Nick Cannon and Zeus Network are under fire for the promotion of their Light Skin vs. Dark Skin competition. The Wild N Out host and the network posted the flyer for fans to view the live event on Dec. 7 but were met with immediate pushback given the colorist nature of its description.
The Las Vegas event was supposed to be a competition between Wild N Out stars and women from Zeus’ Baddies franchise, deemed
Bad vs. Wild. However, the original flyer pictured the women divided based on skin tone, including Light Skin and Dark Skin team names. However, swiftly after the event was posted to social media, users flocked to note that it was colorist and divisive to put women of differing skin tones against each other, reported Complex.In response to the backlash, Zeus changed the event title to “Chocolate Goddesses vs. Caramel Goddesses” but kept the same imagery that was also part of the issue.
“Hey beautiful people,” captioned the post. “Our aim at #BADVSWILDLASVEGAS is to unify, celebrate, and laugh together as we explore [the] diverse tapestry of our community. Today, we’re excited to bring you a show filled with fun, music, and empowerment with the beautiful @Sukihanagoat and her Chocolate Goddesses along with @mxrvssa and her Caramel Goddesses!”
The caption explained that the event was meant to “break down stereotypes,” but commenters were not buying it.
“This isn’t any better,” said one commenter on the revamped post. “Putting dark skin women against light skin women. Further fueling the colorism that Black women have battling against forever.”
With the women on the flyer still separated by their complexion, many were also confused about what their skin color had to do with the event itself.
“Can yall stop,” shared another user. “Wording it like that [doesn’t] make it better.”
Despite the backlash, the event still went on as planned, complete with a performance by hip-hop artist Sukihana. However, whether or not it will air on Zeus has yet to be disclosed.
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