Blake Lively’s ‘Oakland Booty’ Post Has People Fired Up

via Flickr user (cc) ORSVP NYC

The city of Oakland, California is in the news today for two controversial statements made by rich white people. First, presidential candidate Donald Trump insulted the town in an interview with The New York Times calling it “among the most dangerous [places] in the world.” This prompted Oakland’s mayor Libby Schaaf to tweet, “the most dangerous place in America is Donald Trump’s mouth.” All the while, overseas in France at the Cannes Film Festival, actress Blake Lively caused a stir after posting a photo of her backside with the caption “L.A. face with an Oakland booty.”

via Instagram

Lively’s post quoted Sir-Mix-a-Lot’s ’90s mega-hit, “Baby Got Back,” and was seen by many as poking fun at black women’s bodies. Mix-a-lot’s line is a celebration of black women’s bottoms but coming from the mouth of a famous white woman, the comment has been seen as tone deaf at best, racist at worst. “In the end, it touts a diametrical opposition: that Los Angeles can be equated to elegance and/or beauty (read: whiteness), and that Oakland is its foil (read: blackness),” said Jezebel writer J.E. Reich.

Here’s what twitter had to say: