentionally segregate themselves from other groups, which is the OPPOSITE of what people should be striving toward. I love when people wanna learn about the white side of my family and the Mexican side. Multiculturalism is a beautiful thing in the 21st century, and so many people take this for granted, because it wasn’t even 50-100 years ago there were horrible perceptions and beliefs about minorities in the United States. We’re STILL having to fight for this in plenty of areas around the world.

I know this is a small matter in the grand scheme of things, but it also belongs to the overarching struggle with gatekeeping and segregation.

Thank you for sharing more on this, Milky. :’c

I love this entire statement ! I just wish people wouldn't bash on each other ! Some POC really think that curly hair only belongs to them and that I guess only dark skin people can have curly hair and that makes me so sad.. like dude...again anyone can have curly hair and someone likes the hair I say let them enjoy it in a game nor harm is done..

 

[EmmaFrost]

Not entirely sure why you posted someone else’s screenshots on here just so people would have yet another debate about gatekeeping and questioning why black people may feel a certain way? People are allowed to feel however they feel. It’s natural to be protective over something. Animal Crossing pretty much just realized black people existed with ACNH. And they incrementally added a few black hairstyles MONTHS later. People are allowed to feel what they feel; and they’re allowed to be protective.
White people being told they can’t use a hairstyle in a video game is causing way too many emotions. Imagine what black people face in real life. Just for a second.

 

[HappyTails]

It's a video game hairstyle, that can be used on any character regardless of color. Do people really have nothing else better to do?

 

[EmmaFrost]

Also, the picklenoodle person in these screenshots is just... yikes

 

[Cosmic-chan]

Not entirely sure why you posted someone else’s screenshots on here just so people would have yet another debate about gatekeeping and questioning why black people may feel a certain way? People are allowed to feel however they feel. It’s natural to be protective over something. Animal Crossing pretty much just realized black people existed with ACNH. And they incrementally added a few black hairstyles MONTHS later. People are allowed to feel what they feel; and they’re allowed to be protective.
White people being told they can’t use a hairstyle in a video game is causing way too many emotions. Imagine what black people face in real life. Just for a second.

I just thought I'd share these and make a discussion and shed more light on this topic is all. As a black person I do know what a black person feels like but at the same time I don't always agree with all of my people's actions tbh

 

[Chris]

Not entirely sure why you posted someone else’s screenshots on here just so people would have yet another debate about gatekeeping and questioning why black people may feel a certain way? People are allowed to feel however they feel. It’s natural to be protective over something. Animal Crossing pretty much just realized black people existed with ACNH. And they incrementally added a few black hairstyles MONTHS later. People are allowed to feel what they feel; and they’re allowed to be protective.
White people being told they can’t use a hairstyle in a video game is causing way too many emotions. Imagine what black people face in real life. Just for a second.

The post you are responding to was made by a black woman. It's a topic she appears to be passionate about and if she wishes to raise it for discussion then that's perfectly okay!

I've merged this into the existing thread so that all conversation on this topic is in one place.

 

[Chungus]

Gatekeeping/"cultural appropriation" is malicious at its core, whether it's intended to be or not. It polarizes people and puts them on "sides," which is counterproductive. It is not racist to like another hairstyle and wear it. People don't adopt hairstyles because they're trying to make fun of it. If they're wearing it, they're liking it! And historically, people of all races have worn their hair in all sorts of different ways. No culture "owns" a specific style.

Those are my two cents. It's sad to me how we can't come together. Instead, we remain divided.

 

[Cosmic-chan]

Gatekeeping/"cultural appropriation" is malicious at its core, whether it's intended to be or not. It polarizes people and puts them on "sides," which is counterproductive. It is not racist to like another hairstyle and wear it. People don't adopt hairstyles because they're trying to make fun of it. If they're wearing it, they're liking it! And historically, people of all races have worn their hair in all sorts of different ways. No culture "owns" a specific style.

Those are my two cents. It's sad to me how we can't come together. Instead, we remain divided.

I wish the clap emoji was a reaction here because wow this is a really good response

 

[-Blue-]

lol @Milky star I knew as soon as I saw that pic you posted what it was going to be. lmao it's so funny. Just do what I do and ignore them. Twitter is trash.

Someone is having fun and posting a pic and the people know they can just mind their own business, but they got to ruin it and piss in everyone's parade for no other reason then to start a fight. Like really. There's no reason.

I think part of the problem with Twitter and places like it is that instead of people trying to educate people better they scream and treat them like crap. That just puts people on edge. Like why would anyone respect someone who starts a conversation like a B-word? If people would just have an ounce of compassion for each other, the place would be so much better. But not let's just scream at each other cause that's clearly worked out for the site before.

 

[Cosmic-chan]

lol @Milky star I knew as soon as I saw that pic you posted what it was going to be. lmao it's so funny. Just do what I do and ignore them. Twitter is trash.

Someone is having fun and posting a pic and the people know they can just mind their own business, but they got to ruin it and piss in everyone's parade for no other reason then to start a fight. Like really. There's no reason.

I think part of the problem with Twitter and places like it is that instead of people trying to educate people better they scream and treat them like crap. That just puts people on edge. Like why would anyone respect someone who starts a conversation like a B-word? If people would just have an ounce of compassion for each other, the place would be so much better. But not let's just scream at each other cause that's clearly worked out for the site before.

Sometimes it's just good to follow by a good classic mom rule "If you have nothing nice to say then don't say it. Unless...it's going to be helpful."

 

[coldpotato]

This is sad to see. I agree that this type of hair LOTS of people can have. It also makes me sad that nintendo came out with such a limited amount of options to represent people that they feel like they have to be protective of the small amount they have.
Nintendo should still release a wider variety of skin tones and more hairstyles, in my opinion.

 

[HappyTails]

The cool thing about games where you can customize your characters is that there is no rules on how you have to go about doing so. Like in this game, not only did they finally give us the option to change our skin tone, they gave us the freedom to give our female characters hair boy hair and vice versa. And to say that white people can't or shouldn't use the afro puff hairstyle is just plain ignorant. People can do whatever they want in this game. If you want to let your character run around in the default "naked'" outfit of white shirt and shorts and no shoes, you can because it's creative freedom. I've seen white people in real life with their hair done up like that. I've seen white people in real life with their hair in cornrows or braids. Hairstyles aren't and shouldn't be labeled based on race.

The fact that Nintendo added a hairstyle that somewhat represents black culture while not restricting it to just black characters was pretty cool of them.

 

[Cosmic-chan]

This is sad to see. I agree that this type of hair LOTS of people can have. It also makes me sad that nintendo came out with such a limited amount of options to represent people that they feel like they have to be protective of the small amount they have.
Nintendo should still release a wider variety of skin tones and more hairstyles, in my opinion.

I'm just happy Nintendo is trying. Considering it's a Japanese based company I try not to bash on them to hard. I don't think they're trying to exclude us..I think they simply don't know how to properly include us. So for them to add these hair styles was a major big deal and I can kinda see why people are protective but at the same time it's horrible to see my people attack someone for using the hair style in the game instead of just educating someone.

 

[naranjita]

White people being told they can’t use a hairstyle in a video game is causing way too many emotions. Imagine what black people face in real life. Just for a second.

right? like, you think being told this hairstyle isn't for you is painful? imagine how it feels to be told you didn't get the job because of how your hair naturally looks.

 

[-Blue-]

Sometimes it's just good to follow by a good classic mom rule "If you have nothing nice to say then don't say it. Unless...it's going to be helpful."

I've seen a lot of it firsthand since a lot of my friends refuse to migrate from twitter. If it wasn't for them, I'd never touch the crapsite. Some people are just misinformed/ignorant on certain situations. That doesn't make them bad people. But the other side will just tear them apart instead of having a level-headed conversation/reply. And at that point, do you not expect to come across opposition?

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've seen a level-headed conversation on twitter where one side wants to inform the other member of whatever it was. Like about the hair-buns issue on the other page.

If places like twitter would just die off from the net and not be replaced by something worst the internet world would be a better place.

 

[coldpotato]

I'm just happy Nintendo is trying. Considering it's a Japanese based company I try not to bash on them to hard. I don't think they're trying to exclude us..I think they simply don't know how to properly include us. So for them to add these hair styles was a major big deal and I can kinda see why people are protective but at the same time it's horrible to see my people attack someone for using the hair style in the game instead of just educating someone.

Yes, I definitely am happy they are trying too. I only recently discovered the only way you can have a darker skin tone in new leaf is by tanning, and I think that's pretty uh... horrible. I think nintendo has been very slow at including all sorts of people but am glad to see they are trying in this game.

 

[HappyTails]

To be honest, black people face so many doggone problems, what people are calling or how they are using a video game hairstyle is not what most people are angry about right now.

I called them odango buns when I first saw them because they reminded me of Sailor Moon. I would have been burned at the stake. XD

 

[Cosmic-chan]

If people weren't so sensitive to a video game and what people choose to do in the video game I don't think it would such an emotional topic but because people keep bashing on people for basically having fun it became a more problematic topic than it needs to be..

 

[EmmaFrost]

I just thought I'd share these and make a discussion and shed more light on this topic is all. As a black person I do know what a black person feels like but at the same time I don't always agree with all of my people's actions tbh

That’s fair, neither do I. I just think those particular screenshots do nothing to make either side look good.

I'm just happy Nintendo is trying. Considering it's a Japanese based company I try not to bash on them to hard. I don't think they're trying to exclude us..I think they simply don't know how to properly include us. So for them to add these hair styles was a major big deal and I can kinda see why people are protective but at the same time it's horrible to see my people attack someone for using the hair style in the game instead of just educating someone.

They knew how to properly include/accommodate “tanning” for fairer skin tones prior to NH but couldn’t accommodate naturally deeper skinned folks though? Make it make sense.

I’m not so quick to absolve Nintendo of being exclusionary. But I understand and respect your opinion to view them as not excluding black people.

I am unable to divorce this issue from the pervasive, deeply ingrained anti-blackness and colourism in general in certain Asian cultures (oh hai billion dollar skin whitening cream industry) and in my personal opinion that filtered into Nintendo not seeing or acknowledging black people early on.

it’s more than a game to me. But I understand everyone’s views. Also though the opinions/retorts of that pickle person in the screenshots were nauseating. So I see no reason to engage with people like that- they don’t seem worth the labour of individual education when Google is free.

 

[Cosmic-chan]

That’s fair, neither do I. I just think those particular screenshots do nothing to make either side look good.

They knew how to properly include/accommodate “tanning” for fairer skin tones prior to NH but couldn’t accommodate naturally deeper skinned folks though? Make it make sense.

I’m not so quick to absolve Nintendo of being exclusionary. But I understand and respect your opinion to view them as not excluding black people.

I am unable to divorce this issue from the pervasive, deeply ingrained anti-blackness and colourism in general in certain Asian cultures (oh hai billion dollar skin whitening cream industry) and in my personal opinion that filtered into Nintendo not seeing or acknowledging black people early on.

it’s more than a game to me. But I understand everyone’s views. Also though the opinions/retorts of that pickle person in the screenshots were nauseating. So I see no reason to engage with people like that- they don’t seem worth the labour of individual education when Google is free.

I don't think the tanning part was added to accommodate darker skin tones I just think it is what it is..tanning. You got to an island or to the beach and your skin get darker that's just a natural thing our skin does. Now that Nintendo is older thy officially added skin tones to Happy home and acnh and that's cool. I mean again Acnh is made by a Japanese company and they believe that dark skin is weird and nasty and blah blah so I can't be too mad for them not adding darker skin in acnl and i'm hapy it's now and official selection in acnh so,, I don't know,, acnh is Japanese and i'm not going to scream at them for just now including us and i'm not going bash anyone who does use the new hair.