What we see in the media is simply a relection of what is given to be shown. Not many of us beautiful black women are not even putting ourselves in the spotlight and glare of the media. Many of us say that we know that we are beautiful despite the media, but we will not show up for casting calls, and things of that nature for a simple fear of rejection. Advertisers simply select the models that best fit their needs. We can sit up here and talk about this all we want, but lets face it, would u really want to open up a magazine and see a size 18 in a bikini? Queen Latifah is one of the most beautiful women in all of the media, and people recognize that. She has been on the cover of almost every magazine in circulation, and she is not a size 6, or even a 10. We can't blame everything on the media, we need to look at oursleves. If we are happy with, and accepting of ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to be? I am a very proud size 14, and although I would like to be smaller, I am content with who and what I am, and I wear it well. The problem arises in larger women when we don't care to keep ourselves up, and we feel that we can't look good because of our size. I have never had a problem getting a man, and believe it or not, I pull more than my smaller friends. I have found that dudes like a lil extra sumthin, so the media can keep on doing what they're doing, it just makes less competition for me!!
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my ****
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
i don't even need to say who wrote this
I can see where you could say that darker skin is not in stlye, but I see it in style everyday. I see it in style when euro-americans go to tanning salons and fry themselves to a crisp outside. You can is it in stlye reading about the Fisk Jubliee singers when they went to France and they were admired for their "darker" skin. When you think about the media and how there are not many brown skin women on T.V. is it just another way to keep the color complex alive. You see the light skin and longer hair females in the videos. This then reflects to our young girls that if you are not light skin with some length to your hair you are not pretty. But this is not so. I am a brown skin female and I feel that is the most beautiful thing. All black is good black. So No matter the size or color every woman is a queen and is beautiful. And if we don't dissolve the color complex within our own people we will never be able to portray that every hue of black is beautiful in the media.
There is a big difference between what you see, and what is.
What you see is the product of businesses that are trying to sell you something. Everything you see on TV, in magazines, and in advertisements is placed there to convince you that you need something else (specifically their product) to be satisfied, confident, attractive, and healthy.
These messages get the visibility, because they pay for the privilege. The guy next door doesn't have millions of dollars to advertise what he's looking for. The diet companies, makeup studios, TV networks, and clothing designers do.
This is why what you see can be deceptive. The females I see in magazine advertisements (especially the White magazines) are simply not attractive to me. Most of the guys I know agree with me. Look at Cosmo or one of those kinds of magazines - the women in there are always wearing too much makeup and have absolutely no body but supposedly this is what everyone is looking for. I don't want a woman who is more of a man than I am. 8) Holla!
I agree. Those with money are the ones who project their ideals of what is attractive or desirable. So i can see why alot of the images in the media would look the same. To me...that isn't where the problem lies though. The problem is when we as a society, or even worse...as a people, begin to buy into what some small selective feeds off as acceptable. If a group of high status exectives have enough money to throw an image of a size 2, heavily made up, barbie doll in every magazine, tv show, and movie...that's their perrogative. But people are easily fickled and quickly follow trends. Why do peeps somehow feel more important if they have Gucci on their back and Prada on their feet? Becuz it's for the so-called "wealthy", which is supposed to be a seletive group, so somehow their preference must be deemed commendable. So if their preference is not the "average sistah"...then people will buy into that...even the "average brotha". People somehow feel more important and dignified when they have what is considered only for the wealthy and sophisticated.
Its startin to seem like the Neosoul thing was a phase. Because look most the big Neosoul artists came out around the same time and everybody was feelin it. Then none of em dropped anything for a minute so people like forgot about it or somethin
The word "Neosoul" has always bothered me......NEWSOUL???.....i dont understand y there is a new category of music for people who have naturals and wear kufis. Just another way for the media to control people. :roll:
i noticed that and i was like in TI's let's get away or whatever it's called all of those girls look the same, long straight hair, and bright colored skin. all the dark skinned girls you see are bald and super skinny. you dont' ever see average sized girls. that's what raven said on her show. i just happened to be watching it.
i know most female ain't size 2 black or white, being slim is not too appealing and this coming from a size 5 135lb 5'10 girl who can be a model, i look at myself and i be like damn i am skinny, i have try to gain weight, i have tryit diet, ensure, eat 5pieces of chicken at 12:ooam and go to sleep that Sh*t don't work so i can say love your self and do you whatever size
:lol: :lol: I'm mad at that one. Don't let me mess around and eat 5 pieces of chicken in the middle of the night. I'll mess around and look like blimp in the matter of seconds. That's cool u got it like that tho, that's a blessing. Errybody ain't able, ya feel me?
i know most female ain't size 2 black or white, being slim is not too appealing and this coming from a size 5 135lb 5'10 girl who can be a model, i look at myself and i be like damn i am skinny, i have try to gain weight, i have tryit diet, ensure, eat 5pieces of chicken at 12:ooam and go to sleep that Sh*t don't work so i can say love your self and do you whatever size
:lol: :lol: I'm mad at that one. Don't let me mess around and eat 5 pieces of chicken in the middle of the night. I'll mess around and look like blimp in the matter of seconds. That's cool u got it like that tho, that's a blessing. Errybody ain't able, ya feel me?
I know right? Approximately 1.5 seconds for me....
Its startin to seem like the Neosoul thing was a phase. Because look most the big Neosoul artists came out around the same time and everybody was feelin it. Then none of em dropped anything for a minute so people like forgot about it or somethin
U RIGHT ROD...IT AINT IN STYLE RIGHT NOW...BUT LIKE ERTHING...ELSE...GIVE IT TIME...IT'LL BE RIGHT BACK AROUND...N*GGAS GONE GET CONSCIOUS AGAIN...
BUT YEAH...UNFORTUNATELY...THE AVERAGE BLACK WOMAN...ISNT ON EVERY MAGAZINE RIGHT NOW...BUT THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS..BLACK WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL...ALL COLORS SHAPES AND SIZES...SO IF ITS JUST THE DIMES THAT ARE OUT THERE...LET EM BE OUT THERE...BLACK WOMEN WILL HAVE THEIR DAY...IN DUE TIME....
