Users Are Pumped For Unicode’s Latest Effort To Bring Representation To Emojis But Troubled By Their Latest Mock-Up

Alex Portée - 12/20/17 - identities

It’s taken them time and a half to get here, but Unicode – the company behind your favorite emojis – is finally bringing greater representation to our texts. A few years ago, brown and black girls could finally throw up praying hands emojis that reflected them when the company debuted emojis with different skin tones. Even though we had to settle for emojis that only rocked straight hair, it looks like in just a few more months we’ll finally be getting curls on the keyboard.

And we’re so, SO happy about it but there’s just one tiny little thing….

The release of the emoji’s rocking natural hair has stirred up a whole mix of extreme emotions online.

CREDIT: Showtime / Giphy.com

Of course, we’re giving all the props to Unicode for bringing representation and inclusion to our phones. In their most recent releases, the company has rolled out women in STEM, women in athletics, and gender neutral emojis. But the company’s mock-up of the coily-haired emoji is all types of NOT fly.

Take a look at the emoji for yourself.

In the photos released by BI Tech, a black female emoji with curly hair was posted alongside women with straight gray hair, women with no hair, and a peacock (because peacocks need to be rep’d too). According to Unicode’s proposal, the company based their emoji off of a photo of Youtube star Ciara Anderson’s natural locks.

For the most part, users have pointed out how the natural hair emoji is kind of a half-assed effort.

After all, not all natural textures look the same and it certainly doesn’t do Anderson’s curls any justice.

Also, those of us who rock natural curls would never cut them into the SHAPE OF A MULLET  as one user pointed out.

Seriously, how are you going to do that to us???

Or, a vegetable. ?

Of all the fabulously black hairstyles available for Unicode to have considered (fros, bantu knots, and braids being just a few among them), can someone please tell us why they went for tía’s early-morning-no-scarf-on-last-night compressed look?

Fortunately, it looks like the release of the curly haired emoji is all TBD.

According to a Unicode document, the current curly haired emoji, is just a proposal. Which means, fingers crossed, the company will hear our pleas and fix this thing asap. Because LBR our natural hair is big, loud, curly, coiled, and kinky and deserves its due diligence.

I mean the evidence of what amazing things our hair can do is all over Twitter.

Literally, pick a card.

We have so many looks to pick from and so many types of curls. Maybe Unicode should just consider creating an new slate that portrays them all.

Because basically any one of our rad and fierce styles will do.

Here’s hoping they get it right on their next round and that they don’t pick anything that looks like it got squashed by abuelo’s gorra.


Read: This UK Brand Is Embracing Self-Love With It’s New Body Positive Campaign

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