BBC says having bare nails "is proof you’re a white supremacist"

The BBC published an article this week claiming that the ‘trend’ of having bare fingernails is racist and linked to “white supremacist standards of beauty.”

It received such intense backlash on social media and with outraged response pieces that it was forced to delete the story.

The national broadcaster interviewed nail salon owner Paloma Buddemeier, who said that customers are increasingly asking for nails with no polish; a stark difference to previous preferences.

Buddemeier suggested that the request is synonymous with “quiet luxury” - which is apparently a style not flashy or attention-grabbing.

The BBC article argued that nail art is “linked back to black, Latino and Asian communities,” and the look could “stigmatize bold manicures.”

The writer spoke to beauty journalist Kristina Rodulfo, who agreed.

Rodulfo claimed the choice, “really promotes blankness and this kind of sameness and erasure of culture and identity that is so important to black and brown communities.”

“They are often called elegant or tasteful, and these are often usually euphemisms that perpetuate white supremacist standards of beauty,” she added.

Rodulfo blamed “white women or celebrities” stigmatizing painted nails, saying they “often conflate class and taste with that bareness.”

BBC slammed for “woke” bare nails story

Commenters on social media, and in opinion pieces, were quick to slam the BBC for its take.

“No, BBC. Bare nails are not racist,” was the headline of once such piece.

“Your outrage is out of fashion,” was another.

On social media, one user wrote, “Typical BBC, publishing outright lies to promote their woke Left wing agenda."

On X, this person opined, “The BBC thinks that a lack of interest in fancy manicures is proof that you’re a white supremacist who wants to erase other people’s culture and identity. The words “elegant” and “tasteful” are now racist dogwhistles."

And elsewhere on social media, this British person told fellow readers, “Your tax money paid for this article.”

Finally, one person observed: 

“Wait… if nail art originates in Asian, Latin, and black cultures, wouldn’t it be cultural appropriation for white women to do it?”