Last week, while waiting to order my iced-coffee, unsweetened, no room ...ahem... at Starbucks, I noticed Beyonce’s new album displayed in front of the cash register next to the $3 dollar breath mints and whatever other crap Starbucks happens to be selling at the moment.
When I first saw the album cover I thought -- Jessica Simpson is so pretty.
Given that I’m a white girl from the suburbs, I probably have no business writing about race issues. But, in keeping with my in-general poor judgement, here we go!
Is it just me, or is Beyonce looking lighter and brighter? For instance take the 'old' Beyonce...
Personally, I think her new album cover is gorgeous, however, something about it makes me feel twitchy.
I’m reminded of the 'Doll Test' conducted in the 1940s by a married team of psychologists, Maime and Kenneth Clark. As the Library of Congress explains...
In the "doll test," psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark used four plastic, diaper-clad dolls, identical except for color. They showed the dolls to black children between the ages of three and seven and asked them questions to determine racial perception and preference. Almost all of the children readily identified the race of the dolls. However, when asked which they preferred, the majority selected the white doll and attributed positive characteristics to it. The Clarks also gave the children outline drawings of a boy and girl and asked them to color the figures the same color as themselves. Many of the children with dark complexions colored the figures with a white or yellow crayon. The Clarks concluded that "prejudice, discrimination, and segregation" caused black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self-hatred. ~ Library of Congress
No, Beyonce is not a doll, nor plastic, mostly, but I wonder if the music execs aren’t hoping that we’ll all choose the “white doll” album cover.
Or maybe I’m giving this too much thought. Maybe this is just a response to my liberal guilt. And if it is my liberal guilt then I should also probably feel uneasy about driving my gas guzzling SUV, to a non-union coffee shop where I buy a pricey coffee served in a disposable cup. Only to then sip on that coffee while blogging about race issues on my iMac which was manufactured overseas...
...and oh-my-God is she wearing FUR?!
Comments
Great post, Meredith! Way to be brave and speak up, despite your white-girl status. :)
This just makes me sad. The mantra I repeat endlessly to my girls - in hopes of raising open-minded, healthy women someday - is, "People come in all shapes, sizes and colors." I prefer the "old" Beyonce.
And I'm with you on the overpriced coffee... I think I single-handedly keep my local Caribou in the black.
you're not the first person i've heard comment on her skin lately. i saw a picture of her with Gweneth Paltrow and there wasn't much difference in the skin tone. Threw me for a loop!
I don't pay enough attention to notice these things but those two pictures side by side are disturbing.
Also, I only recently figured out you have a separate work site and I poked around over there one day and Lord, Meredith, you are one talented woman!
Very interesting post! I had never heard of the Doll Test before now, and the comparison of Beyonce now and Beyonce in the past is jaw dropping!
I always mistake her for Shakira, except Shakira is more of Frodo sized and Beyonce is the sasquatch sized version. Same hair, same face. Same skin. Same ass shaking.
Hilarious! I'm with you on this one. It makes me a little "twitchy" too. Let's hope she doesn't go the way of Michael Jackson in the skin tone department, or in any other department for that matter. I have a feeling the fur is synthetic. Now that would really be crossing the line.
I had the same reaction when I saw the album cover.
Who is letting her do this, who says it's a good idea.
She must know what it looks like.
She must.
I will tell you this isn't the first time Beyonce the mysterious skin lightening has come up. There was also something with a magazine cover & a hair color commercial.
Also, she's wearing too much eye makeup. Just sayin'.
your ideas about white-washing Black women is totally right on, and heavily supported by numerous media analyses done by feminist scholars. what i am saying is, your thoughts are the same ones taught by PROFESSORS. you are a smart lady! and awareness about SUVs and iced latte mocha skinnys is a great first step to enlightenment...
Thanks, Mel.
One step at a time:)