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Travis Kelce<\/a> has addressed a backlash after a New York Times<\/em> article credited him with popularising the tapered fade haircut.<\/p>\n The New York Times<\/em><\/a> wrote that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was behind an uptick in men getting fades, going as far as to call it \u201cthe Travis Kelce\u201d haircut. The article reported that Kelce\u2019s specific taper fade has notably been in demand nationwide, with TikTok<\/a> barbers recreating the styles on their clients. <\/p>\n Some called out the newspaper for crediting Kelce with the style and thereby ignoring the popular style\u2019s roots in Black culture. Sports journalist Jemele Hill went on to post on X<\/a>, formerly known as Twitter, that the article gave \u201czero cultural context\u201d about the fade\u2019s rise in popularity and origins. She wrote, \u201cWhen you have zero cultural competency on your staff, this is how you end up with stories like this.\u201d<\/p>\n She continued, saying: \u201cMy issue isn\u2019t with Travis Kelce because he didn\u2019t write this story nor has he ever claimed to invent this particular haircut. My issue is with the NYT<\/em> for giving zero cultural context and failing to explain that fades have been popular for a very long time and it has a significant connection to Black culture.\u201d<\/p>\n The NFL<\/a> player himself denounced the notion that he was responsible for the fade\u2019s popularity and noted that it was especially heinous that the NYT<\/em> did not give credit where it was due during Black History Month<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely ridiculous,\u201d Kelce told a reporter during a Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night<\/em> press conference. \u201cAnd to do it on February 1st to throw me into the wolves like that, that was messed up, man. I don\u2019t want anything to do with that one, man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI got a good fade if you need it though, it\u2019s two on top, a nice high to mid-fade with a taper in the back,\u201d he continued, revealing what he specifically asks for when he goes to the barber. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t invent that, I just asked for it.\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time the outlet was called out for its lack of \u201ccultural competency,\u201d with Hill having previously lambasted<\/a> them for reporting on Kelce\u2019s pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift \u201cswag surfing,\u201d a dance that has been around since 2009 and popularised by Black students. <\/p>\n However, unlike the Kelce article, the \u201cswag surfing\u201d article acknowledges the dance\u2019s roots and history in Black culture. They cited theNew Yorker\u2019s<\/em><\/a> description of the dance, writing that it is considered \u201cstaple at HBCUs,\u201d and is a part of a longstanding tradition of young black people dancing proudly and unabashedly. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n