A troll is often considered to be a mythical creature that hides beneath bridges and scares fairytale characters, much like the problematic episodes of MacG’s podcast. But on the internet, trolls are people who provoke others, even to the extent of bullying them.
Earlier this year, radio host Anele Mdoda got a taste of what being trolled feels like when she said Kelly Rowland is ugly without makeup. A special group of trolls dedicated themselves to proving Mdoda wrong by tagging and making her trend on every image posted by Kelly Rowland on Twitter. In a recent tweet, Mdoda vehemently defended her stance, insisting that she doesn’t mind how she keeps trending and asserted her point by comparing Rowland to former band mate Beyoncé.
In this statement, Mdoda unwittingly includes herself in colourist rhetoric where Rowland will never compare with a lighter skinned Beyoncé, an issue that still affects societies across our continent and the greater diaspora. Her tweets on the matter are not innocent banter but purport dangerous ideals that would continue to destroy any progress made in black beauty.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of a current and dangerous beauty ideal that has gripped the world. Known as Instagram face, there is a growing shift for women to present themselves with high cheek bones, cat-like eyes and caramel skin that tans no darker than a paper bag.
While each of the standards is based on multiple ideals from around the world, they are a mixture only accepted from racially ambiguous women. This would include the likes of Beyoncé, the Kardashians or other Instafamous women, where not being exotic enough to be favoured makes you ugly, which is especially problematic considering a large number of black women in the entertainment industry are always excluded for this. This becomes a ripple effect where darker skinned women in society bear the brunt of being deemed lesser than.
In an era where niche following has allowed for messages on positive body image to reign supreme, the trolling of Mdoda has highlighted the danger of giving a huge platform to someone who would much rather tear people down. Above that, it brings into question her role as a Miss SA judge.
Mdoda’s behaviour contributes to the long and toxic history of pageants. Platforms like Miss SA afford “ambitious women” the opportunity to become ambassadors for the country. While ambition knows no race or gender, the role has been ableist, sexist and fat-phobic, almost as if to say one cannot make great contributions to society if they cannot look sexy in a tiny bikini.
In an inclusive move the pageant has recently allowed trans women to participate. While this is an incredible and inclusive step in the greater direction, it now puts the trans community under the divisive gaze of the pageant’s judges like Mdoda who are going to police how well they fit into society's archaic body and beauty ideals.
Is this a step in the right direction that will make an impact in SA’s hatred towards trans women or just a fun, new toy they can cash social clout with? Is Miss SA partaking in Mdoda’s views of beauty standards or is Mdoda regurgitating Miss SA’s standards of beauty to the world? This is especially worrisome as Mdoda holds the biggest conch in discourse with other black women on The Buzz.
Beauty standards and trends like Instagram face come and go, yet toxic and divisive views on skin colour thrive, thanks to the likes of Mdoda. While it might be a fun ride on the Ferris wheel of Twitter trends, Mdoda’s daft and dangerous colourism is a reflection of a society that inherently hates black women. It would seem that Mdoda is more than just a troll herself but the bridge that connects black women to sociocultural oppression.
