Zac Efron trolled for wearing dreadlocks, accused of cultural appropriation

Zac Efron is angering some fans by wearing dreadlocks. The Baywatch actor posted an image to Instagram with the caption “just for fun” and received an influx of comments with mixed reactions to his new look.

Zac Efron just got dreadlocks. The actor, who is mostly seen in his signature slicked-back hair, shared his new hairstyle on Instagram, captioned his photo: “Just for fun.” However, it didn’t take long for social media users to point that there’s a double standard that exists for white people who wear dreadlocks.

While a few people liked Efron’s experiment, there were some who accused the 30-year-old Hollywood star of “cultural appropriation”.

One comment read: “Damn if he would’ve gotten dreads and appreciated the culture behind it, it would’ve been okay, but I don’t even think he knows the culture behind it, plus the caption; ‘just for fun’, so now culture is something to do for fun now?”

Dreadlocks are associated most closely with the Rastafari movement, but people from many ethnic groups have worn dreadlocks, Semitic people of West Asia; Indo-European people of Europe and South Asia.

Notably, the ancient Spartan warriors of Greece and the Sadhus of India and Nepal have also been wearing it. From the age of slavery to South Africa’s Black Consciousness Movement, the dreadlocks have had a vast history behind it, making it more than just a trendy hairstyle, people.com reported.

Efron has yet to comment on the look, which has been receiving backlash. His latest style comes only a couple of months after Efron experimented with frosted highlights and a perplexing, striped beard.

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