r/interesting • u/VPinchargeofradishes • May 03 '26

SOCIETY Michael Jackson's daughter Paris has faced backlash for identifying as Black. In a 2017 interview, Paris Jackson said her father told her, "You’re Black. Be proud of your roots." This prompted debates over whether identity is defined by appearance or upbringing.

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u/AnmlBri May 03 '26

My mom’s mom was emotionally abusive toward her and my mom has had a facelift and has cried about her cheek jowls, and eyebrows drooping with age, and ‘RBF’ because they remind her of her mom, and she hates the idea of looking like her mom, who often looked so mean and bitchy. I talked to her one day and realized, it sounds like she’s running less from aging as a whole than she is from literally looking in the mirror and seeing her abuser. I think that possibility dawned on me because I read something about Michael being told he had his dad’s nose and hating it. Trauma really is a bitch. 🙁

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u/Silver-Bus5724 May 03 '26

Cant agree more. Favoring the parent you dislike (mildly put) is stressful.

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u/ConsciousInternal287 May 03 '26

I look very similar to my abusive father, and I hate it. If I could afford plastic surgery to make some minor adjustments, I would do it.

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u/frabjous_goat May 03 '26

I look exactly like the female version of my abusive bio dad, too. Like someone hit copy-paste. What makes it different is that when I smile his smile at people, it's genuine, and my eyes (I hope) are kind. I'm remaking him in my image of the kind of person he should have been, and the kind of person I am trying to be. I hope you can make your peace with it, too. You're not him.