Compared to Zendaya, actress Keke Palmer reframes things on colorism

It’s far from her first role, and yet Keke Palmer sees herself being treated by some of the general public as if she came out of nowhere.

Are actresses Keke Palmer and Zendaya Coleman comparable?

Currently starring in Jordan Peele’s latest satirical horror film, Boop (released on July 22, 2022 in the United States, and which will arrive in France on August 10), the 28-year-old actress has been compared, on Twitter in particular, to her colleague Zendaya Coleman, 25. While they did not ask for anything, of course, and we could simply rejoice that they each succeed in their own way.

The two African-American actresses have in common to have started as child stars. Keke Palmer notably starred in the Nickelodeon sitcom, True Jacksonas early as 2008. As for Zendaya Coleman, she co-starred in the Disney Channel series, shake it upwith Bella Thorne, from 2010.

However, Keke Palmer may have started his career a little earlier, and shows the extent of his talent (notably in music, with three EPs, an album, three mixtapes, and five participations in film soundtracks), many media and people describe his interpretation in Boop as his first revelation.

Keke Palmer has been a hit in film, TV, Broadway, and music for a long time

This is why Keke Palmer believes that this ignorance would be representative of colorism (which could be briefly defined as the social tendency to devalue dark-skinned people in favor of lighter-skinned people, as a secondary harm of systemic racism). This is what the actress tweeted on July 25, 2022:

“A good example of colorism is believing that someone can compare me to someone. I’m the youngest talk show host in history. The first black woman to star in a Nickelodeon series. The youngest and first black woman to play Cinderella on Broadway. I am an incomparable talent. Baby, THIS is Keke Palmer.

I am a woman who has taken the lead since I was 11 years old. I’m credited in over 100 works and currently starring in an original screenplay which is the #1 box office movie, Nope. I had a blessed career so far. I couldn’t ask for more, but God continues to surprise me. »

Keke Palmer, the exception that confirms the rule of colorism?

Indeed, from its first weekend of operation in the United States, Nope would have already collected nearly 44 million dollars, notes The Hollywood Reporter. And Lauren Keyana Palmer by her full name is the co-star with British actor Daniel Kaluuya.

Keke Palmer seems to be saying that you can’t just compare her to Zendaya without taking into account that they don’t have the same skin color. Because, although they are both African-American actresses and singers, formerly child stars, the first is much darker than the second. And this has an impact on the critical and public reception of their work: it is precisely one of the effects of colorism. Because there are few roles for black women in films and series, even less for the darker skinned ones. The little that exists often turns out to be stereotyped. Keke Palmer becomes the exception that proves the rule.

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Front page photo credit: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS