I am Makhadzi, I have dark inner thighs but I’m not sorry

Makhadzi apologised for having dark inner thighs after being cyber bullied when her image went online. Men and women ridiculed her and I would not be surprised if it was men who struggle to wash in between their butt cheeks and women who also have dark inner thighs who were the most vocal. The only reason why men don’t typically have dark inner thighs is because they have pants which create a buffer to keep the thighs from rubbing against each other. Men, if you have ever had your pants tear in the inner thigh area, you’re at risk of getting dark inner thighs if you were a skirt-wearing person.

https://twitter.com/MimiReeds/status/1444897601782956033

This whole dark inner thighs furore stems from a much deeper issue of wanting to police women’s bodies. If she had worn something more conservative, we wouldn’t have seen it. On whose thighs are those dark patches? If they aren’t on yours shut up. Newsflash, the inner thighs aren’t the only body parts which are darker than the rest of the body. Knees, knuckles, elbows, bums and your ex’s sense of humour. Darker bums are also policed on women, have you ever heard them say, “if your skirt/shorts start to show the colour transition from your lighter thigh to your darker thigh/bum it’s too short?” Yup it’s the SI measurement of a garment’s appropriate length.

Cc: "Queens of Bathing" https://t.co/F2kfWaX0mx

— Khaya (@khaya_moyo) October 4, 2021

People who believe that dark inner thighs are due to lack of personal hygiene are thin in the thighs but thick in the head. When a black person is well-endowed with thick thighs, those thighs rub against each other and that friction causes chaffing and chaffing causes the skin to become damaged and it eventually turns darker in the process. The affected area has a ‘scab’ like appearance and it’s painful. So nobody, even the people who have the dark inner thighs, want them. Why do we make fun of black people for dark inner thighs but not tomato-coloured sun-burnt white people? Both are victims of circumstance. In fact, if you have bunions on your toes, you owe Makhadzi an apology.

#Makhadzi apologizing for something she can't change all women have dark thighs no need to apologize, she went to the village of Malawi and the treat her like village people mara. pic.twitter.com/owLeeQxsb3

— Zandile Excel (@ZandileExcel) October 4, 2021

Beyoncé posted an image online. She was on a yacht. Social media FBI dragged her for allegedly altering the image to give herself a more pronounced ‘thigh gap.’ We would all like to have a thigh gap, it’s visually appealing and functional. Our thighs would no longer rub against each other and cause dark inner thighs.

Half the people who were commenting ngophaya ba #Makhadzi banabo nabo. Ay akuve siphoxana kodwa. Once amathanga ahlangana, best believe it izobakhona ikiwi, even men have ophaya. We owe #Makhadzi an apology, uma sesikhuluma iqiniso. #Dabs

— YourKidsFavouriteDabs (@Ayanda_Melansi) October 4, 2021

We, Kendrick Lamar it and ask to see women in their true form in the media and when it happens we bash them as if hayi kanjalo (not like that.) You can’t win as a woman, if Khloe Kardashian edits her images, she’s dragged and if Makhadzi doesn’t edit her photos, she is cyber-bullied. Live your life women and girls, there’s really no correct way to do it.

Ways to minimise the discomfort of thigh chaffing

1. Wear a tight to keep thighs from rubbing against each other
2. Use Vaseline to reduce the amount of friction
3. Wear pants
4. Avoid walking long distances in hot weather

I have dark inner thighs. My bum is dark, my knees are dark. I am a dark-skinned human being. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS. @MakhadziSA, don’t let anyone make you apologise for who you are. ❤️#Makhadzi pic.twitter.com/qDFzHS6rUi

— Rozanne McKenzie (@RozMcK) October 4, 2021