Homegirl said “People are comparing Doja Cat to Dorothy Dandridge,” I’m like, When Doja Cat dreams, she dreams of being Dorothy Dandridge. LOL .I’m not picking on this one TikToker, there are others on the Internuts comparing the two. Whilst imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, The superficial comparison falls apart upon closer inspection. A true fan of an artist would not make such a comparison, but would celebrate the differences that make each artist unique and amazing in their own right. So next time you’re thinking of comparing Dorothy Dandridge to another artist, think again.
And no, I’m not just referencing looks. Dorothy Dandridge in her autobiography “Everything and Nothing” always took great pride in her blackness, even though she was biracial, and she never suppressed or hid her blackness. Or sent mixed signals. She felt, in her own words to have a deep connection to Black and Indigenous peoples who suffered. This was a time before anybody could claim “biracial” or “mixed” You were Black, Colored or Negro then. This is in no way shade to Doja who has had her share of mixed signals on race relations, but Dorothy Dandridge paid for her success, remaining true to her roots every step of the way, even when it cost her everything. And those pressures ultimately cost her her life. Most starlets today will never know a sacrifice like that, most can play both sides of the color line when it’s convenient. Ms. Dandridge probably could have…but never did.
Doja Cat, on the other hand, is the kind of person who goes along to get along. But I could be reading her wrong, because I’m once removed from her and her audience. But she doesn’t seem to make waves and she doesn’t rock the boat. And she definitely isn’t breaking down barriers like Dorothy Dandridge did.
That’s not to say that Doja doesn’t have her own opinions or isn’t doing the damn thing. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, but she is a far cry from the kind of person Dorothy Dandridge was.
