Recently, Jezebel put out their annual report on the racial diversity among models at New York Fashion Week. The findings were not surprising, with Caucasian models being an overwhelming majority of the models. We are well aware of the harmful messages that modeling and fashion sends out about body image. However, I feel there is little… Continue Reading →
Feminist group pranks Victoria’s Secret, everyone likes the improvement
What if Victoria’s Secret used their caché in a certain demographic to promote the importance of consent? It seemed to be reality this month with the web site Pink Loves Consent, set up by the Baltimore feminist group FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture. FORCE used the Victoria’s Secret logo and their trademark PINK line to showcase… Continue Reading →
About Face doc: Want to hate yourself? Try modeling.
“I don’t think there’s any 15-year-old girl that will turn down the chance to be called beautiful. You don’t realize at that point that you’re also going to get called ugly,” says Paulina Porizkova, talking about being discovered as a model, about halfway through the new documentary film About Face (no relation to this blog… Continue Reading →
Female celebrities during award season: Keeping it (too?) real
I’m all for celebs getting real about what it takes to look as good as they do. Hell, I’ve even been known to enjoy me a little of US Mag’s “They’re Just Like Us!” section because it pokes holes in the perceived perfection of A-listers. What I don’t like, however, is Oscar nominees Octavia Spencer… Continue Reading →
Fair or Not? The Snow White Complex
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrd7SV5MAFw&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube] I love this documentary from filmmaker M. Hansa M. about how Eurocentric standards of beauty have become prominent across the globe, and how those beauty standards promote and exacerbate sexism and racism. In just eleven minutes, “Fair or Not?” addresses the many connections between racism, sexism, colonialism and exoticism, painting a clear and troubling… Continue Reading →
Naomi Campbell considers Cadbury chocolate ad racist
So, Naomi Campbell is not exactly known for rational behavior. But is the supermodel right to consider chocolate company Cadbury‘s newest ad campaign racist? UK ads for Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Bliss bars feature a Bliss bar perched atop a mound of diamonds, accompanied by the slogan, “Move over Naomi, there’s a new diva in town.”… Continue Reading →
Racist “Psychology Today” article puts down black women, gets attention
You say tomato, I say tomahto. You say psychology, I say blatant racism. Whatever. Last week, Psychology Today published a piece by Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa titled, “Why Are Black Women Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women?” A completely unscientific answer to a stupid question no one has ever asked? Whatever stirs up controversy, right?… Continue Reading →
Egyptian women are protesters too
By now, everyone on the Internet has heard of the protests in Egypt. Powerful and moving images saturate the media, bringing us face to face with these brave women and men. The New York Times offers this image on the left. The caption begins, “A protester consoled a woman during a demonstration.” Okay, let’s break… Continue Reading →
“Elle” makes a mockery of Gabourey Sidibe’s cover girl moment
What do you call a top fashion magazine that features a plus-sized African American actress on its cover? Progressive? Revolutionary? If you’ve read recent Internet reports of Gabourey Sidibe’s October Elle cover, you might call it “racist,” “offensive,” or, as Salon puts it, “a weird fetishization that borders on patronizing.” Allow me to explain. In… Continue Reading →