Singer and performer Katy Perry has a fashion line, "Katy Perry Collections" and that includes products such as shoes, handbags, and a line for kids. As part of Perry's shoe collection, she has two pairs of shoes that people have a problem with because they look like "Blackface" to some people. The "Rue Face Slip On Loafers" and "Ora Face Block Heel Sandal". Sources say they are part of a bigger collection and are not meant to be offensive. There was a black shoe and a beige shoe. Katy Perry has since pulled these two pairs off the market.
Twitter went crazy over these shoes, and this is just another story in the latest flood of blackface controversies, the most recent of which is the outrage over Virginia Governor Northam featured in a blackface photo back in medical school.
I think this is an overreaction over the shoes. Now, yes I'm not black or African American so I have no say over anything that might be offensive to black people. However, there are two shoe colors, one of which is beige, and my skin tone. Am I offended that there is a shoe portraying my race and face? No. First off, maybe I'm naive but when I first saw these shoes I did not see race, I saw fashion and art. News flash, black shoes are VERY common so this isn't a revelation. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for faces, lips, eyes, to be featured on clothing or inanimate objects. This has been going on for years. It's not a race thing, it's an art thing. How many times have you seen eyes featured in abstract art? Or on clothing? A lot. This is exactly that. In my opinion people are just looking for blackface. It's not blackface and I'd bet that Katy Perry was in no way trying to portray blackface and I highly doubt she or anyone working on the shoe design even thought about race with these shoes. Again, it's fashion design no racism. I think this is an overreaction but woah, woah, woah I'm not black so I have no say.
Overall, Katy Perry did the right thing for her business. I still think it's sad that in our society people are looking for things to get worked up about.
-Producer Lightning