Real Housewives of Atlanta fans are angry at Kandi Burruss, who seems to have forgotten the history lessons she learned in high school.
Kandi took to social media recently, and she posted a few photos where she is wearing a Marie Antoinette costume and enraged fans with the caption: “Let them eat cake!” Marie Antoinette…”
Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and Navarre, became a symbol of the excesses of the monarchy and is credited with the infamous quote, “Let them eat cake,” while talking about the poor and suffering French people.
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The critics bashed Kandi. One said: “Kandi, this is not the best time to post this … people were suffering in the streets, starving, poverty, and Queen Marie Antoinette of France made this statement, and it lived in INFAMY, her callousness toward her people…she was beheaded at age 37. Do not glorify her. Know the history.”
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Another commenter pointed out: “A picture isn’t just a picture, mainly when depicting a historical figure or event that was not pleasant. So I guess a picture with a white man’s knee on a black man’s neck wouldn’t be offensive either. It’s just a picture. It is not a misquote. Kandi wrote it as part of her photo post. The point is the quote is attributed to her and another aristocracy for their callous disregard for the poor in France who were starving while they lived in extravagance. Marie Antoinette is known to have splurged lavishly while French commoners died of hunger while she was Queen. She is no one to celebrate or emulate. I know the history. I have a degree in it.”
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Kandi was schooled by this person: “Someone on her team should have known. We go hard on others about our history. Statues and monuments are being torn down. Be the example. I do not believe Kandi intended anything bad at all. I believe her PR people should have vetted the choice of this pic during this time in our Amer history. I get my info from my college degree minor in history, not Wikipedia. Marie Antoinette was vilified by the French people. She was heavily criticized for throwing garish parties and spending lavishly as people suffered. In fact, the monarchy made a great effort to try to reform her reputation with the people by posting less flashy photos of her with her kids. She was an Austrian born and was an ally of Austria, the enemy of France. With COVID killings Black Americans, BLM trying to stop police brutality against us, and record unemployment impacting Black people plus many people feeding their families from food pantries, it appears quite unsound and lacking in judgment for anyone, let alone a Black female business owner, to not only impersonate Marie Antoinette during this horrid time in our history but to type the actual phrase “let them eat cake” is flagrantly irresponsible because that phrase has only one meaning…it is INfamous, not famous … it is famous for all the wrong reasons because it means, “oh really, lowly commoners are suffering …tisk task…too bad for them..look at us monarchs we are fine…let THEM eat cake” knowing darn well commoners did not have bread, brioche to eat. That statement mocks the poor. It is an expression associated with upper-class wealthy people having plenty, the poor having nothing, and the wealthy blissfully mocking poor people. That expression is infamous, onerous, and is nothing to be celebrated or mocked. The PR team should know better. You have to have people around you who not only pursue money but who are politically astute and savvy to matters of social impact. It is more than a photo shoot for people, “fans” to praise, like sheep. No sheep here.”
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Was Kandi’s post offensive?
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