Oh Prom. It’s a night of wonder for high school students, and pretty much supposed to be “the best night of their lives” if you’ve watched any high school prom movie. It seems as though this teen girl didn’t even get to the dance floor before the drame started for her though.
Usually when you read titles that start with “This Girl’s “Inappropriate” Prom Dress…” it’s something to do with too much skin showing. Not this time ladies and gentleman!
Keziah, which is her Twitter name or maybe her real name who knows, is at the center of this controversy. She posted these photos on Twitter where she is wearing a cheongsam, aka a qipao, aka a traditional Chinese dress.
PROM pic.twitter.com/gsJ0LtsCmP
— Keziah (@daumkeziah) April 22, 2018
A lot of Twitter users were mad about how Keziah is not Chinese though, and one Twitter user replied saying, “My culture is not your goddamn prom dress.”
My culture is NOT your goddamn prom dress. https://t.co/vhkNOPevKD
— Yellow Peril (@jere_bare) April 27, 2018
He then went on bit of a rant…
Unrelated Fun Fact (a thread):
The qipao was originally a loose dress/garment without shape, made for Chinese women to clean the house and do other domestic chores with.— Yellow Peril (@jere_bare) April 28, 2018
It was then altered and embroidered as a beautiful form-fitting outfit to wear publically, which Chinese women were not allowed to do at during the times of extreme patriarchal oppression.
— Yellow Peril (@jere_bare) April 28, 2018
In a time where Asian women were silenced they were able to create, not only a piece of art but a symbol of activism. This piece of clothing embraced femininity, confidence, and gender equality through its beautiful, eye-catching appearance.
— Yellow Peril (@jere_bare) April 28, 2018
It even broke the division of financial classes! It could be made with high-quality materials that only the upper class could afford such as special silks and linens, but a dress just as beautiful could have been made with just cotton and low-quality linen.
— Yellow Peril (@jere_bare) April 28, 2018
Femme factory workers wore this dress!!! And the style was then spread throughout Asian as a beautiful garment and sign of women's liberation.
— Yellow Peril (@jere_bare) April 28, 2018
But as the internet turns, people were divided on the subject and some other Twitter users praised Keziah.
Because blaming all “white people” is totally not racist. Please stop wearing anything invented and initially worn by white people before telling others they can’t do it too.
— Authorize (@EGSA_Authorize) April 29, 2018
I’m asian and I’m not insulted in any way. You look beautiful.
— Gina Darling (@MissGinaDarling) April 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/BenjiGerman/status/990313721300967424
I wonder what the backlash would be if a non white girl wore this dress since other girls have also been ridiculed for the attire of their own cultures. Would they be believed for appreciating the culture or be told they're appropriating it?
— Sabah ~ (@Sabzz_2442) April 28, 2018
But back to “Jere_Bare,” shall we? Honestly I don’t really buy this kid knew anything about a Qipao before doing a quick Wikipedia search. His Twitter rant continued after the previous tweets saying:
“I’m proud of my culture, including the extreme barriers marginalised people within that culture have had to overcome those obstacles.
For it to simply be subject to American consumerism and cater to a white audience, is parallel to colonial ideology.”
Many people responded to little Jere_Bare with things like:
“I’ve seen all kinds of people wearing jeans who have no cultural links with the American West. They just like the look. I don’t have a problem with that. Do you?”
“You don’t have to be a poc to have a culture. Race and culture aren’t really connected at all. I’m Irish. On our national day people go around in fake red beards and exaggerated clothing of what they think traditional clothing is here.”
A few other people called Jeremy out for being a racist himself, and they have a point…
We love a closet racist pic.twitter.com/KqIzsBBMQA
— jake severe (@JacobSevere) April 29, 2018
https://twitter.com/IamJoshuaK/status/990647445326475264
And if Keziah was being racist with wearing the Qipao, then what’s going on in Jeremy’s Twitter pic?
"My culture is not your prom dress" he said, while wearing an ADIDAS baseball cap, white T-shirt and douche-bro shorts, which I guess are totally indicative to and native of Chinese culture, I guess he's implying. pic.twitter.com/8hi4Xw6tCN
— Gary Laser Eyes (@GaryLazer_Eyes) April 29, 2018
Imagine if White People™ told that Asian guy: "Stop wearing our Levis Jeans. My culture is NOT your goddamn pants."
He'd be screaming racism.
What's funny is all the Likes and RT's he's getting. Virtue Signalling is real.
— Nick Flor-ProfessorF (@ProfessorF) April 29, 2018
Eventually Keziah came back and responded to the controversy she had started, even though she was just trying to have a fun night at Prom…
She said:
“To everyone causing so much negativity: I mean no disrespect to the Chinese culture.
I’m simply showing my appreciation to their culture. I’m not deleting my post because I’ve done nothing but show my love for the culture. It’s a… dress. And it’s beautiful.”
I don’t understand everyone’s need or desire to cause so much hate. I’m simply showing my love for a beautiful culture and there is nothing wrong with that. Keep talking shit. I don’t care. I have much respect for the Chinese culture ❤️
— Keziah (@daumkeziah) April 28, 2018
And then she concluded:
“I love and appreciate diversity and other cultures. I mean no hate. I love everyone ❤️”
I love and appreciate diversity and other cultures. I mean no hate. I love everyone ❤️
— Keziah (@daumkeziah) April 29, 2018
What do you think? Sound off in our poll because we want to know what you think!