Beyonce. Bootyliciously brilliant with her bouncy blonde hair, she sweeps across stages throughout the world belting out the anthems of a generation. But one of the best things about beyonce is that she is interchangable. Whether she's foxy cleopatra in Austin Powers, swaggering down an alleyway in khaki or "releasing" lady gaga from Prison in Telephone she is the walking, talking, singing head swinging definition of global beauty.
I'm sure you are aware of the recent controversy surrounding the 'changing' shade of her skin. I don't think it is my place to conclude whether or not she actuallly has been using skin bleaching creams. But I do think that the speculation and discussion surrounding this is interesting. What is this saying about the perceptions of dark skin and femininity in entertainment?
Well...here are my two cents.
I'm not sure if this was to counteract the accusations of bleaching, but Beyonce posed this week with her face "blacked up" for a french magazine 'L’Officiel Paris' as part of a shoot in homage to Fela Kuti.
How ironic...one of Fela's most well known songs, "Yellow Fever", is all about bleaching. As Fela puts it,
"You go get your double colour Your yansh go black like coal"
You can bleach as much as you want, but your backside will still remain your original colour. But I guess, if one had beyonces wealth this would not be a problem...
What I get from this is, by Beyonce "blacking up" a message is being sent out that black skin is a commodity, to be desposed of and utilised when needed. I believe one of the reasons why Beyonce is a 'global beauty' is because she encompasses desirable "black" qualities without having the commercially undesirable skintone. This doesn't just apply to Beyonce. Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Fergie and Lady Gaga are also examples. With their display of 'sassiness' and collaboration with well known black male artists, they tread the thin line between assimilating "black" qualities without going the 'whole hog' (sidenote: I really don't like using phrases like "black qualities" but I'm trying to talk the langauge of a rather narrow minded, popular media perspective- so please, don't take offence). On a more local level, I think Jessie J is a good example of this. One of the reasons why she is such 'big news' is becuase she is "egdy" and "fresh". Why? Because she is a non-black female assimilating "black" qualities. Krumping in a dank cellar in her video doing it like 'the man'dem' is 'urban enough' for the brits and mainstream magazines. Why not? Beyonce did something similar in Diva. Different sounds and looks to appease different fan bases.
However, these observation are not reflections on them personally, but they are bourne out of the perceptions and acceptability of beauty that is constructed by global entertainment media. Beyonce and her management have mastered the ins and outs of global beauty's contstuction, and have constructed an insatiable product that appeals to all, but mostly to the ones who can/will buy into the product... The black paint will be wiped off, and the machine will continue.
I guess now big bums are all the rage, maybe thats the next 'look' our global beauties will focus on (again)- Nicki Minaj has had success with that already, I guess-Jlo kicked the proceedings off a few years back. It's a crying shame the ladies who have died for this don't realise that Nicki and Beyonce (allegedly) wear butt pads. Stick-onable/rip-offable/interchangable/sellable.
