Ebony Magazine, which covers and caters to a largely African-American readership, needs a clue for its recent snipe at famous ‘90s-actress-turned-conservative commentator Stacey Dash, for her political leanings. In another sign that independent thought is not valued in major black media, Dash was criticized for being “trendy” but she is really being criticized for being a conservative.
The list entitled “Google’s Top-Trending Black Actresses of 2014” was a compilation of the top 10 trending African-Americans actresses of the year. Dash ranked #9 on the list of celebrity social media mavens behind the likes of including Grammy-winning songbird Jennifer Hudson, Scandal’s Kerry Washington, and Academy Award winner Halle Berry.
The commentary for each actress provided by Ebony highlighted everything from personal dramas to film hits and misses. While complimentary to all of the other actresses, Ebony chalked up Dash’s popularity to the controversy she sparked with her “clueless political slant.”
If Dash had gained headlines for fighting for liberal causes such as environmentalism and the un-Affordable Care Act like some of the others on the list, including Hudson and Washington, who championed ObamaCare on social media for the Administration, this would be a non-issue. It’s also possible that she also wouldn’t be on this list either.
Dash laughed off the snipe and happily accepted the negative press as good press.
Twitchy reports on the melee and Twitter response:
The writers at Ebony don’t seem too happy that actress Stacey Dash was one of Google’s Top-Trending Black Actresses of 2014. They couldn’t just acknowledge her popularity like the other actresses. No, she’s a conservative so she must be taken down a peg. None of the other actresses’ blurbs said anything about their politics, but for Dash they wrote:
Her conservative, clueless political slant sparked controversy time after time this year, making Dash notoriously trendy for all the wrong reasons.
They didn’t consider that perhaps she’s trendy because a lot of people admire her courage to stand by her principles despite the hate and resentment she gets.
It’s no surprise that Ebony was shallow and politically intolerant though. Twitchy readers are sure to remember Ebony’s treatment of RNC staffer Raffi Williams. For some people it’s just not ok for blacks to be conservative. Stacey laughed off their snide jabs though.
That Dash appeared on this list and that is subsequently went viral on Twitter probably bumped Dash up a few pegs above actresses whose popularity is tied to their dresses not talent.
We applaud women who are willing to go against the grain and brave enough to stand up for conservative values in Hollywood of all places. Dash is best known for her role of Dionne in the 1995 teen comedy film Clueless, about wealthy high school girls who lived in a world of their own. The movie influenced a generation of teen-aged girls to wear plaid skirt suits and colorful mini-backpacks, spawned a multi-season tv show, and coined phrases like ‘as if’ and ‘so fetch.’
Dash’s politics came under fire when she endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012. Back then she was scolded by the media for supporting Romney’s fiscally conservative position.
Ebony’s snipe is a reminder that the media is really only accepting of opinions which agree with their own. You’re considered courageous when your position promotes government programs and greater government intervention in the private sector and our private lives, not when you suggest that individuals are better off and more empowered when government takes a step back. Dash’s popularity online is likely from new supporters who want to encourage a female voice (of color) in Hollywood. The tweets in her support demonstrate that.
Kudos to Dash for her courage and to Ebony Magazine for exposing their own cluelessness.