My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

To think the Uk Standards of beauty are suited to White people

388 replies

QueenofSouthLondon · 01/03/2015 10:34

I have noticed as a black women that hardly any celebrities that are considered beautiful are black. In fact I can't think of one black (excluding mixed) or Asian British celebrity that is considered as beautiful by the whole nation.

Why is it that in this country we only find European features as attractive. It frustrates me as a black women that my features are not considered attractive outside my race.

So aibu to think this.

OP posts:
TywysogesGymraeg · 01/03/2015 10:38

I suppose its because marketing goes for the biggest bang for buck, and there are a lot more white women than any other in the UK. Which doesn't make it right. But if a marketing campaign succeeds in getting 1% of white women to buy a lipstick (eg), that's a much bigger number than it would be if the campaign targeted black women and succeeded in winning 1% of that market.

HighwayDragon · 01/03/2015 10:38

Really? If this is true why are so many women tanning themselves, having lip fillers and bum implants?

PilchardPrincess · 01/03/2015 10:39

YANBU

There has been loads of stuff written about this if you google. A lot of it from the US as well.

It's a self perpetuating thing and the argument goes people in UK predominantly look northern european, studies show they respond best (in terms of buying stuff) if the people advertising it "look like them" and then it becomes the norm that people selling stuff look a certain way and then everyone gets used to that and no-one wants to "take a risk" and on it goes.

Worth noting that a disproportionate number of "beautiful" women advertising stuff are blonde, so it's not even "northern european" it's a certain type of northern european.

Honestly there is reams of stuff about this, how non white is "niche" or specialist in some way, if you google you will see you are not the only person who feels this by any means Smile

PilchardPrincess · 01/03/2015 10:40

See also many examples of airbrusing being used to lighten the skin tones of women who are darker.

QueenofSouthLondon · 01/03/2015 10:41

I would say that people tan to look southern European not black Hmm

Lip implants okay but I've heard people find big lips on White people attractive.

Bum implants that's curves every race has curvy women and skinny.

OP posts:
Enormouse · 01/03/2015 10:42

No yanbu. Even in magazines like Asian Woman the models are mixed race or of European origin. Aishwarya Rai is absolutely stunning but she is very western looking (light skinned, blue/green eyes).

There's a thread in feminism about feminism for women of colour you might be interested in.

QueenofSouthLondon · 01/03/2015 10:43

The adverts I look at every race as atractive so adverts target me with beautiful white people so why can't white people be targeted with beautiful black women.

OP posts:
mrsruffallo · 01/03/2015 10:43

YABU
Lots of black women are considered beautiful.

Enormouse · 01/03/2015 10:45

highway as an Indian woman I know that there's a culture of Indian women wanting to look more white. I've posted about this before but there's a lightening cream called 'fair and lovely' that my mum uses and a lot of Indian women wear contacts to change their eye colour.

Greysanderson · 01/03/2015 10:45

There are some points made in this thread which might interest you

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/2316090-Feminism-for-women-of-colour

XiCi · 01/03/2015 10:45

I don't think that there is anyone that is considered beautiful by the whole nation. What is considered beautiful is an entirely subjective thing and varies massively between individuals. So yes yabu

PilchardPrincess · 01/03/2015 10:46

OP you are right there are reams of studies, research etc to back you up.

Some google results are here: www.google.co.uk/search?client=opera&q=black+women+advertising+where+are+they&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=representation+of+black+women+in+advertising

Bonsoir · 01/03/2015 10:47

Women buy more consumer goods when they relate to/aspire to the model. Marketing companies are merely targeting the local/national demographic. They spend an awful lot of money analysing this and tend not to get it wrong. If you don't feel catered to, you are in a minority in some way.

fatlazymummy · 01/03/2015 10:47

I think you're right OP, though I do think the mixed race 'look' is becoming more popular and mainstream, especially for children.
What can we do about it? It's kind of difficult for the individual to influence the fashion and beauty industry. They seem to do whatever they want, irregardless of what the consumer wants. I suppose the only thing we can do is to educate , increase awareness and be role models in our own lives.

FreudiansSlipper · 01/03/2015 10:47

yanbu

sadly what we are told from a very early age of what is considered true beauty even black or asian woman that are promoted as true beauties are often mixed race or lighter skinned

it is being challenged but some feel that it often feels like a token challenge similar to having a plus model on the catwalk

and being tanned and having lip/bum fillers is a fashion nothing to do with being told your race is not as beautiful

QueenofSouthLondon · 01/03/2015 10:48

I can definitely think of black women that are attractive but as a nation the only women and male celebrities considered beautiful are white.

OP posts:
Endler32 · 01/03/2015 10:49

I think there are many beautiful black woman in catalogues, magazines and on tv, I havn't really noticed that there's a shortage Smile.

HappyJustToBe · 01/03/2015 10:49

YANBU.

TipseyTorvey · 01/03/2015 10:49

Naomi Campbell is considered globally attractive, but to your point a magazine editor once told me they'd love to have more black models but sales go down when they're used to selling something.

TipseyTorvey · 01/03/2015 10:49

sell something I meant!

MorrisZapp · 01/03/2015 10:50

If I saw eg a skincare advert featuring a black woman I wouldn't think those products would work for me in the same way. I wouldn't compare myself to her and aspire to her beauty. I guess advertisers are following the numbers, and flogging their stuff to the biggest category they can. I'm not defending it, the ad industry is grim in how it treats all women, depressingly so.

They don't usually feature women of average height or weight either, or over the age of mid twenties.

CundtBake · 01/03/2015 10:50

YANBU at all.

And the majority of black women who are considered to be 'beautiful' have taken steps to 'white-ify' themselves.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

QueenofSouthLondon · 01/03/2015 10:51

www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/celebrity/celebrity-galleries/2013/07/sexiest-hottest-men-of-2013 Only one black man who looks white and has white features.

OP posts:
Greysanderson · 01/03/2015 10:51

Black women are receive the least attention from pretty every group.


There are many studies in this
qz.com/149342/the-uncomfortable-racial-preferences-revealed-by-online-dating/

MorrisZapp · 01/03/2015 10:51

Yup, I read that too. I think Naomi Campbell (and Beyonce?) are exceptions, but mainstream magazines sell fewer units when they have a black woman on the cover.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.