What 'Gorilla Glue Girl' really says about our society

If you’ve been paying attention to the news and all your social media platforms, then you certainly didn’t miss the headlines about the “Gorilla Glue Girl.”

It’s a sticky situation.

Tessica Brown is her name. Brown went viral after she deliberately used a hardware adhesive on her hair.

If you haven’t followed the headlines or just thought it wasn’t that important to pay attention to – (I wouldn’t blame you) – you were probably thinking a few things like “Oh, sounds like another young person doing something silly,” or “it’s just another teenager seeking attention on social media.”

Unfortunately, it’s not so simple. Brown, a now ‘blue check’ verified social media influencer is 40 years old with five children. Her TikTok name is ‘Im_d_ollady’.

Brown posted a social media video of herself explaining that she had used “Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive” to seal her hairstyle because she ran out of her normal hairspray.

Well, the adhesive definitely did its job, and she was stuck in agony for an entire month after the substance would not wash out. Brown begged the public for tips on how to remove it from her hair.

Within 24 hours, the video went viral and received mixed responses from the public; those who felt ‘bad’ for her and others who were left scratching their heads on how someone could lack basic common sense.

Hair is a very sensitive subject in the African American community; especially for women.

We constantly want our ‘edges laid,’ fried and dyed to achieve a more ‘sleek’ acceptable look.

But despite all of the ‘You Big Dummy’ memes that were circulated at first for the unfortunate incident, this mom’s blunder has definitely brought in a cash windfall.

As of Valentine’s Day, Brown secured over $23,000 on GoFundMe.

Some even speculated she may try to sue the company – even though it’s clear the product was not intended to be used on human hair – but in an interview with Entertainment Tonight / ETOnline, Brown said that was not the case.

Her GoFundMe page is still open, even after a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon removed the adhesive.

Dr. Michael Obeng, who created a special solution that he tested on a wig prior to reaching out to Brown, flew Brown to LA and performed the $12,500 procedure for free.

Some say Brown was recently seen in a brand new Mercedes Benz, causing her followers to question her motives, but it has not been proven if she’s purchased any new vehicles. TMZ reports that Brown will now give the majority of the money she raised to the Restore Foundation, a non-profit started by Obeng with the aim of providing reconstructive surgery for people in developing nations.

Brown also says she may use some money to purchase wigs and repair her hair.

Now, Brown’s hair-brained idea has sparked another foolish challenge across the internet.

According to reports, a man from Louisiana “Gorilla Glued” his lips to a plastic cup. He ended up in the hospital and had to go through a painful removal procedure.

Another young lady attempted the ‘Gorilla Glue’ Challenge by trying to wax herself with the adhesive. Leave your imagination to figure out how that turned out.

Unfortunately, these two individuals did not receive the same empathy from the public or obtain a big pay day to help them.

We are more fragile than we realize and perhaps therapy is something we should seek more than attention. The need for validation is so rampant that people can’t tell the difference between their real life and their ‘reel’ life.

It is clear that this digital generation has to improve on social responsibility because what may be funny to some, can be a detriment to others.

So, have we learned anything? Bayou Beat News readers, what are your thoughts?