The Gorilla Glue Fiasco

There are many viral videos that hit the fan, sending the person or people whose lives are involved into a hurricane spiral, and I often understand why. However, I think the whole Gorilla Glue situation was more than unsettling for me. I guess I just didn’t get how it was funny? How a situation like that could be the source of entertainment and ridicule for so many? 

Perhaps I’m being too philosophical or reading too deeply into things. What I mean to say is, was that situation not indicative of how quickly society laughs and makes a joke of a Black woman’s pain? Now hear me out, I know that may seem like a reach here, but is it really? Yeah, perhaps it wasn’t the wisest or the most logical idea to use gorilla glue in one’s hair, but does that really mean the woman deserved the type of ridicule and scorn that followed? It was beyond the scope of the issue. 

It was clear she was in pain and the video she submitted out into the world clearly showed her intention, which was to find help. There was footage of her in the emergency room, desperately trying to remove the problem. But, the public, instead of responding to the issue, mocked and derided her. Her story became national news--news that didn’t report on how severe her problem was or the medical issues that she faced, but rather focused on her “lack of intelligence” in using glue as a product and the hilarity of doing such a thing. Comments called her dumb and stupid, and to me it seemed that it was accepted as normal--that saying stuff like that was okay. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps everyone’s response would have been different if she were a person of a different skin tone. 

Though many believe that we have come further along in 2021, I would argue that the whole response around this video has indicated otherwise. This woman’s pain was valid, despite whatever mistakes caused it, and she had not done anything wrong in reaching out for help. There’s a sentiment, I believe, that she somehow deserved it all for being “stupid,” and I can’t help but compare thoughts like these to common justifications for abuse and violence in our society against Black and brown women. 

So what if she made a mistake? Aren’t Black women allowed to make mistakes too? Can’t we make mistakes without facing the astronomical ridicule that this woman faced? 

The truth is in the social response. No. Our mistakes are amplified and slapped on posters and memes as jokes. Our deepest vulnerabilities (in this case, this woman’s hair) are fodder for public consumption as a source of entertainment. 

And in the end, even as we’re struggling to find the answers, the uninvited intrusive audience will be laughing. 

Shout-out to all the Black and brown women who stepped up to help this woman and pushed back against the negativity. Despite all the hate and ridicule, we still have each other’s backs, and will make sure that we can protect each other.