Tag Archives: black women

Beyoncé’s Album Promo Photos Are Unrecognizable

Rachel KrauseJanuary 18, 2012 //

The rampant white-washing of models, actresses, and musicians of color is not a new concept. Freida Pinto, Rihanna, and Aishwarya Rai have all previously fallen victim to white-washing on magazine covers and in promotional images. Beyoncé’s skin was lightened dramatically in a 2008 cosmetics ad by L’Oreal, where she is the spokesperson. These incidents can be contributed to digital retouchers and the outlets that choose to release the images … but what about your own album cover and promo ads? The photos accompanying Beyoncé’s most recent release, 4, have stirred up controversy and it’s not a struggle to see why. Beyoncé is a fairly light-skinned black woman and she generally keeps her hair lightened to a shade that’s more caramel than chocolate. But these shots have her looking straight up like Lindsay Lohan with a subtle tan. If you showed me this image on its own and asked me who it was, Beyoncé would be my last guess.

Again, these light-skinned images are promotional ads for Béyonce’s own album, which leads me to believe that she absolutely approved the photos. [NYMag.com]

“S**t White Girls Say To Black Girls” Is Back

Jessica WakemanJanuary 13, 2012 //

S**t Girls Say

The video that started it all. Watch »

S**t Gay Guys Say ...

To their cats. Watch »

S**t Nobody Says

The s**t says meme continues. Watch »

It turns out there’s a lot of dumb shit that white girls say to black girls. Chesca Leigh has made another video of ignorant stuff that white ladies have been known to say to their unsuspecting friends. I would be embarrassed if I wasn’t laughing so hard. [YouTube] Keep reading »

Michelle Obama Resents “Angry Black Woman” Portrayal

Jessica WakemanJanuary 11, 2012 //

Black Women Stereotypes

Stephen Colbert gets schooled on stereotypes of black women. Read More »

2012 Election

All of The Frisky's posts about the 2012 election. Read More »

Michelle On The Frisky!

All of The Frisky's post about our glamorous FLOTUS. Read More »

“It’s more interesting to imagine this conflicted situation here and a strong woman and — you know? But that’s been an image that people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced, that I’m some angry black woman. … You know, I just try to be me. And my hope is that over time people get to know me. And they get to judge me for me.”

– First Lady Michelle Obama reacts to portrayals of her as an “angry black woman.” Michelle has been dogged by this stereotype from the beginning of her husband’s campaign when rumors abounded that she ranted about “whitey”; more recently, New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor’s new book, The Obamas, alleges Michelle sparred with her husband’s staff. It is sad in our culture that a woman — who just happens to be black, and may or may not have reasons to be angry (ahem, ahem) — gets dismissively painted with a wide brush as an “angry black woman,” as if she is just behaving the way stereotypes say she is expected her to behave. The new book by MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes and Black Women In America, is sadly quite timely. [Bossip]

Stephen Colbert Gets Schooled On Stereotypes Of Black Women

Jessica WakemanJanuary 10, 2012 //

Black People Targeted

New anti-abortion billboards are targeting black people. Read More »

Magazine Racism

Psychology Today asked "why are black women less attractive?" Read More »

Today's Lady News

Is the TSA singling out black women for a pat-down? Read More »

If you’re not already a fan of Melissa Harris-Perry, you will be soon: she’s a Tulane University political science professor who appears often on “The Rachel Maddow Show” and just scored her own show on MSNBC. Last night she went head-to-head with another talking head, the inimitable Stephen Colbert, while promoting her new book, Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes and Black Women In America. As was to be expected, Stephen is not too keen on talking about this “race” thing. or stereotypes experienced by black women. I dare you not to snicker a little when he asks, “Of these stereotypes, which one are you?” This is Stephen Colbert and Melissa Harris-Perry at their best. [Colbert Nation]

Isaiah Mustafa Apologizes After Saying He Wants His Wife, Kids To Have “Good Hair”

Jessica WakemanOctober 3, 2011 //

"Good Hair" Review

A review of Chris Rock's documentary, "Good Hair." Read More »

TSA Searches Afro

Has the TSA been singling out black women with natural hair? Read More »

Racist Obama Shirt

What's wrong with this shirt from Urban Outfitters? Read More »

Don’t you hate it when one of your favorite hunks opens his mouth and says something boneheaded? Old Spice Guy Isaiah Mustafa got in trubs this weekend when he made offensive comments about black hair. He was chatting with Guiliana Rancic on E! News about his new show, “Charlie’s Angels,” and she lobbed him a softball question about what he looks for in a woman. Mustafa then asked if she had taken a look at his hair, implying it looked bad, and how he wants someone to make him look better. Rancic then asked if he wanted a woman with “real hair” and he replied:

“Yes, it does have to be real hair. I want my kids to have nice hair so she better have good hair. Cause, I don’t know if you’ve checked my hair out lately. Aside from today it’s normally nice. Today it’s slightly nappy.”

Oh dear.

Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Army Appoints First Black Female Two-Star General

Jessica WakemanSeptember 30, 2011 //

The US Army has appointed Gen. Marcia Anderson as its first-ever black female two-star general. Gen. Anderson is already the highest-ranking woman in the Army. Congratulations! [The Grio]
A federal judge has refused to block a law in Kansas that limits the availability of insurance coverage for abortions. The law, which went into effect in July, forbids health insurance companies from offering coverage for abortion in their basic plans. The judge claimed the ACLU failed to prove how the KS legislature intentionally approved the law to make it more difficult for women to have abortions. [New York Times]
First Lady Michelle Obama held a press conference this week with the National Science Foundation about the Career-Life Balance Initiative, which is aimed at women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The initiative seeks to aid women who want to advance in these male-dominated fields while also raising families. I know we have a bunch of Frisky readers who work in engineering, so I would love to hear your thoughts on this! [The Mary Sue] Keep reading »

Black Men Targeted By Anti-Abortion Billboard

Jessica WakemanSeptember 26, 2011 //

Not content to just shame black women for having abortions, an anti-abortion group is now targeting black men with their controversial billboards. “Fatherhood starts in the womb,” reads a new billboard in California paid for by Issues 4 Life and The Radiance Foundation (the same group behind billboards in other states that compared abortion to slavery and other offensiveness). It depicts a black man kissing his partner’s pregnant belly — which, judging by the size of it, is about nine months along. “The abortion industry has created a culture of abandonment. Responsibility has become someone else’s concern, and death the solution to ‘unplanned’ pregnancies — the natural result of sexual behavior,” anti-abortion activist Ryan Bomberger, told LifeNews.com. “There’s nothing natural about an industry that generates over $200 million, annually, by killing a child left defenseless by the absence of a father.” Keep reading »

New Book Asks, “Is Marriage For White People?”

Jessica WakemanSeptember 9, 2011 //

I almost feel bad for black women. It seems like the majority of the time they’re written about in the mainstream media, it’s about one of two topics: Why aren’t any of them married? as a question or None of them are married! as a statement. How frustrating that their representation in culture is thinned down to their marital status, right? The latest example is a new book by Stanford law professor Ralph Richard Banks called Is Marriage for White People? How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone about the so-called “man shortage” among middle-class blacks. As promotion for his book, Banks also published a piece in The New York Daily News last week entitled, “Why Black Women Are Justifiably Bitter: The Bleak Relationship Picture For African-American Females,” which began with the paragraph:

“Stereotypes of black women as angry or bitter are pervasive. They are also more accurate than many people would like to acknowledge: many black women have perfectly good reasons to be angry or bitter.”

Oof. Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Has The TSA Been Singling Out Black Women With Natural Hair?

Jessica WakemanAugust 17, 2011 //

There’s been several documented incidents of black women with natural hair who have been stopped by the TSA at airports for pat-downs, in which officers pat their hair. Some of the women had already passed through body scanners as well. Now some are questioning whether a racial bias is behind the TSA singling out black women with natural hair. [NY Times]
The New York City hotel maid who accused Dominique Strauss Kahn, then the chief of the IMF, of sexual assault has released her medical report. Nafissatou Diallo’s medical report states “Cause of the injuries: assault, rape,” which is consistent with Diallo’s claims about the alleged attack. Critics say the medical report is bunk because it only states what Diallo reported to doctors. [Gothamist]
Wait, cleavage wrinkles are a thing? [Beauty Schooled Project]

Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: New Anti-Abortion Billboard Targeting Blacks Accuses “Betrayal”

Jessica WakemanAugust 16, 2011 //

Another day, another anti-abortion billboard targeted at black women, this time in Atlanta. The latest billboard shows images of pro-choice leaders, like Rev. Jesse Jackson and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, with the word “Betrayed” written in red as if it’s dripping in blood. It directs people to the website AbortionInTheHood.com, which lists statistics that try to portray abortion as a racist plot to eradicate the country of black people. Similar billboards have gone up in Oakland and New York City. [Florida Independent]

Keep reading »