Last weekend rounded out award season with the 97th Annual Oscars, and the ultimate after party: the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. Winners past and present, along with other high-ranking celebs, gathered to celebrate the winners and honor film’s biggest night. However, it wouldn’t be an award show without a red carpet and some awkward red carpet interviews. This year it came from a former Bravo celeb turned comedian, Hannah Berner, who is not exactly known for her professionalism and maturity.
For some background, Hannah, who is not a journalist by trade, rose to fame by appearing on Bravo’s Summer House for three seasons. In her first episode she describes herself as “a ratchet girl from Brooklyn” (It should be noted that this “ratchet girl from Brooklyn” is from Park Slope (not the hood) and vacations in the Hamptons). Throughout Hannah’s time on Summer House, we see her get into screaming matches with most of her cast mates, including getting in their faces, making underhanded comments, and overall, just taking situations from zero to one-hundred. It’s no surprise that she began to leave a sour taste in the mouths of viewers. Plus, if that weren’t enough, she would immediately start crying and blaming those around her instead of taking accountability for her actions.
I know it’s not uncommon for influencers or reality show celebrities to appear as red carpet correspondents, but when I saw Hannah Berner, I thought, seriously? She was paired with another Summer House cast member, Paige DeSorbo. Paige’s biggest flaw is being best friends with Hannah Berner, who repeatedly puts her in compromising situations that, as a friend, make her look bad.
While on the carpet, the ladies were joined by Megan Thee Stallion, who over the last couple of years has been very open about her mental health struggles after losing her mom and being shot by Tory Lanez. Her music focuses primarily on two things – being a hot girl and not letting your mental health issues stop you. Her latest track, Cobra, talks about her struggles with going through all these personal issues in the public eye and how even those closest to her didn’t have her back. For many black women, it was hard to watch Megan go through all of this and get so much hate from white society, Black men, and unfortunately other Black women. It is not often we see a Black woman, especially a rapper, be so vulnerable and open about her pain, but Megan has always been real and raw, and in that way, she is a great inspiration and reminder that no one can keep you down but you!
So, why is Hannah Berner trying to paint Megan like some ghetto rap chick who does nothing but fight? Well, there’s a long history on the stereotypes of black women and how that translates in the rap industry. Dr. Maretta McDonald, a professor at Virginia Tech, co-wrote a book entitled The Sociology of Cardi B: A Trap Feminist Approach, which uses Cardi B as an example for how stereotypes, such as loud, ghetto, uneducated, and less of a woman, are often put on Black women and Black women in rap that are set up to keep us in a box. For centuries, black women have been tasked with being strong, emotionless, and always taking it on the chin. Just because a Black woman makes music does not make it “fight music” and just because you’re from Brooklyn, Hannah, does not make you ratchet. Rap is meant to be raw and full of emotion, but it is not one-dimensional. I know plenty of Black women who do not fight, and who are tired of being painted as violent and aggressive. White women like Hannah are dangerous, and this is not an overreaction. They will get in your face and start something with you, but as soon as you match their energy, they will cry and paint you as an angry Black woman.
I’m not the biggest rap fan, but I am a Megan Thee Stallion fan because of who she is and how real she is. Despite all that she has been through, she continues to do what she loves and is an excellent example of how you can get through your darkest hour.
My message to Hannah, and all the White women and men like her, who are the first to want to be part of the culture but the last to understand it – if you are given a platform, use it wisely. You get the chance to interview a Black woman, and the first thing you say is underlined with micro-aggressions? Do better! It is 2025, and no one, especially media personalities, can claim they didn’t know better. If you are genuinely that oblivious, you should not be considered for correspondent roles in the future. Hopefully, this shows Vanity Fair and other media outlets that influencers are not journalists and do not have the proper training to converse appropriately with celebrities.