Nick Cannon Gets Dragged For ‘Dark Skin VS. Light Skin’ Competition “They’re Sick”
Michael Becker/FOX ©2023 FOX Media LLC. Reading Time: 2 minutes
Controversy is swirling around a recent live event collaboration between Nick Cannon and Zeus Network. The two powerhouses staged a competition called “Bad vs. Wild Las Vegas” on Thursday night, which pinned stars from Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out show against Zeus’s Baddies.
Nick Cannon, Zeus Network Gets Backlash For Pitting Women Based on Skin Tone
An upcoming talent competition took an ugly turn when advertising a battle separating teams by skin tone. Specifically, this event is marketed as a “dark skin vs. light skin” face-off.
Understandably, many found this proposition extremely offensive. Pitting women against each other based on skin tone promotes harmful colorism and upholds problematic beauty standards. After significant backlash, the original post was removed and replaced with slightly altered wording: “Chocolate Goddesses VS Caramel Goddesses.”
However, the skin-tone-based competition remained intact. Zeus’s new post also claimed the event aimed to “break down stereotypes, not uphold them.” Comments flooded the post expressing dismay, with many pointing out that the slight name change did nothing to alter the colorist nature of the competition.
In another misguided move, Cannon and Zeus also held a “BBWs vs. Slim Girls” contest the same night. This sparked equal frustration, as it encouraged body-shaming by elevating certain body types as superior entertainment fodder.
Fans Say Nick Cannon Doesn’t Learn From Previous Mistakes
Many are now calling for Zeus Network and Cannon to be held accountable for promoting such insensitive and divisive content. Cannon himself is no stranger to controversy, in the past, he’s been embroiled in an anti-semitic rhetoric scandal, that removed him from his MTV position, until he returned.
While Cannon apologized for past “hurtful and divisive” words, this latest incident seems to indicate he hasn’t learned to apply more discretion before broadcasting potentially offensive ideas. Fans believe that as a prominent creative force, he still fails to recognize content that can reinforce prejudice.
For its part, Zeus Network bills itself as a “leader in reality programming” that aims to be “raw, gritty, revolutionary” while highlighting “unique lifestyles and perspectives.” However, there was nothing revolutionary about this degrading light-skin/dark-skin face-off. If anything, it regressed inclusive standards by perpetrating utterly regressive color biases.
At one point, both Cannon and Zeus Network were viewed as edgy but empowering voices that embraced underrepresented groups. However, this latest “competition” appears to have violated audience trust in an ugly fashion. There’s no word yet if the segments will still air after such widespread criticism.
