October 18, 2010 | 4:14 PM | By

Kohl’s “Ghetto Fab” Error in Judgment

FILED UNDER: The People, Race and Class

Here’s my second post in a row about hair, or more specifically, afros. Kohl’s has spent the last two hours apologizing for carrying this Halloween “Ghetto Fab Wig” over Twitter (latest message: “Corrective measures are being taken internally. We apologize for carrying an offensive item like this.”):

"Ghetto Fab Wig"

Kudos to Kohl’s for “getting it”. Before writing this post, I didn’t know that there are almost ten of the stores within a 20-mile radius of D.C. The wig is not carried in-store. Blogger Afrobella said:

I’ve been called oversensitive in the past before, because in general I’m not a fan of afro wigs. Because most often, the people I see wearing afro wigs – and dreadlock wigs, let’s not forget about those – are just looking to lampoon naturally textured black hair. And my hair isn’t a joke, a trend, a prop, or a costume. It’s real, it’s special, and it’s beautiful.

Afro wigs bother me, too, for the same reason. And speaking of “oversensitive”, I’m not a fan of the word “ghetto” as an adjective. It’s tactless, mean and even if you disagree with those two characterizations, it’s lazy.

About the author

DCentric was created to examine the ways race and class interact in Washington, D.C., a city with a vibrant mix of cultures and neighborhoods. Your guides to the changing district are reporters Anna John and Elahe Izadi. View all posts by Anna →

  • HU2009

    I just can’t take how every year around this time we have a new battle over racial insensitivity. If we are truly post-racial or moving to being a post-racial , then why do we pick at our scabs and make them consistently bleed. Essentially, a post-racial society is one in which reverence is paid to the past and the struggles, while living a life in which they don’t inhibit individual growth. Making a joke out of it, is not necessarily the answer and does nothing to advance the cause.

  • Anonymous

    I’m thrilled to see your comment, on many levels. And I agree, Halloween is becoming an especially insensitive holiday. I almost compiled a list of unfortunate costumes (all of which had to do with race or class) but then I realized that on top of being offensive, most were “NSFW” or too risque to show pictures of!