Theres a lack of "Real" Black Women in the media
 

Especially in the US. The majority of Black females in the American medis tend to be more admixed than the general AA population. When darker skinned women are shown, they tend to be shown in a unfavorable light ie Precious, or has the Shaniqua or Mammy stereotype.

Like the beauty standards for Black women are Caramel/Light Skin, Long Hair, and European facial features like Alicia Keys.

http://www.instablogsimages.com/1/20...1334645202.jpg

Having women like this media being represented as Black beauty is bad for the self esteem of Black girls who don't look like Alicia Keys.

What are your thoughts?

Not a thought,but a question.Is this a more recent phenomenon of having light skinned more admixed Afram women to be predominant in the media?I have seen old school rap videos where comparetively speaking I saw more lesser-admixed folks.

I agree that dark-skinned blacks are treated worse on average. Also it created a disunity in the AA community and started a ridiculous dark vs light skin rivalry. But, such admixed types are easier to "digest" for the mainstream white society. Personally I think that blacks should be represented as they are with people with whom they can really identify, because practices like this can lead to self hate and even health problems as many dark-skinned girls use bleach creams in quantities that can lead to serious problems.

its not just the media who share those beauty ideals. i know alot of black people who think the same way. not to say being darkskinned means you're ugly, but i hear alot of people talk about how they prefer lighter skinned black women. i think that shit goes way deeper then just how blacks are portrayed in the media bleeding over into common thinking, that idea has been in peoples heads since slave times.

as far as dark skinned women in the news..


http://www.hautefashionafrica.com/wp...sesay_isha.jpg
http://blacksnob.com/storage/tamron6...=1252236615420
maybe not dark skinned, but not light either.

I think it depends what you mean by media. If you go look at ex. local TV news anchors in areas with large black populations, you'll see more representation.

Memphis:
http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/382acbb...i%2Fmu.gif&r=G

Atlanta:
http://forum-network.org/files/image...ca_Pearson.jpg

Detroit:
http://blog.mlive.com/business_impac...-Anch_Fell.JPG

http://cdn.madamenoire.com/wp-conten...e-Palmer-1.jpg

I think Keke Palmer would make a good role model for young black women. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/thumbsup.gif

I agree, shes more representive of AA girls than Alicia Keys.

I've seen that, too where a person would prefer a lighter individual over a clearly more attractive darker one. That would always boggle my mind.


I agree. Younger girls not having anybody they see themselves in shined in a positive light may suffer from low self-esteem and may incorrectly connect faulty dots that conclude only certain features equal beauty...when that isn't the case at all.

It's kind of a cycle, I suppose. Only certain features are shown on TV as beautiful >> public digests what the media is showing >> majority of society accepts it >> influences who gets chosen on TV >> those certain features are shown and so forth

Come on jon, those are celebrities and anyways, parents shouldn't let the media decide role models for their kids.

In Europe we have quite a few http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/smile.gif

I disagree. The top black actresses fit the mid-range spectrum of hue and phenotype for the most part.

Taraji P. Henson
Viola Davis
Octavia Spencer
Audra McDonald
Anika Noni Rose
Regina King
Jennifer Hudson
Gabrielle Union

I'm sure there are others I can't remember all off the top of my head.

Here's a list of actresses on IMDB's website. Some are biracial and multiracial. http://www.imdb.com/list/KL_s2rbZXN0/

Viola Davis is dark skinned IMO http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/confused.gif

Okay, but you get the point. She would be included in the list of "so called" "REAL" looking black women in media, right?

What about kids who are mixed? Shouldn't they have any role models like Alicia Keys?

You don't even acknowledge them as a group in this post. They have it even harder. They sometimes feel like they don't have a place where they belong. Trapped between a rock and a hard place.

There's plenty of other black female artists who do not have such european features as her. Beyonce is just as big. And Alicia would never retire out of consideration for black girls getting a bad self-esteem anyway (which they don't).

There are many mixed race entertainers also. Role models for everyone. I don't get the point of this thread.

http://www.mixedfolks.com/actors.htm

Well one point is that intermediate mixed race beauty standards are more prominent in the entertainment industry, and that's true. The other point that people like the girl from Precious are pushed as the pred. SSA standard, not the Oprah Winfreys and Angela Bassetts of the world, well I don't necessarily agree with that. There are plenty of fit, successful, attractive pred. SSA women in the media, especially in local areas with large black populations.

I would say Jon probably has this impression more from living in California.

When I turn on the local news, in the south, I'm more likely to see someone who looks like this:

http://www.fox16.com/media/lib/9/7/5...2172/Story.jpg

Not like this:

http://images.zap2it.com/images/cele...d-obrien-0.jpg

Why does she have to represent anyone? She can't help the way she came out of the wombhttp://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/tongue.gif. Seems no one should represent anyone since they can only be themselves.

I would prefer if these "Brothas" were represented. But not cause of their phenotype. If only cause they widen the gap of possibility with their music(Yeah, they play Metal). They're an anomaly and to me that's a good thing. It's an unrealistic expectation but meh...different strokes for different folks.

http://www.thrashermagazine.com/imag...eance/live.jpg

Or this girl, i'm sure you know Persia White. But I bet you will never see her band(Xeo3) on BET. Just like Stone Vengeance.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gDOJ93yIp7...600/persia.jpg

Or writers like:
http://www.sfwa.org/members/butler/

Or speakers like:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bell-Hooks/22762902634

Or directors like:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0298807/

Instead of

http://media.prefixmag.com/site_medi...50x416_q85.jpg

and azz implants mcgee

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-do0WZhl3eU...j-implants.jpg

Diversity among the black community itself seems to be downplayed in the media. But that's partly the people's fault. Supply and demand, right? Can't complain when you get what you're demanding(Especially in the case of the light skin standard). I was talking more about art though (Film, music, books etc etc). It's all one, big homogenous conglomerate in the media. And to all appearances, that is the reality of things too.

Which entertainers do you young men find attractive and why?

Has the media influenced your opinion at all?

If so, how?

When looking for someone to seriously date or marry, do you have a standard of beauty that you use as the measuring rod? What specific features are you attracted to?

---------- Post added 2012-05-25 at 12:16 ----------

[/COLOR] Soledad is Afro-Latina/European. He ethnic background is actually much more common in NYC than nationally. Interesting that she's big in the national news market.

I think the folks on NY1 News represent the NYC market quite well.
http://www.ny1.com/content/about_ny1...y1-s-reporters

Soledad O'brien - Does she even identify as black though?

She's half Cuban and half white (wasp). Her entire appearance screams "hispanic" to me. But I can see a splash of SSA in her.

http://ogahome.com/DLU/wp-content/up...92_regular.jpg

I happen to have known her sister in college and she identified with the black students completely. Soledad is a strong sponsor and advocate for black girls. It has nothing to do with her appearance. Her mom is Afro Cuban and seems to have raised the kids with an Afro perspective. The dad is from Australia, I believe, so he doesn't have the white American mindset.