As the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio rev up, people around the world are finding something to talk about. But it has nothing to do with the all-star talent on their TVs. Gabby Douglas, the American gymnast who made history at the 2012 London Games, is facing backlash (yet again) for her hair. The 20-year-old gold medalist was at the center of a debate on Twitter during her last Olympic Games because of her gelled ponytail, which people called unkempt. And now that she dared to sweat during competition in steaming-hot Rio, she's again facing the fury of critics who can't seem to embrace her natural hair.
While this year's uproar has been quickly shut down by the more sensible people on Twitter, there is still plenty of hate being spewed toward Douglas's hairstyling. The controversy over her edges (naturally curly or coarse hairs that form along the hairline) is debatably the most irrelevant conversation about the Olympics thus far.
These are some of the
tweets on twitter.
I swear to god if gabby douglas doesn't fix her edges for the olympics
- Daniel Gegenheimer (@dann_da_mann) August 6, 2016
know we went through this with Gabby Douglas and her hair 4 years ago but.......she could've just laid her edges a lil...
7:56 PM - 7 Aug 2016
crazy$exycool ý@cjon_
Ppl worried about Gabby Douglas hair like she going to the club. This girl is competing in the Olympics. Them edges GONE sweat!
glendon ý@glenpalmtree
Gabby Douglas is a world class athlete with two gold medals and all you could do is criticize her edges? Her hair?
7:40 AM - 8 Aug 2016
LGBPoet ý@lgbpoet
It's amazing, how most these women can't do a cart wheel but can talk about #GabbyDouglas edges, she's an Olympic champion
For the rest of the Games, we can only hope that both Douglas and world champion Simone Biles stay unbothered by the criticism.
9:39 AM - 9 Aug 2016