JANET STREET-PORTER: Is it REALLY racist to wonder what colour a child might be? After Scobie’s ludicrous claims, now Beyonce has fallen victim to the hate mob – but why can’t we judge people by their talent, not their skin? 

Is nothing sacred? Nit picking fans have had the cheek to complain that Beyonce has disrespected her culture by turning herself white at the Los Angeles premiere of her new film Renaissance.

Skin colour is the hot topic this week. While Omid Scobie tries to whip up interest in his lack lustre book Endgame by claiming not one but two members of the Royal family asked Harry and Meghan what colour Archie’s skin might be, a similiar row has erupted involving the Queen of pop.

Last Saturday, Beyonce was photographed on the red carpet in Beverly Hills wearing a shimmering silver skin tight Versace gown, a blonde wig, matching pale makeup and elbow length silver gloves.

The effect was stunning – utterly glamorous, a powerful image of a strong unashamed woman at the top of her game. The frock’s creator, Donatella Versace, gushed ‘you are unique…a vision…one of one’.

Beyonce has made her Renaissance world tour an expression of female power and strength with astonishing extravagant couture costumes, head dresses and wigs. She has a stage presence that oozes confidence and pride in her heritage. She doesn’t try to pretend she’s a different shape. She owns her brand. It’s showmanship of the highest order.

Last Saturday, Beyonce was photographed on the red carpet in Beverly Hills wearing a shimmering silver skin tight Versace gown, a blonde wig, matching pale makeup and elbow length silver gloves

The effect was stunning – utterly glamorous, a powerful image of a strong unashamed woman at the top of her game. The frock’s creator, Donatella Versace, gushed ‘you are unique…a vision…one of one’

READ MORE: BLONDE BEYONCE IS SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEING ACCUSED OF LIGHTENING HER SKIN 

The controversial silver costume would have been as carefully considered as a political manifesto. For brand Beyonce, nothing is left to chance, she is a marketing genius, an icon and inspiration to girls of all colours and backgrounds. But in the modern world, whatever skin colour you have – whether by birth or design using makeup – there’s a big chance you will offend someone if you dare to dress it up.

Soon, social media was teeming with complaints that the singer had somehow betrayed her heritage, lightened her skin and ‘wanted to be white’. Worse, was she a black version of Elsa from Disney’s Frozen?

The star’s mother, Tina Knowles, a fashion designer, normally doesn’t get involved in her daughter’s career. Infuriated, she sprang to Bee’s defence, claiming the critics were ‘racist’ and perpetuating ‘sexist double standards’. Tina explained that her daughter’s appearance had been chosen to echo the theme of the premiere (which was silver) with a silver carpet and matching dress code.

The film of the Renaissance world tour is expected to gross millions, and Beyonce need not worry about any carping about her frock and wig affecting her popularity or her bank balance. But this obession with what is an ‘acceptable’ colour – whether you are black, white, brown or yellow – is ridiculous.

Meghan is of mixed race, and yet she defines herself as black, because her mother is black, That is her prerogative. Harry is white, and so is little Archie. But is it necessarily racist to wonder what colour a child might be? Having lived for five years with someone whose parents came from the Caribbean, I can assure you that black families discuss skin colour like everyone else. It’s just normal curiosity, but now the subject has been hijacked and appropriated by the culture-war warriors.

Cultural appropriation is a term used to denigrate anyone (usually white) who has the temerity to adopt the clothing or hairstyles of another culture. It assumes that the person doing so was either stupid or has evil intent. Which is both patronising and wrong.

But isn’t it odd that a black woman, Beyonce, is now being trashed for daring to colour her skin silver for a publicity appearance? As for wearing a blonde wig – there are numerous examples of black stars, like the jazz singer Etta James for example- using blonde wigs, to add a certain glamour to their appearance. And Michael Jackson used white makeup to try and cover his skin condition.

Does this pathetic criticism of a smart black icon – Beyonce – mark a new low point in the cultural appropriation war? Is it no longer OK for black women to wear pale makeup or blonde hairpieces? Honestly, could it get any more ridiculous? This week, Marks and Spencer were attacked for marketing a deep-fried rice ball which contained chorizo – a whacky version of paella in bite sizes. Chefs were soon whinging that one of their national dishes, rice arancini, had been bastardised and the paella balls were an insult to their culture.

Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles, 69, furiously struck out at online critics accusing her daughter of lightening her skin in an Instagram video posted Tuesday

Knowles responded after some commenters on social media complained that the 42-year-old superstar appeared to have lighter skin at the Renaissance concert film premiere

One commenter on an earlier video featuring an image of Beyoncé at the premiere joked that she was ‘TransRacial,’ while another person said she now looked like Kim Kardashian

In the jungle this week, Nigel Farage had told Fred that singing in a Jamaican accent would see him criticised of cultural appropriation. Watching him explaining the term to Nella, was an exercise in non-communication.

When Nigel pointed out that wearing fancy dress was fraught with difficulties these days, Nella thought that dressing up as a Mexican would be offensive to their culture. Which demonstrated that we live in dangerous times, where offence is easily taken and a generation of young people seem to get upset over issues that never seemed problematic before.

Harry once dressed up as a Nazi, but has since apologised. I once made a boyfriend dress up as a cactus for a theme party – was that offensive to prickly plants? I can’t be sure.

Our preoccupation with skin colour over everything else is symptomatic of an age where so much is judged on exterior appearances, where social media is used to present an entirely enhanced and false version of what we really look like. With the touch of a button I can appear deathly white or deeply tanned in my selfies. I can take away my double chin and flatten out my wrinkles.

Reflecting all the skin colours in our society is the best way to sell anything in 2023. Television advertising has changed completely in the last decade and never features an all white family. To look at these ads, for all our major brands, you’d think what a wonderfully integrated homogenous society we live in. If only that were the case.

I like to think that talent wins over everything and skin colour is irrelevant. That’s how I employed people and that’s how I judge people now. Expecting a talent like Beyonce to conform to some dreary ‘black’ stereotype is ridiculous. She can ‘be’ whoever she wants.

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