Tan is the new ‘blackface’? Instagram up in arms over beauty blogger’s skin tone

A fashion and makeup blogger has been embroiled in an odd controversy after internet commenters suggested her use of tanning beds was a form of racism.

The blogger, Chloe Wilson, known on Instagram for showing off skin in alluring bikini shots, admitted to having blocked comments from a number of users who took issue with her complexion.

“How many times do black people have to tell you to stop doing black face???” asked one such irked commenter, while another suggested her tan was “mockery and a form of racism,” adding “it’s modern black face.”

“To all those people saying what I’m doing is cruel, vile, offensive … you are all literally slating me in tweets,” Wilson tweeted earlier this week, responding to her online bullies.

Still, the blogger apologized to anyone she may have offended.

Wilson’s page isn’t all shade, however, as her sizable fan base regularly showers her with comments such as “Beautiful,”“Stunning as always,” and, simply, “Wow.” Other supporters came directly to her defense over the accusations of racism.

Had Wilson made an effort to lighten up her skin instead, she may have found herself in hot water across the globe, after this year’s pool of Miss India beauty pageant contestants made waves. Critics said the women looked like “clones,” all similarly fair-skinned and sporting dark shoulder-length hair.

A number of social campaigns have emerged in recent years to combat the obsession with fair skin in India, such as the #unfairandlovely social media trend and the ‘Dark is Beautiful’ movement.

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