Kylie Jenner’s Yaki Ponytail Causes Uproar: Blasted For Cultural Appropriation

Kylie Jenner has been slammed of cultural appropriation again. The teen was seen wearing a Yaki ponytail (aka kankelon hair) last week at New York Fashion Week. The photos of Kylie went viral and people are accusing the 18-year-old of attempting to look like a black woman.

It all started when Kylie Jenner was spotted sitting front row at Alexander Wang’s show during New York Fashion Week. She was photographed wearing an all-black ensemble including a Yaki ponytail, which is a hair piece that’s typically used by black women for braiding since it emulates their natural hair texture when blown out.

The photos immediately went viral, and social media has accused Kylie of cultural appropriation. Check out some of the tweets for yourself below.

So. This is Kylie Jenner.
It must be so cool to be a Black woman for the aesthetics and face none of the issues. pic.twitter.com/BeITuj3MuR

— Panic! At The Bando (@FireinFreetown) February 14, 2016

Kylie Jenner literally wears blackface. She “performs” blackness. She over with braiding hair for a ponytail. Ha! https://t.co/iKb0SmThiz

— Yasmin Yonis (@YasminYonis) February 14, 2016

This isn’t the first time that Jenner has been accused of cultural appropriation. Last summer, Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg accused Jenner of cultural appropriation when she wore cornrows in her hair. She shared a photo of herself alongside the caption, “I woke up like disss.”

Kylie missed the point and dismissed Amandla’s criticism by telling her to “go hang with Jaden [Smith] or something.” It seems like Kylie hasn’t learned from that previous controversy.

Then in April, several young and impressionable teens used glass bottles and shot glasses to mimic the reality star’s signature lips – kicking off the #KylieJennerChallenge. The Jenner teen claimed that her lips were all natural and that she only used lipstick and lip liner to perfect her pout. Then Kylie finally admitted on an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians that she gets temporary lip fillers.

That’s not all, though. Kylie Jenner was also slammed for cultural appropriation when she posed in a photo shoot which many considered blackface. She shared a photo of herself with dark glittery bronzer on her face and chest along with the caption: “What I wish I looked like all the time thank you,” according to a report.

After receiving plenty of backlash on social media, Kylie changed the caption and wrote, “This is a black light and neon lights lets all calm down (sic).”

Disney star and singer Zendaya originally supported the teen’s photo shoot but then changed her mind when her fans pointed it out.

“At first, IS aw more of an avatar look but thank y’all for keeping me on point … we all gotta stay aware of what image we project #lessons,” she tweeted.

Now back to the ponytail controversy. Some would say that it’s not just the hair, but Jenner’s constant reliance on black beauty and style without facing the burden of being black. Black women are often teased and racially profiled because of their “nappy hair,” big lips, and big butts, while Jenner’s constantly praised for her pouty lips, sexy curves, and trend hairstyle choices.

Here’s another point. Take the Hollywood Life’s recent article for example. The celebrity gossip blog praises Kylie for having a “firm” and “sexy” booty, which she allegedly tries so hard to emulate from other black women. According to contributor Taylor Weatherby, all you need is a good pair of jeans to make your butt look firm and perky. Meanwhile, black women all over the world are called disgusting or slutty for having a large derriere.

But of course, people will brush it off and say it’s no big deal. Black women and young girls have told that their features should be changed to look more “white,” while Jenner continues to borrow from black culture and gets praised for it.

And it’s no secret that Kylie Jenner loves to either Photoshop or pad her behind, so it can appear larger in photos. What are your thoughts on Jenner’s hairstyle? Do you think she should be called out for cultural appropriation? Sound off below in the comments section.

[Photos by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]