Kim Kardashian Wears Braids to MTV Awards Red Carpet

Kim Kardashian has definitely made her mark on the beauty world — but fans have also called her out over some of her problematic decisions. Case in point: Her look at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, where the social media star showed up to the event with her hair in braids.

The style in question, Fulani braids, are distinguished by a braided center part (with certain variations featuring a non-braided center part), and one or two braids on the side of each head, wrapping from the back to front. As Buzzfeed notes, the name originates from the Fulani people, a primarily Muslim, traditionally pastoral ethnic group who live throughout West Africa and parts of East Africa.

Unsurprisingly, people had a lot to say about Kim’s braids, with some even going as far as to call it a ploy to steal attention from Beyoncé and Jay Z’s surprise album drop. “Kim Kardashian in these braids is exhausting,” one user tweeted. “The most annoying part is that at this point she knows what she’s doing, she knows what cultural appropriation is and that it upsets people yet she still chooses to do it because she knows it doesn’t upset the right ppl or cost her $$.” While a number of people issued heated mentions in Kim’s defense, another user put the situation in perspective by showing that hair is never just hair: “For everyone saying this isn’t a big deal, I want you to imagine a scenario. Imagine a black woman walking into a corporate America interview with these braids in. Do you REALLY think she’d get the job? Be honest now. We all know the answer. THAT is why this is f*cked up.”

If this is all sounding familiar to you, it’s because it should; in February 2018, Kim Instagrammed a photo of her wearing another braided style with the caption “BO WEST,” a reference to Bo Derek, a white actress who wore braids in the 1979 film 10. To credit a white woman as the inspiration for the look was — and is — a deeply offensive statement to the hairstyle’s African origins and to all of the black women who have worn it.

What’s more, a number of people argued that Kim should, quite simply, know what the reaction is likely going to be when she chooses a hairstyle like this. The Kardashians, unfortunately, have racked up a track record of not being properly informed about black hairstyles, and she makes virtually no effort to share the truth behind the decision to wear a certain hairstyle. Failure to do so is potentially damaging; her platform is vast, and fans should understand the context of the hair — especially given that black hair and protective styles like Fulani braids are politicized by people who don’t understand it.

Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.

Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Kim Kardashian Is Getting Criticized for Seemingly Straightening North’s Hair