Keke Palmer shut down comparisons to Zendaya in a classy series of tweets reminding everyone of all of she’s accomplished in her career so far.
Following the release of Jordan Peele’s Nope, in which Palmer stars, several tweets went viral discussing the idea that this was a “breakout” moment for the actor.
One of these tweets suggested looking into the “similarities and differences between Keke Palmer and Zendaya’s careers,” writing that “this may be one of the clearest examples of how colorism plays out in Hollywood. They were both child-stars, but their mainstream popularity is very different.”
Palmer has been a force to be reckoned with for some time now, and it’s not hard to understand how longtime fans of hers might be frustrated that she hasn’t received more mainstream appreciation over the years. The fact is, she’s been hard-working and clearly talented from the moment she broke into acting at 11-years-old, and obviously no small number of people have picked up on that over the years.
But regardless of how many times she trends on Twitter or whatever other uninteresting metrics we might use to measure popularity in modern times, Palmer clearly knows her worth and her achievements, and made it very clear that she doesn’t see the value in drawing comparisons.
“A great example of colorism is to believe I can be compared to anyone,” she wrote on Twitter Sunday. “I’m the youngest talk show host ever. The first Black woman to star in her own show in Nickelodeon, & the youngest & first Black Cinderella on broadway. I’m an incomparable talent. Baby, THIS, is Keke Palmer.”
Her post sparked some debate among people who still don’t seem to understand why these things all matter, but it also prompted a lot of fans and peers to pick up what she was putting down and help set the conversation straight.
Nope is in theaters right now, and you can also check out the laundry list of other amazing projects Keke Palmer has done over the years. And after that? You can get ready for her directorial debut with the upcoming music industry documentary, Big Boss.
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