Dear Gossips,
As expected, Jordan Peele’sNopewas the #1 movie at the box office this weekend so he’s three for three, as all three of his films have opened at#1 at the domestic box office. But that hasn’t been the dominant conversation aboutNopeon social media for the last few days. Instead it was Keke Palmer trending along with Zendaya. And it’s because of these tweets:
I'd like someone to do a deep-drive on the similarities and differences between Keke Palmer and Zendaya's careers. This may be one of the clearest examples of how colorism plays out in Hollywood. They were both child-stars, but their mainstream popularity is very different.https://t.co/Cmy1CXGQeIpic.twitter.com/etO27HVN0Y
— Melinda Eg (@NBAgladiator)July 23, 2022
The chatter was loud, Keke heard about it, and she responded last night:
A great example of colorism is to believe I can be compared to anyone. I’m the youngest talk show host ever. The first Black woman to star in her own show on Nickelodeon, & the youngest & first Black Cinderella on broadway. I’m an incomparable talent. Baby, THIS, is Keke Palmer.
— Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer)July 24, 2022
Is this a case of Two Things Can Be True? Of course colorism exists in Hollywood andZendaya herself has acknowledged it. At the same time, it’s unfair to Keke for this to be the reason she’s trending when she could be just straight up celebrating her #1 movie – and she is crazy f-cking good in this movie…just as she’s been crazy f-cking good so consistently for so long; as Duana pointed out, since at least a dozen years ago onDegrassi:
IYKYK...@KekePalmerwas already a 'breakout star' more than a dozen years ago, & remains my favourite (and most underrated!) Degrassi cameo..pic.twitter.com/oVw0fiBzR2
— Duana Taha (@Duanaelise)July 24, 2022
柯克·帕尔默appreciatio Duana一直领先n here since 2014 and back then, following Keke’s debut on Broadway as Cinderella, was asking whyshe wasn’t getting more attention. From there, though, Keke has continued to build and grow, strategically. As she toldBritish Voguethis month:
“I think everybody has at least two evolutions in their career. But a child actor has three. One where they’re a kid, one where they’re an adult, and then the reinvention.”
The reinvention of Keke Palmer has just hit on a whole new level. And she had it planned all along.
Yours in gossip,
1zplay
