A twitter over an Olympic champion’s fizzy hair

WE DON’T have Gabby Douglas, 16, the first African-American female gymnast ever to win individual Olympic gold.

Instead, we Pinoys have boxer Mark Anthony Barriga and weightlifter Hidylyn Diaz.

After beating an Italian boxer, Barriga lost to a Kazakhstan fighter, raising and dumping Filipinos’ hopes in quick succession. Diaz failed after three attempts in the 118 kg. event. And where are BMX racer Danny Calaug and swimmer Jessie Khing Lacuna?
We don’t have a Gabby Douglas, not even half of her.

Douglas won the women’s all-around competition Thursday in London, her second gold as she was one of the “Fab Five” that won top honors in the team category, the US’s first such title since 1996.

And what buzzed on Americans’ Twitter accounts and set off a debate?

They said her hair was “unkempt” with “frizzy edges” and “kinky curls.” Defenders, including tennis star Serena Williams, harrumphed, “It’s ridiculous. She’s beautiful exactly the way she is.”

Gabby was competing in the Olympics, not in some “Next Top Model Show,” one tweeted;
they should talk about graceful jumps and powerful twists, not her coiffure.

Value, relevance

We wouldn’t have minded how Barriga looked or Diaz moved if those Pinoys reaped gold, would we?

And after the Sona, tweets would’ve sounded silly if they dwelt on the President’s hair, or lack of it, not his triumphs.

Social media reflect what comes up in people’s minds with little thought on value or relevance. But they pack a wallop when they strike an issue that matters, such as a Cabinet member’s passion for the chief justice’s seat.

[paseares@sunstar.com.ph]