‘Gossip Girl’ Season 2: Savannah Lee Smith Explained Why Monet Changes Her Hair So Frequently
Hair plays a critical role in expressing who a character is in any show. It is also sometimes used to depict a time period in history. When Savannah Lee Smith was getting into her character Monet in HBO’s Gossip Girl, she decided to showcase her character’s evolution and identity using hair. The star explained why her character in the reboot changes her hair so frequently.
Savannah Lee Smith uses her hair in ‘G.G’ to represent other Black teen girls
Smith’s character in the Gossip Girl continuation has come a long way since the first season. When viewers met Monet, she was one of Julien Calloway‘s two minions who often did her bidding. However, the second season finds Monet on the outs with Julien as she takes on a more antagonistic role.
Monet has become Julien’s worst nightmare after going on a power binge the last season. Smith’s character, however, isn’t the only thing that has changed. Monet’s hair keeps changing with every episode (sometimes more than once in an episode), and as it turns out, this was a strategic move by the actor.
In an interview with Us Weekly, Smith said she wanted her hair to depict her character’s wealth. Monet’s family is extremely wealthy, with her billionaire father being one of the richest people in the country. Smith told the outlet that she insisted on creating iconic hairstyles that matched her character’s social status and personality, and the producers were more than OK with it.
“I thought to myself, ‘I wear wigs all the time. I change my hair every two weeks. So if I had a billion dollars, why wouldn’t I be doing that?'” Smith reasoned. The actor said that if she were as rich as her character in real life, she “would have a closet of hair.” Smith told the publication there was more to her experimenting with different hairstyles than meets the eye.
She explained that the various dos throughout filming represented how a Black teenage girl might style her hair. “That’s what Black women do. Whether they’re the billionaire elite or not,” Smith explained.
Many fans hate Monet’s wigs
Monet has been serving up looks since she appeared on the screen. Aside from her protective hairstyles, Monet has worn everything from red bobs to bangs. While they look good on her and have given Smith a way to express herself, fans aren’t too excited about them.
A few fans took to Reddit to air their frustrations with the hair choices regarding the character. One user posted saying they couldn’t understand why the show’s hair department insisted on “putting her in these cheap-looking wigs.”
The user pointed out a few instances when Monet’s wigs have looked out of place for someone with as much money as her. Some of her wigs appear not to be well styled or have a lace front, a type of wig which gives the appearance of a natural hairline. Some fans suggested that Monet get diamond-embedded braids as an expression of her wealth.
Others stated that they would love to see the character wear more protective styles such as braids, as, given her wealth, it’s easy for her to switch up frequently. However, some users argued that it would be difficult for Monet (and Smith) to wear protective hairstyles and change them constantly because of the processes that go into braiding.
Monet has become a fan favorite
Monet was mainly in the background for most of season 1, but she has begun to blossom in season two, and fans can’t get enough of it. Some fans on Reddit believe the story would have been much better if she was the main character instead of her frenemy Julien.
Fans love Smith’s portrayal of the snarky power-hungry Monet and, above all, her outfits and accessory game. Fans have been begging the show for more of Monet, and it seems G.G 2.0 listened as Monet is becoming a bigger character in the second season, especially with her conflict with Julien.
