Wednesday, August 12, 2009

We've Been Indoctrinated and Convinced By The White Racist Standards of Beauty

We've Been Indoctrinated and Convinced By The White Racist Standards of Beauty. (Indoctrinated as defined by Webster on-line dictionary 1 : to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments 2 : to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle.)
These are the words of Meshell Ndegeocello, {if you don't know who she is... because her music is a little alternative... I suggest you pick up her album Plantation Lullabies from 93 (one of my favorite albums of all time)} and it's one of the most powerful statements EVER!!! We've Been Indoctrinated and Convinced By The White Racist Standards of Beauty. What does this mean?

Dating back to slavery, a black man could not even make eye contact with a white woman. The perception of white being so beautiful still controls our minds today. Models are tall and thin, have beautiful flowing hair and certain other qualities that attract us to them. This is one of the reasons men date light skinned women... the closest thing to white, they may have the longer hair and the facial features that have been pounded into our head as beautiful. Women feed into this by purchasing weaves, eye lashes, make-up, colored contacts, nose surgery to make their broad nose thin, breast augmentation, removing a rib to have more of a "Coke Bottle Figure" and other surgeries to make themselves feel more attractive.

What happen to the natural? You know just an afro with a pick with a black fist? I've dated women for long periods of time and never saw their real hair. Is it just the fact that it's easier to maintain a weave, it gives you more options, or you don't like your natural hair? What's up with the blond weave that black women wear? We know your hair's not blond!!! What about the perm? I think it was on a Public Enemy CD where I heard... It's not a perm... it's a temporary.

The eye lashes and mascara... do men really care how long or think your eye lashes are? I have never seen a woman and said "Her eye lashes are banging... I gotta talk to her!" What about the colored contacts... Your eyes was brown last week now they are blue or green??? Hummm...
I've dated women that spend hours in front of the mirror... I rather see your natural beauty, not somebody that is keeping Maybelline in business. You looked good last night... but once you washed it all off and woke up in the morning it was a completely different person.

The biggest issue seems to be your body... The model on TV is a size zero... she hasn't eaten since 91!!! Go eat a steak!!! Ladies, it's not necessary to be a size zero to be attractive, booty is in!!! White girls is even gettin booty!!! I don't know where they are getting it from, might be the steroids in the chicken, but it's happening. I believe that as long as it's in proportion it's OK, whether it's a size 5/6... 11/12 or whatever.

If you see a black man with a white woman, 85% of the time it's a white woman white men didn't want any way... unless he's making a lot of money. If you see a black woman with a white man 85% of the time she is attractive... cause he probably has money, or she's feed up with black men or whatever the reason she is usually attractive. Is the black man just happy to get any white woman because he still has this image that white is beautiful in his mind?

We Have Been Indoctrinated and Convinced By The White Racist Standards of Beauty... and I guess i fall into that category. If you wanna wear a weave, contacts, etc... that's alright by me. If you have the receipt for your weave... possession is 9/10ths of the law, it's your hair. I guess this all falls back to what I have mentioned in previous posts... It's all a matter of preference... but that's just Trey's Opinion.

1 comment:

  1. Hey Trey-

    Upon reading your latest post, I woudl like to chime in.

    While I feel that there are a "few" valid points to your position, I think that you may want to re-visit a few items.

    The standards for feminine "beauty" are defined differently between cultures. While the "American" standard may identify this with a slim build and long hair, take this from me - as a man who has travelled and lived all over the globe - this perspective is not universal.

    Further - there are MANY issues within the African American community which (right or wrong) have dictated choices, preferences and overall self-image. Many of these have deep roots for which it is probably more responsible to understand "why" these seeds were planted.

    For the record - I persoanlly identify myself as an African American (born in the USA) YET both of my parents were African born and I lived in Zimbabwe for some foramtive years of my rearing.

    I think that before we point out a "problem" we need to understand the root and "then" point these out - but also with solutions/remedies and/or conversation which will allow ALL to provide meaninful and progressive dialogue.

    Michael Wakatama
    mwakatama@comcast.net

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