Home : Beyonce Knowles : L'Oréal: Get Réal

L'Oréal: Get Réal

Posted Aug 8th 2008 1:10PM by TMZ Staff

BeyonceBeyonce, or L'Oréal for that matter, probably had no idea that an ad for hair color would cause so much controversy. I am an African-American woman and I work for TMZ. Yes, TMZ hires Black people.

I saw the new L'Oréal ad a few days ago, and it struck a nerve. There's still a stigma of Black celebs acting "too Black." This ad re-enforces that negative portrayal.

Why can't a powerful, talented African-American woman be celebrated for her natural beauty? L'Oréal claims they didn't change Beyonce's appearance, but who are they fooling? L'Oreal obviously wanted to make Beyonce look White.

The L'Oréal ad is disrespectful and dismissive to the Black community. And L'Oréal's explanation is lame.

My name is Nina and I approved (and wrote) this message.



Tags: beyonce

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46. Beyonce isn't Black. She is Creole which is French and Spanish and American Indian. She isn't Black at all.

Posted at 12:59PM on Aug 8th 2008 by Veronique

47. Hey 19- I see you're still watching the dead horse get beat.

Posted at 1:39PM on Aug 8th 2008 by getreal

48. The only reason this is causing so much controversy is because you keep on bringing it up. This story was so 3 days ago but you just had to put in your 2 sense. I'm dissapointed at Harvey for letting a staffer put up her personal opinion as if it was the opinion of all of TMZ. This is not your personal blog. I come here to read about gossip, not about a disgruntled TMZ staffer who takes everything to serious. Once again i am VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!


Posted at 1:09PM on Aug 8th 2008 by Heavy-D

49. come one!! Lorel just made her match her hair color! Don't you see her eyebrows?? LOL

Posted at 1:16PM on Aug 8th 2008 by Kimmie Pie

50. Beyonce is laughing all the way to the bank on this one. Beyonce (her handlers and agents, familey, etc) all know that she will endorse beauty products so until she herself cries about it, get over this martyr/victim mentality. You have a powerful job at TMZ that a lot of people would love to have...so celebrate!

Brain matter is not black or white...it's GRAY!

Posted at 12:57PM on Aug 8th 2008 by chicken stripper

51. hahaha was going to say same thing. GET OVER YOUSELF. or do us all a real favor and jump off a cliff. beyonce is f'n malotto...dont blame loreal for beyonce having a 'whiter' day

Posted at 12:58PM on Aug 8th 2008 by stillz

52. So, I am a bi racial woman, and I know Beyonce has some white in her (her momma is mixed) and B is often not as "tan" as the picture you are comparing it to. It's summer, when did they shoot the loreal picture?? Have you not seen any of Bs videos, she is "light" in a lot of them (bootylicous)..she has a high yellow tone. TMZ is making way too much of this, call me crazy...but people get darker in the summer!!

Posted at 12:59PM on Aug 8th 2008 by Donnie Wahlberg

53. Funny how a very shadowed and blurry picture was chosen for comparison. Beyonce isn't exactly chocolate ya know. I can take 10 pictures of my self in different lighting and different looks and look like 10 different people. And trust Beyonce has enough pull as a celeb that if she didn't like what they were doing then she could talk about it her damn self.

Posted at 1:12PM on Aug 8th 2008 by crs

54. She looks "light" in a lot of pictures - not just ads - I doubt very much that anyone is touching up pictures from award shows, ect. The lighter her hair, the lighter her skin appears.

Posted at 1:01PM on Aug 8th 2008 by Snowed

55. Do you want some chesse with your wwwwwhinnnnne? Get me a break. Grow up and get over your crybaby self. Paris Hilton even has more class than you do for bringing your "disrepected self" out to the public media.

Posted at 1:12PM on Aug 8th 2008 by yorkieboy2frenchiegirlsmama

56. IF YOU WANT B to celebrate he BLACHNESS then TELL HER TO STOP DYING HER HAIR BLOND OTHERWISE NO ONE CARES !!!

Posted at 1:11PM on Aug 8th 2008 by tt

57. always the black/ white thing.... i didnt own any slaves none of my family did either and you were never one sp can we all get pass this crap already.............. move on and let it go... for the love of god

Posted at 5:50PM on Aug 8th 2008 by JUBUG

58. As a graphic designer who frequently re-touches photos, this is most likely either an over-exposure of lighting or someone wanted to make the hair color look more blond and knocked up the yellow balance a ton... she doesnt even look that white, mostly just yellower, which gives her the appearance of lighter skin...

its sorta silly to try to make a racial issue out of a bad touch-up job...

Posted at 1:00PM on Aug 8th 2008 by Rachel

59. What black woman is buying loreal anyway? I don't buy that crap. Besides, I could see if they lightened Gabriel Union, but Beyonce is already light bright.

But to the person blaming black people for not being "true" to their culture: perhaps you should learn a bit more about the country you live in (assuming that you live in the US). Black people are doing that crap-lightening their skin, straightening their hair-because we live in a country where kinky hair is considered "political". But whatever, I couldn't care less what some ignorant white or ignorant black person has to say about me and others would be better off if they worried a little less about what some dumb ass cosmetic company's idea of beauty is and focused more on loving themselves.

Posted at 2:21PM on Aug 9th 2008 by kat

60. Beyonce is Creole people. Her mother is from Louisiana aristocracy.

Posted at 1:00PM on Aug 8th 2008 by Ava

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