Sometimes Black People Just Look Alike….to Cosmo

MAY 19, 2015  – Whoever is handling Cosmo’s Twitter account seems to have a case of all black people look alike syndrome. Yesterday, the fashion heavyweight tweeted out a picture of a dark-skinned woman in a bathing suit with the caption:

Lupita Nyong’o shows off her INSANE abs in a tiny, blue bikini 🌴👙💕 — Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) May 18, 2015

Almost all of the facts in the tweet were accurate! Totally insane abs? Check. Tiny blue bikini? Yup. Lupita Nyong’o? Umm, no. Not her. In short order, Perez Hilton, OK Magazine and People re-distributed the same photo also identifying the woman as the award-winning actress from 12 Years a Slave. And there weren’t enough emojis in the outgoing tweet to offset the understandable backlash from those who felt the reporting was lazy and far from colorblind.

@Cosmopolitan So I guess we all just look alike huh?

— LT (@_elledavi) May 18, 2015

The photo was eventually deleted from Cosmo and the other outlets.

Clearly sloppy journalism, but is Cosmo’s case of all black people look alike Funny or Offensive? Vote and Comment now.