by Adaora Nwangwu
Tems went viral yesterday for blocking the view of Oscars guests with her extravagant outfit. The singer was nominated in January for co-writing Rihanna’s Lift Me Up, a soundtrack for Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
What happened?
On Sunday, Grammy award-winning Singer Tems showed up to the 95th Academy Awards in a long puffy white dress that flared out at the top and encircled her head. The event took place at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, in the United States.
On the red carpet, Tems looked stunning and stole the spotlight in Gaurav Gupta lever ss23 couture. But while sitting in the theatre, it seemed her outfit might have prevented other Oscar nominees from viewing the stage, hence causing them inconvenience.
Writer, Jarrett Bellini, shared a picture of Tems looking exceptionally noticeable in the audience with the caption: “Imagine waiting your whole life to be at the Oscars, and you end up sitting behind a stratus cloud.”
This tweet stirred a conversation and came with mixed reactions. Some rained a flurry of insults on the superstar, while others supported her and alluded to the complaint as racist. Jarrett was not spared too as he received some backlash for posting the tweet and exposing Tems to a barrage of hateful comments.
Is the backlash valid?
At prestigious award shows like the Oscars, It is not strange to see celebrities show up in elaborate outfits. International superstar Lady Gaga has a history of sporting flamboyant costumes at award events. Due to this, many people sprung to Tems’ defence, citing a picture of the pop star in spiky headgear at the 2009 Grammy Awards. And Estonian rapper Tommy Cash who wore a bed to Paris Fashion Week three days ago.
According to many Tems supporters, Lady Gaga and Tommy Cash have never received backlash for obstructing people’s views. But Tems was singled out because she is not just black; she is a black woman (bold enough to make a statement). This thought has led many to believe there is a racist undertone and that the singer was set up to be bullied on the internet.
Many oppose the racist claims, arguing that Tems was inconsiderate of the people behind her, and they understand why the audience would be enraged. They expressed that the outfit was inappropriate for sitting down in the theatre. And if someone blocked them from seeing the stage at an event, they would be upset.
As a result of the backlash, many people proposed solutions to the issue. Some have asserted that her outfit was a red carpet look and suggested that the singer should have changed into something less flashy before entering the theatre. And if she wanted to sit wearing an elaborate outfit like that, she should have sat at the back. Another said the designers should have made the protruding part of her outfit detachable. Very few mentioned that the Oscars seating arrangement should have been a stadium or auditorium style.
What next?
Last night, Tems shared pictures of her in her Oscar outfit on Twitter with the caption “oops.” Many assume the caption is her response to the uproar. It remains unclear if the singer intentionally planned to put off the Oscars audience or not. However, the upside of this outcry is more exposure for her, and more people would be introduced to her music.