Fans are always happy to get more Kardashian-West family photos, but some critics don’t always like what they see.
North West had a birthday a few weeks ago. She is now 5 years old!!
But when some people saw that Kim had given her a straightened, Ariana Grande-style ponytail, they flipped out.
North West and Penelope Disick look so cute, right?
North is wearing a swimsuit, a robe, and a unicorn horn — amazing for a birthday party or any other occassion.
But it was North’s hair that drew the eyes of fans.
Not only on Kim’s Instagram stories, but when she was spotted out and about in public.
Some fans were very distressed to see that Kim had once again seemed to straighten her little girl’s hair.
“I hope those are not hair extensions in a four year old!” one Twitter user wrote.
We don’t think that informing that person that North turned 5 a few days ago would put them at ease.
(To be clear, we’re also not sure what’s wrong with a four-year-old doing their hair — hair extensions aren’t, like, tattoos or plastic surgery or whatever)
“I reall hate how the Kardashians keep straightening that poor baby’s hair tho,” another Twitter user writes.
This one, it seems, objects to the fact that they’re messing with her hair at all, regardless of her age.
“North West gonna have heat damage before she’s 10 — before I even knew what straightener was smh.”
SMH, of course, is an acronym for smacking my head, an expression of frustration.
There is a racial component to hair and hairstyles.
A lot of hairstyles that just happen to be banned by dress codes and company policies as “unprofessional” also just happen to be easier hairstyles for people with curly hair like North’s.
For black people, in other words.
This is why many black people in the US and other countries take great pride in their hair — because it’s part of who they are, even though white supremacist cultural forces have tried to force them to have straightened hair or no hair at all.
So … is Kim forcing North to have straight hair in order to fit in with European beauty standards?
No.
First of all, North only rarely wears her hair straightened.
Kim has spoken at length about how much North loves her hair and about how Kim encourages her biracial children to love their hair and skin.
And we just can’t imagine Kim forcing North to wear her hair one way or the other.
Especially, you know, for North’s own birthday party. Some parents would, sure.
But say what you will about Kim Kardashian — she is a loving mother.
Or, as one Twitter user phrased it:
“Kim has taken such good care of North’s curls over the years. The comments about North’s hair being straightened [are] tired,” the person writes.
That tweet continues: “First of all, mind your own children.”
Now, if a parent is doing some sort of harm to their child, by all means, we all have a duty to speak up.
But straightening North’s hair or giving her hair extensions or whatever for her birthday and a visit to a candy shop is honestly no big deal.
It is certainly not harmful.
Kim Kardashian is hailed as a “beauty guru” by many. We somehow can’t imagine that she’s going to sabotage her own daughter’s hair.
