Far-Left TikTokers Say Calling Pamela Anderson "Ethereal" Without Makeup Is Transphobic

There’s reaching, and then there’s whatever just happened on TikTok, where someone managed to tie Pamela Anderson’s bare-faced moment at Paris Fashion Week to transphobia and anti-Blackness. 

A TikToker laid out their argument in a video that’s now going around on X. She urged her viewers “to see the inherent transphobia and thus anti-blackness that is embedded” in the word “ethereal,” which was used by Elle to describe Anderson’s look at the red carpet. She continued, “The excitement around Pamela Anderson not wearing makeup at a time where anti-trans legislation and transphobia is heightened.” She goes on to point out that Elle described Cynthia Erivo as the “chicest tin man” when she wore a silver long-sleeved dress. It was an obvious nod to Wicked, in which she starred.

The TikToker said she looked up the definition of the ethereal, reading that it meant “Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.” She argued, “See, the gag is anti-blackness and transphobia are intrinsically linked,” later adding, “Elle, who also said that Pamela Anderson was ethereal, described Cynthia Erivo as the chicest tin man. Not ethereal here. A man. See that?" Her commenters on TikTok actually agreed with her take.

Now, setting aside the sheer exhaustion of trying to follow this train of thought, the biggest issue here is that ethereal has been used to describe a lot of people. Case in point: the talented and amazing Anok Yai. The supermodel, who is South Sudanese, is frequently described as ethereal because she walked straight out of a fantasy novel. Yai looks like a fairy; she truly is ethereal. But that doesn’t fit this narrative, so it’s conveniently ignored.

The Internet Reacts

Naturally, people had thoughts. On X (formerly Twitter), @SpockMuzzled pointed out: "The ethereal Anok Yai is described as such and she’s black, but I guess she doesn’t count because she’s not American."

To which @HollyGrayle responded, "Some women are just lucky enough to look like literal fairies. Some are black. Some are white. Others are in-between. 🧚🏿🧚🏻🧚🏼‍♀️✨ Makeup, or no makeup, Anok Yai is probably from the Otherworld."

@australianwoma1 simply said, "That all sounds a bit fragile."

The Bigger Issue

When your entire worldview is based on seeking out oppression in places it might not exist, everything becomes offensive. Complimenting a woman’s bare face is transphobia. The use of “ethereal” becomes “anti-Black.” This hyper-awareness – while at times necessary and helpful to society – is becoming a social liability. Not every cultural moment is a coded message reinforcing systemic oppression. Sometimes, people are just saying, “Wow, she looks nice without makeup.” And if calling that compliment “problematic” is where we are now, I genuinely fear for what’s next.

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