When Gabby Douglas was competing for Gold in the 2012 Olympic Games, you’d think the biggest talk would have been about her being so incredibly talented at only 16 years or age, or about her being the first black female to ever win a Gold Medal in the all-around gymnastics category, right? WRONG! Sadly, the biggest talk was about her hair!
A variety of critics complained that Gabby’s ponytail was — well — a mess during her competitions. So when she returned to the U.S., one of the first things she did was get a makeover. You’d think her beautification would have quieted the critics, right? WRONG! Instead of celebrating her new look, they’re all now complaining that she bowed to public pressure by abandoning her former natural look for a NY celebrity stylist invented one. WOW!
Since the 2012 games made Gabby Douglas a household name, she has understandably become a hot commodity. She’s received tons of endorsement and appearance offers, and she can no longer walk down the street without being noticed. So, when she landed back in the U.S. and began a week-long publicity blitz that included appearances on “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show” and others, Gabby hired New York-based stylist Ted Gibson to reinvent her hairstyle. Gibson, who appears on the reality series “What Not To Wear” and is responsible for the looks of some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Angelina Jolie and Anne Hathaway, decided on a newer, more mature look for Gabby to prepare her for her moment in the spotlight. He opted for a part down the middle and a cascade of waves that fell just below her shoulders. It was and is beautiful. But that just wasn’t enough for some.
Still, there are those critics who feel it is their life goal to attack her new makeover.
In case anyone has forgotten, Gabby Douglas is still a kid. She is a 16-year-old teenager who is likely vulnerable to critical words about her with her suddenly new-found fame. But to her credit, for as much as she is a spark on the balance beam, she’s also proven to be a spark regarding all the controversy surrounding her hair.
Last week, Gabby smartly brushed off her critics by telling reporters that in London, she was more focused on winning Olympic Gold than trying to look glamorous or perfect during every routine. But now that the competitions are over, her choice of a makeover is to look her very best while on camera.
Check and checkmate, Gabby!
<span>"A variety of critics complained that Gabby's ponytail was — well — a mess during her competitions." And sadly DJ, most, if not all_of the criticism came from BLACK-American females who, for some reason couldn't appreciate the Historical significance of what this young lady had just achieved. BLACK-American females who for some reason chose to post their insensitive comments on Twitter and other popular online social-media sites for ALL the world to see rather than privately discuss the matter among themselves AWAY from the internet!?! Was I happy with Gabby's hair during the Olympics? NO. I'm a proud Black-American female. My maternal grandmother began teaching me how to take care of my hair at age 9. Doing hair was NOT my mother's *thing* but she did her best in keeping my hair done EVERY day. Personally, I don't see why Gabby's mom couldn't have helped Gabby a bit with her hair? (it was THE OLYMPICS for goodness sake!) But for critics to have been… Read more »