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

[QueenofSouthLondon]

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.

Chandler

I think you've missed the point. The observations about Rhianna, Beyonce, Aishwarya, Naomi.

Were that they are all beautiful women in the public eye and are seen as being beautiful by many but they all have something in common westernised features to some degree, be it through a nose job (Rhianna, Beyonce, Naomi) Contacts (Naomi, Aishwarya) A weave (Rhianna, Beyonce & Naomi) which goes to show that the standard of universal beauty seems to lean to western features.

L'oreal was pulled up in the media for lightening Beyonce's skin to almost white in one of it's campaigns. It is several shades lighter.

Nicki Minaj is another black woman in the public eye that seems to have got much lighter

If the only thing you noticed was significantly different between the images of Iman I posted was the fact that she had lighter hair I think you have missed the point somewhat.

don'tdrink you still sound a bit ignorant about natural black hair, tbh. There are hundreds of styles for natural black hair that look groomed and professional (and beautiful). Look on google or youtube.
That's not to say anyone shouldn't feel free to relax, colour, perm or do anything else to their hair, if that's what they choose to do.

I hate this attitude that people like thechandler have. You see it all over the feminist boards too. That if you discussing racism, sexism etc and acknowledge it happens then that is racist, sexist. There people prefer to think prejudice doesn't exist so accuse those fighting against prejudice of causing it. That's victim blaming. Pretending we live in a fair society does not make it true! Don't bury your head in the sand.

Interesting topic. Not sure if someone else has posted it, but there are a few sad documentaries that have been created where black, Asian and perhaps mixed race children are asked to choose between two identical dolls, one black and one white. Almost all of them choose the white one and state that the white doll is the nice one, the pretty one etc when asked. Very sad to watch but also thought provoking. Think it was first carried out in the 1940s but there have been several later ones too. Here is a link to one of them if anybody wants to watch.

RE: alek wek, I commend her for not getting sucked in to the vaccuous party lifestyle but I just meant I personally didn't find her face that appealing. her cheeks seemed huge and her forehead seemed enormous. I think there was a sort of shock value to casting her. So jmo but she wasn't cast for her beauty (because there were thousands of better looking black women) but in order to shock. Pushing back boundaries is good though, so, so good, glad she was successful.

AS for everybody in Denmark etc being beautiful, they are healthier, and there are more blondes. In a group of five Danish women there'll be two blondes rather than on average one blonde in a group of british women. I think it's a bit of a myth that Danish women are all blonde beautiful amazonians. Some are some aren't.

I do think that white beauty is revered over black beauty (ha, sorry, can't think of another way to write that, sounds like the book) but it's hard to know how to address that when I would like to see the obsession with beauty full stop de-escalated. I actually hate when friends gush about somebody saying "oh she's so beautiful". Some people can be in such awe of just beauty that I think, well, ok, yeh, she's beautiful but don't go wagging your tail 'til midnight.

I think there was a sort of shock value to casting her.

I totally agree. I have seen many extremely beautiful black women but she is certainly not one of them in my eyes. It's always been a bit of a mystery to me what all the fuss was about.

There are lots of models who are unusual looking. It's about being striking and photographing well. Kate moss and lily Cole are the most obvious examples of unusual looking but high fashion models.
Modelling isn't just about being pretty.

the point of using Alex Wek is that she is extremely good looking and very dark skinned. there is no mistaking that she is from Africa, unlike a lot of 'black' models who are really blackish/European looking with a little bit of brown on them.

Black people make up less than 4% of the UK population.

Here (Cornwall) the proportion is less than 1%. I have never met a black person.

It's not unreasonable for advertisers and the media to cater for the majority - they are being paid to sell.

As for the OP's comment "...I can't think of one black (excluding mixed) or Asian British celebrity that is considered as beautiful by the whole nation" I do not think the whole nation would ever agree on anything, least of all something as entirely subjective as beauty.

Is that all? Im not british, but i thoughtit was about 20% non white.

Wrt proportions, there's a significant difference between the black percentage (approx 3%) and the non white which is over 12%- or approximately 1 in 8 UK wide according to 2011 census.

As a resident of a London borough where almost half the population is non white, I find the 'cater for the majority' argument somewhat irrelevant!

"As a resident of a London borough where almost half the population is non white, I find the 'cater for the majority' argument somewhat irrelevant"

The Op's point was about black people, not "non white."

Oh, and the experience of a Londoner in no way represents the UK so my comment is not irrelevant even though I quite accept that Cornwall is also unrepresentative!

TrevaronGirl Oh, and the experience of a Londoner in no way represents the UK so my comment is not irrelevant even though I quite accept that Cornwall is also unrepresentative!

On your thread your comment is irrelevant, because certain posters have decided the answer they want and simply want everyone to agree. They then close down anyone who offers alternative viewpoints, by suggesting There people prefer to think prejudice doesn't exist so accuse those fighting against prejudice of causing it. That's victim blaming. Pretending we live in a fair society does not make it true!, or that you have demons, or that you aren't black enough, or that you know nothing about racism (even when you are mixed race yourself, like me, and have suffered from it).

Its basically bullying, but using an excuse to justify it. Bizarre thread. I mean fair enough if you want to get a bit of your own back, but don't expect any sensible or productive discussion here!

Thechandler that post is illegible

I can follow it just fine

Can you explain it then faux?

Cba. This thread is horrible and has imploded into women making other women feel not good enough.

I've not read the whole thread but, at the risk of sounding perverse, I think it would be a relief not to be battered relentlessly by (usually airbrushed/digitally altered) photographs of women of your own race that you can never hope to emulate. Years ago there was a study which asked young women who their role modes were in terms of looks/body shape: the majority of white women named film stars/models; the majority of black women said family members which seemed much healthier to me.

I am of African heritage with what would be considered typical African features and I can't say that I have suffered much either professionally or socially for the way that I look. I'm not saying that this makes the experience of those that have less valid, it's just not my experience or the experience of my close friends, sisters and cousins (as far as I am aware). I don't care that people on TV and magazines don't look like me in the most part, they're not my friends or family, they don't pay my bills or or shape my world view. I generally don't subscribe to the cult of celebrities.

I have worn my natural 4c tightly coiled 'kinky' hair natural all my life. Ive never once felt I'd been treated poorly for the way I choose to wear my hair in the professional environment, not once. I have however had plenty of comments from other black people asking why I don't get it relaxed or wear weaves. Well having seen what relaxers do to other people's hair, no thanks and I can't abide having anything attached to my hair for any length of time. I tied a weave once; I got very not and itchy and took it out after three days. I find my natural hair truly fascinating, from the way it shrinks when I wash it to literally a quarter of its length to the different curl pattern I have in the front, nape and middle of my hair. There is so much information available now for caring for it, so much and yes it takes time some time but no more time investment than to eating healthily and exercising. It really makes my teeth itche whenever I hear someone say afro hair is 'unmanageable'. Ermm, mine isn't, thank you very much and neither are my daughters. However, I will never judge anyone else for how they chose to wear their hair and get really tired of people suggesting black people wear weaves or wigs because they think it's more acceptable to 'whites'. Most of the ones I know wear weaves and wigs because they like the flexibility of having a different style without doing any damage to their own hair. One of my really good friends makes the most spectacular curly hair wigs which she wears because she cba with dealing with her natural hair. That's her choice.

I've read so many sad comments on this thread, that black women are not considered attractive (tell that to my husband and the husbands of my friends, sisters and cousins) and that to look mixed is deemed to be more acceptable. To me, this so self depreciating and some posters have trotted this out as though this is a universal truth. I personally don't subscribe to the notion that fairer = more beautiful and I have been bombarded with the same western beauty ideals that you all have all my life. Come on, it would be an incredibly dull world in my view, if we were all 6 foot tall leggy blonds! I have made peace with the fact that I will never be a size 8 or have a thigh gap ( I don't even know why that's a thing and I really, really like cake and gin ) and I see no need to have a nose job or bleach my skin. I personally don't know anyone who bleaches so not sure it's as prevelant as some have claimed and I grew up in a predominantly 'black' area sorounded by plenty of black people. Sometimes, I think we can overthink and over complicate things. Live and let live, stop watching others and find something more productive to do (as my mum used to say)

derenstar what a beautifully written post

Derenstar. You have the beauty that is truly matters. Inner beauty.
That post is so eloquent.

Yes Derenstar I agree a beautifully written and accurate post.

Thank you so much. Apologies for all the typos!

Thechandler that post is illegible

I am not sure which post you're referring to but none of the posts are "illegible". They might or might not be unintelligible, but definitely not illegible.

Derenstar just because you feel you personally haven't been impacted by racism and stereotyping doesn't mean it does not happen and discussing the issue of racism doesn't create it. In fact it actually works against it.
We can't just brush issues under that carpet as pretending racism isn't there doesn't mean it goes away.