Gizelle is developing a makeup line for women of color, which is wonderful because clearly she needs a hobby other than worrying about what Katie did at that one party. Gizelle mentions multiple times that because of her phenotype (color), people think she doesn't get what it's like to be black.
Gizelle- "People think that I don't understand the problems of the black community, because I'm light skinned and have green eyes but the struggle is real".
Oh the horrors of light-skinned privilege! I ain't too mad at Gizelle for that though, because she seems to be at least a bit conscious of it. She did mention one of the most stereotypical criticisms leveled at a certain type of light-skinned black women when introducing her makeup line to the ladies.
Gizelle- "Pretty was always a problem....people would always say, "she think she cute".
via GIPHY
For the uninitiated, "she think she cute", is basically light-skinned black girl kryptonite. It simultaneously accuses someone of being inadequately humble while also carrying a special connotation for those afraid of being called "high yellow". Clearly, this still stings Gizelle and she's conscious of it in designing her makeup line.
There's another moment of coded light-skinned weirdness at the makeup focus group with Ashley, but it happens so quick that it's easy to miss. In complimenting the makeup, Ashley says something way more charged than she realizes.
Ashley- "You can't even see my veins!"
Ashley is biracial and pretty fair, and it may not have even occurred to her that this was a pretty messed up thing to say. But given the history of paper bag tests and blue vein societies, her commentary on her disappearing veins was a really strange unintentional highlighting of the colorism that's always existed within the black community.
Meanwhile, Karen is still mad at poor Ashley for the fact that Michael showed up at the beach house, and she decides the only way to resolve this is to get the husbands involved. Ashley is not here for it.
Ashley- "It's so old fashioned for Karen to suggest that the men work things out. What are they gonna do, have a duel?"
via GIPHY
As usual, I agree with Ashley here. There's something really gross and patriarchal about this solution, and it carries undertones of women as property with no agency. Karen is worried about how it looked for Michael to show up, but almost no one else cared at all. The whole thing wreaks of black respectability politics and REALLY old ideas about gender. Michael being white and Australian is clearly on the outside of this, and Ashley, being younger and more progressive doesn't really care. Ultimately, everything seems to calm down over a golf match, but Karen and Ashley walk away with different interpretations of the resolution that they share with the rest of the ladies.
Gizelle-"So Michael gave Ray the business?"
Ashley- "No, there ain't no business to give!"
The whole party at Karen's house was an intense hot mess, but she way overreacted to Ashley, and was downright mean in calling her a bad influence on her daughter, who Ashley has never even met.
Karen- "Ashley has done so many things wrong. the last straw for me was when she put my daughter's name in her mouth"
Knowing these ladies, they'll probably fake patch things up next week, but we'll have to stay tuned. I honestly cannot wait because in the promo, Katie and Ashley confront Robyn about "looking biracial". This is gonna be chock full of racial policing of biracial people and light-skinned black people, so I'm very excited to see how it all plays out.
Linguistic Observations
Gizelle- "Rude, rude, rude. Yes it IS, KA-TIE'.
Gizelle does a lot of hyperarticulation whenever she has something critical to say, and this especially happens with her "t" and "s".
Karen becomes a totally different person linguistically when she talks to her assistant Eny. Every other phrase contains a "girl", "honey", or "honey child". I have no idea what this is about.
Random Unrelated THOTs
Why isn't Charrisse wearing a swim cap!? That hair can't take chlorine!
Why didn't Karen know that cheery blossoms only bloom in the spring??? That's the whole point of cherry blossoms!
Robyn and Juan talking about The Last Dragon is too cute. I'm rooting for them, even though he's a cheater.
Ashley- "You can't even see my veins!"
Ashley is biracial and pretty fair, and it may not have even occurred to her that this was a pretty messed up thing to say. But given the history of paper bag tests and blue vein societies, her commentary on her disappearing veins was a really strange unintentional highlighting of the colorism that's always existed within the black community.
Meanwhile, Karen is still mad at poor Ashley for the fact that Michael showed up at the beach house, and she decides the only way to resolve this is to get the husbands involved. Ashley is not here for it.
Ashley- "It's so old fashioned for Karen to suggest that the men work things out. What are they gonna do, have a duel?"
via GIPHY
As usual, I agree with Ashley here. There's something really gross and patriarchal about this solution, and it carries undertones of women as property with no agency. Karen is worried about how it looked for Michael to show up, but almost no one else cared at all. The whole thing wreaks of black respectability politics and REALLY old ideas about gender. Michael being white and Australian is clearly on the outside of this, and Ashley, being younger and more progressive doesn't really care. Ultimately, everything seems to calm down over a golf match, but Karen and Ashley walk away with different interpretations of the resolution that they share with the rest of the ladies.
Gizelle-"So Michael gave Ray the business?"
Ashley- "No, there ain't no business to give!"
The whole party at Karen's house was an intense hot mess, but she way overreacted to Ashley, and was downright mean in calling her a bad influence on her daughter, who Ashley has never even met.
Karen- "Ashley has done so many things wrong. the last straw for me was when she put my daughter's name in her mouth"
Knowing these ladies, they'll probably fake patch things up next week, but we'll have to stay tuned. I honestly cannot wait because in the promo, Katie and Ashley confront Robyn about "looking biracial". This is gonna be chock full of racial policing of biracial people and light-skinned black people, so I'm very excited to see how it all plays out.
Linguistic Observations
Gizelle- "Rude, rude, rude. Yes it IS, KA-TIE'.
Gizelle does a lot of hyperarticulation whenever she has something critical to say, and this especially happens with her "t" and "s".
Karen becomes a totally different person linguistically when she talks to her assistant Eny. Every other phrase contains a "girl", "honey", or "honey child". I have no idea what this is about.
Random Unrelated THOTs
Why isn't Charrisse wearing a swim cap!? That hair can't take chlorine!
Why didn't Karen know that cheery blossoms only bloom in the spring??? That's the whole point of cherry blossoms!
Robyn and Juan talking about The Last Dragon is too cute. I'm rooting for them, even though he's a cheater.
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