Comments on: White As Beautiful, Black As White

By: Amya

Amya — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Can anyone tell me what magazine the L’oreal ads were pulled from? I am trying to find print copies of these ads. Thanks!

By: Captive Audience

Captive Audience — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:58:00 +0000

Very few women, or men for that matter look like models. In fact, even the models don’t look like themselves. Their photos have been airbrushed and altered in the published version. I have no idea why they don’t just use computer generated models.

By: David

David — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 09:13:35 +0000

Hey Sabrina, woah!
I’m white. I don’t have any problem with white looks.

All I’m saying is that so-called “black” people in the USA (and UK, as you rightly pointed out) are mixed.
And that out of those mixed populations, the ones who are considered acceptable models by the fashion industry are those who “look white”.
As in, they have genes for dark skin, hair and eyes, but also have genes that give a “typically white” shape to the nose and cheekbones and all.

I don’t have a problem with how they look. They ARE beautiful.
All I’m saying is that they are NOT representative of black people.
And the way that First World countries lump all people of “non-white” ancestry together as “black” is a continuation of the “one drop” rule (AKA “touch of the tarbrush”).

It then allows magazines to publish photos using these “hybrid” women to show how “representative” and “inclusive” they are. The magazines are NOT saying “you look pretty”. They are saying “you look pretty by white standards”.

Those women who are mostly (or completely) of African origin would never be considered. Because their beauty is too “different” from white looks.

Come to South Africa. See our women, black, white, mixed… They’re all beautiful, just in different ways.

Whatever. Let me put it bluntly. The original article is SPOT ON.
I was responding to the COMMENTS. To all the people who think those models are BLACK.
What I’m saying is: dear First Worlders, they AIN’T BLACK.
THEY’RE MIXED.

TAKE A WALK DOWNTOWN TO WHERE THERE’S RECENT IMMIGRANTS FROM AFRICA, AND SEE HOW THEY LOOK. SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE. SEE HOW DIFFERENT THEY ARE.

And then maybe you’all will get the OP’s point!

By: Sabrina

Sabrina — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:17:03 +0000

David, honey… Let me burst your bubble. Most women, even in the states that you look down the street or in the supermarket or in the park, WE don’t look like that.
Most women do not have the super model look. By the way, in The united states or even The United Kingdom are multicultural countries in which many women come from mixed racial backgrounds, you are NOT going to find a 100% black woman in every corner. Women that apply to those jobs are already in the united states, they don’t ship them from Kenya, Zimbabwe or Zambia, and if they did that, that would be considered slavery. Why don’t you all put pics of Asian girls looking like white girls and Latin women looking like white women. I think you are the real racist because because you seem to hate the look of white people for some reason.
I think I find more offensive when you say that those women “look White” as opposed to looking like themselves, what do you want, for them to do plastic surgery so they look less white?
I dislike the whole fashion industry but it’s because some of this young girls go through abuse, depression and health problems in order to keep themselves skinny.
I think if you told ANY of those models that you believe that they are just white women with tan skin, I think they would hate YOU, not the magazines. The magazines say: you look pretty, let us takes pictures of you, but what you are saying is: You are nothing but a white woman with Dark skin.

By: David

David — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:38:41 +0000

To all those who are confused about the point of the post: the “black” women chosen for these ads are not really, really black. As in mostly African genetics. I live in Africa, almost no-one here looks like that.
But quite a few Americans do, because they’re thoroughly mixed.
Nothing wrong with that, and they ARE very beautiful.
But it is revealing that women of largely African ancestry are NOT chosen for these ads. Because their appearance differs more from the white “norm” than that of hybrids.
And THAT is the point of this post: it’s ok to be black. As long as you aren’t really…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:29:36 +0000

Ha ha. That’s what I keep thinking. If a dark-skinned model is seen with stereo-typical “black” hair though, I am afraid Dr. Lisa will complain that the company is trying to promote the stereo-typical idea of dark-skinned women.

I advocate the ending of clumping everyone together in these skin color groups anyway. I am so tired of the word black, because there is a whole spectrum of shades within the category. However, I am also sick of the label of white. I mean, there are many different groups classified as whites, and they all look different to me. There are fair-skinned people with light hair, olive-skinned people with brown or black hair, pale people with light hair, and many other variations of “white.” When we stop clumping people into categories (which will never happen, but it is a nice dream) we won’t have to read a 7-part post on why non-whites are put in advertising.

By: Ifeyinwa

Ifeyinwa — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:59:17 +0000

Damn I didn’t spell check…oops…lol

By: Ifeyinwa

Ifeyinwa — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:58:36 +0000

Hmm, Sometimes I wonder about things like this simply because there are Black and African women with “white” features and should their Blackness be discounted because it just so happens to coincide with what the Caucasian media considers beauty?

I have siblings that have str8 nosed and fair skin but that doesn’t make them less Black or Beautiful perhaps more advantaged but that’s life.

I believe it’s time to start focusing and teaching the value and appreciation of individual beauty from a young age so children aren’t easily swayed by the images they see on TV or in print.

By: repost

repost — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:26:25 +0000

I just read this comment from Big1968 and yall don’t get it. I felt it needed to be repeated.

big1968 8:54 am on April 3, 2010 | # | Reply

Far too many people are missing (or refusing to “get”) the critical point: the industry choice to insist that black models must look white to represent the product IS a statement about endemic racism in this segment of the advertising world. IT IS NOT ABOUT MAKEUP. It is about the denial of black as beautiful. As long as white people refuse to listen to us when we express the realities of our existence, they will never get it and will never understand how they validate racism.

The “Black is Beautiful” revelations of the 1960s and ’70s addressed this issue (know your history before you repeat its mistakes), but how quickly we, and they, forget.

By: Cher

Cher — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 07:51:47 +0000

I just see these women as beautiful! White women come in all shapes sizes too they ain’t just standard skinny etc.But u guys are probably right, I suppose I just don’t dwell on this because if u do it will only set u back on constant paranoya about ur skin colour.Is it because I’m black?

By: Christiane D

Christiane D — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:01:55 +0000

I think what she is stating is that the models chosen have more European features, such as the thin nose and less full lips. So, African American women would look for starters darker, fuller lips, broader nose. But they don’t chose those women, they choose the woman who look the most white, to go along with the “white only” is beautiful.
Beauty supplies aren’t like panty hose, one size fits all.
Our skin isn’t just different because of the shade, but because it needs a different kind of moisturizer.
A great example is hair products, hair products for white women are products to get rid of oil. Well, we don’t need that, we need something that keeps or adds natural oils.
To say you don’t see the inherent racism in today’s advertising is akin to saying you don’t really see the world.
I studied advertising and the tactics are all psychological and insidious.
Ask yourself how many dark skinned women do you see gracing the covers of your favorite women’s magazine?
Read this and learn: Despite Italian Vogue’s recent black issue, the international fashion world still prefers white skin.http://www.newsweek.com/id/144549

By: Tabatha Rose

Tabatha Rose — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:56:21 +0000

So what are the African American women supposed to look like? Is there a set standard for not looking “white”??

By: Celena

Celena — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:00:01 +0000

The point being made isn’t about a specific skin tone. It’s about an exclusive and ethnocentric standard of beauty – in media and in society.

By: Chezelle

Chezelle — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:25:56 +0000

You must be in this industry to know that! If ur unaware of the industry and how the game is played why do we always jump to play the race card? We put it on ourselves! I can’t see it sorry! And the white people in the above add don’t look white at all!

By: big1968

big1968 — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 13:54:34 +0000

The “Black is Beautiful” revelations of the 1960s and ’70s addressed this issue (know your history before you repeat its mistakes), but how quickly we, and they, forget.