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Black (and Brown) Can Only Be Just So Beautiful
Kim Kardashian got airbrushed lighter, smoother, and thinner for a photo shoot. Happens every day in Hollywood, I know. I don't know if she was in on it, but I know I wasn't when it happened to me.
A while back, my hairdresser asked me to be photographed for a black hair magazine. Trust me: we sisters LUV those things. I was beyond psyched. Until I saw the photos. I threw the magazine away in disgust, so I can't show it to you, but they'd airbrushed me at least five shades lighter and gave me gray eyes. Gray!
This was a totally black-run operation. They wanted my kinky hair (checks my twists on this page), but not my actual blackness. How pathetic.
When I first started doing TV, the makeup chicks (I've rarely had a non-white one) would cagily, carefully, ask me questions about what kind of foundation I wanted. "Whatever matches...?" Were these trick questions?
I figured there was something special about being made up for TV that a newbie like me just wasn't hip to. Finally, when they figured out that I wasn't going to go off, they told me that often blacks wanted to be made as light as possible. You'd be amazed at some of the names, but I ain't going there.
Pathetic.
Hey, if it makes you feel better.
I'm a white guy - so maybe this doesn't count; but I've always thought that darker skinned sistas' are more attractive - somehow sexier, even - than lighter skinned ones; though I've heard that the brothas' like things the other way around.
If I wasn't having problems that prevent me from dating anyone right now, I'd say: Oh well, more lovely, dark and sultry sista's for me!
By the way, being white isn't so special; ever have a sunburn? How about an INFECTED sunburn? That'll make you wanna rip your own skin off and stomp on it - just like an ex of mine used to say about her vagina, when she got a yeast infection.
JimRinX
On-camera work and skin tone
In fairness, a good part of the issue concerns how the camera picks up skin tones. Professionals doing on-camera work are generally well-aware of how the camera usually picks up their skin tone and features, and use make-up accordingly. This is true of African-Americans, people with a lot of freckles (Molly Ringwald, Lindsay Lohan), people whose faces just don't look good on-camera unless they shade or highlight particular features such as cheekbones, so on.
While there may be some African-American stars who use make-up to lighten their skin tone for the reasons Ms. Dickerson implies, the more likely reason is the desire to simply look good on-camera.
re: on-camera work and skin tone
Debra J. Dickerson
I tried to cover this in my post. That's why I cudn't figure out what they were trying to find out. They were the experts, right? I always just say that exactly: 'you're the expert.'
Their point was, based on long experience, that some blacks just want to be as light as possible, not look as good as possible on camera. Two v different things, i think you'll agree.
I've done lots of TV and photo shoots. I cud care less about how I photograph; i'm being photographed because of what I've written or said and I never understand why a mag that just published me (back in the good old print days) wanted a photo just a few months newer. Photo shoots take time and time is money for a full time, free lance writer (not to mention for mags). I have head shots-why not just use those? But, no, they wanted new ones and of course for TV, you gotta hit the chair each time. Fine. Video and pix: who cares? Not me, just listen/read me, who cares what I look like?
But there was no getting out of it (i'd rather have slept in. I did Good Morning America once every few weeks or so for a few months back in the 90s. You know how early u have to get up for that?) So I just zoned out and just enjoyed talking to the chicks (and they were almost always white chicks. Best readers ever, whilst they wait between subjects: i almost plotzed the first time i hit a makeup room where the chick was reading Sartre's Nausea so seriously, I had to clear my throat five times. I learned to bring whatever I'd been reading on the trip there to trade.) But I digress.
So i never stressed makeup or tried to vamp. I just endured it. But I almost always thought I looked hideous in the makeup room. Once I laughed out loud: i looked just like a transvestite geisha. Then, i'd see the photo or the video and realize, the makeup pros know what they're doing and I never interfere.
But, if these folks didn't have major lawyers, I cud name some names. But the makeup chicks trusted me with secrets and I'll take them to the grave.
Energy Grids
The landscape will be ruined forever. I hate the thought of looking at the transmission lines, grids, oil rigs in the ocean.
Thank God I had a chance to see the pristine areas before all this destruction,
not to mention the environmental impact to animals, trees, etc.
Sincerely
Pat Baldwin
Re: Black (and Brown) Can Only Be Just So Beautiful
I hear you Debra. It seems that for all the diversity that everybody likes to roll out, there is an unwritten rule: Only caucassion looking like blacks need apply. Wide noses or full lips are frowned upon because of the perception it may offend you know who. I'm very proud of my chocolate girl. She's dark, and very lovely to me. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Re: a lighter shade of me
tagged as:- solution
Why do we think the grass is always greener? White girls tan to be darker (I know some White women who have skin that feels like sausage) and now I hear some Blacks want make up during photographs to appear lighter. Sounds as if we need to all work on self-acceptance. I have thin straight hair and would love to have natural curls, but I managed to get over it when I was about 12. When I was 19, I had a large list of complaints about my body, but ohhh to have that body back now that I am 40+. Gee, now it looks like early menopause is going to be my fate, and I will for sure end up with the same shapeless middle as my Mom and Grandma. I refuse to stress about it, worry about it or let it get me down today. I work on staying in the now, real hard. I have learned in many ways (not just physical) the grass is NOT always greener! To thy own self be true. NOW's website has a great Body Image Campaign for anybody struggling to accept who they are, as they are. It's Especially educational for young women of today, who receive the worst possible messages due to examples as the one shared in this story.
I wish I could see your
I wish I could see your photos with this post !