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Zac Efron Has Dreadlocks and People Are Not Happy

Why oh why would you do this...

In 2018 there is such a thin line between admiration and cancellation, with celebrities being abandoned immediately by fans when they put one foot wrong, and Zac Efron is currently going through it.

The actor has always appeared a respectable and culturally sensitive celeb since he first came into our lives as High School Musical heartthrob Troy Bolton but now he has went and got dreadlocks.

Yep, that’s right. Troy Bolton is now The White Guy With Dreads and people are, understandably,not happy about it.

Efron uploaded a photo to his Instagram account showing him sporting the new hairstyle with the caption “Just for fun.” Really.

The history of dreadlocks and other hairstyles is well documented and the discussion around other cultures adopting them is one that still sees debate, however when it comes to people being offended by something, we think that's reason enough to stop and listen to their opinions.

It’s unknown if Zac's dreadlocks are for a movie role or a personal choice but, regardless, fans have been pointing out why it’s not a great decision either way.

"Zac Efron has dreads I’m fucking over 2018," one Twitter user said, while others have taken the time to explain why this move is culturally insensitive.

The main issue lies in how hair styles are adopted briefly for trends and society's different reactions to whoever is wearing that specific style, as one tweeter explained in a very good Twitter thread.

"Whenever black people wear braids , cornrows, dreads etc. They’re seen as ghetto, unkempt, dirty, unprofessional, ugly etc," they said. "Whenever white people or non black people of color have braids,cornrows,dreads etc. they’re seen as stylish, chic, cool & high fashion."

Of course, Zac Efron isn't the first non black person to sport dreadlocks as everyone from Lady Gaga to Miley Cyrus have worn them for different aesthetics at points in their career, however it's something that is important to reflect upon more.

Zac hasn't posted anything on social media since revealing it over one day ago and hasn't responded to any of the backlash so we'll need to wait and see how he handles it, if he ever addresses it.

Until then, we'll leave you with this incredible tweet:

HSM forever (3 is the best, for the record).

Words: Ross McNeilage

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