Straight Stuntin is a hip-hop/pin-up magazine I stumbled on, and I probably should be completely offended by it, but I'm absolutely fascinated instead.
Some of these women's asses seem to defy gravity. I am actually dumbstruck by them. I know, I know we aren't supposed to relegate a woman to her parts, but I just feel kind of humbled by the two asses in the third picture. Kind of like being in ass church. I feel reverence and awe.
Do these women have cellulite that was Photoshopped away? Or do darker skin women just not get cellulite the way my white ass does? Or is that one model onto an anti-cellulite secret with her cupcake diet?
Even among other women--among other so-called feminists--our physicality is deemed freakish, something to be weighed and pondered and questioned. And I do realize that the OP is a biracial/black woman and several black women, including a model who will appear in a future SS issue, participated in the comments thread. The fact remains that for the majority of readers, this post represented a bit of cultural tourism, as evidenced by the comments and questions about black beauty standards and black women's bodies that the piece elicited.
The Celebration of Exploitation
I mentioned that I might have been less bothered by the SS post if it has appeared on a black feminist blog. But the truth is, I'm fairly certain that Aunt Jemima's Revenge or Womanist Musings or What About Our Daughters or any of the myriad black women-run blogs would never write a positive post about "Straight Stuntin.'" Black feminists have long spoken out against hip hop's degradation and objectification of black women, and we have seen first hand the results of this brand of sexism on our communities, on black relationships, on young black girls' self-esteem, on sexual violence. Of course, the positioning of black women as sexual objects did not start with hip hop. The Sapphire stereotype is at least as old as the slave trade. This is the baggage--baggage that our white sisters don't share--that we bring to analysis of magazines like "Straight Stuntin.'" This is a know your history moment. How can you analyze "Straight Stuntin'" outside of the aforementioned context?
I should add that I believe in sex positive feminism (though I suspect that the Jezebel writers and I might disagree on what exactly that is) I am not zero-tolerance on pin-ups or porn. (Far from it.) But there is a difference between finding enjoyment in sexuality and the female (or male) form and viewing another human being as an inaminate receptacle--a "trick," "ho" or a "chickenhead." The SS view of women is not about celebration, but almost Biblical disdain and distrust of women as anything beyond sexual tools. Consider this advice from a SS article "10 Model Commandments:"
Ladies, one of the worst things in the whole wide world has to be a [sic] unsanitary female. Body odor or not being shaved at the right time in the right places are definitely not a go. Your parents should have taught you about hygiene when you were younger or you should've learned it in hygiene class when you were in school.
Ah...yes...I remember well when my mother and I had "the talk" about Brazilian waxing..."Unsanitary female?" WTF? Other "commandments" caution women not to steal, lie, have "attitudes," or use "your coochie with everyone who makes you a promise." How novel an idea--black women as dirty, tricky whores!
The Double Standard
so, if it is a black magazine featuring a fetishized body part ( ass..) then ...IT IS OK? And the fact that the men are dressed and the woman reduced to their body image..that is ok?
I am speechless............This magazine is like many others of the same genre,...exploiting and degrading........regardless if the "ladies" are NOT white and/or size zero.
Indeed.
Why so little criticism of "Straight Stuntin'" on Jezebel? Is it because readers believe the magazine has been endorsed by the black OP? (In a reply to the above commenter's post, the OP said she does not endorse the magazine, but finds it "intriguing," which I think is kind of a hedge.) Is it because white feminists don't "get" objectification of black women? (Like how many black feminists were turned off by Hillary Clinton's embrace of BET founder and black woman exploiter Bob Johnson, while white feminists overlooked it?) Is my baggage coloring the way I respond to this post?
19 comments:
I guess I wouldn't call it "baggage" so much as "context"!
I wouldn't say its your baggage, not by any means. Maybe its THEIR baggage, making it hard for them to see what they are saying. I'm kind of baffled by it, quite frankly, as it doesn't seem much different than any other sort of soft-core rag. Except that yeah, the women have big booties...but I'm not sure why that's so "intriguing." The magazine seems chock-full of misogyny...nothing new about that.
I commented a bit on that piece. Really, unless the women are in very degrading poses, holding open cavities, I don't have a problem with lad rags. Men like to look at women.
If we are honest, women like to look at good-looking men. How were any of the pictures posted on Jezebel any different from those of Madonna(w mag) and her much younger boyfriend?
I got your Sara Bartman reference and to be honest, it's the first thing that went through my mind too. I made myself push past the Hotentot Venus to look at the mag for what it really is.
Thanks for putting Jezebel's article in perspective because when i first saw it, I just rolled my eyes. The author seemed so "out of it" to me. I've seen pics like this ALL the time - from rap videos, (black) men's magazines, to movies. But to author, and Jezebel's readership, it's like they're discovering new territory - and I think the foreigness/exoticness cast everything in a new and flattering light.
The people seemed to be in awe, as in, "I had no idea that this sort of body could exist and be celebrated" read "Maybe there is a place where my non-model body can be appreciated too." Thinking about it that way, allowed me to give the writer a little more compassion because frankly, as much as I disliked a lot of the hip hop videos for their sexism, I ALWAYS noticed and APPRECIATED when darker video vixens were included (and the few times I saw them featured - WHAT! I couldn't believe it)
I compare this to how much praise a plus-sized or older woman/or the people who publish her image is given for showing her body in poses previously only held by "ideal" white models. The venue and poses are the same - it's the fact that the body IS different that is groundbreaking.
Buuuutttt, in the end, I'm always brought down to Earth. Because I've seen too much of this objectification to mistake it for progress. Once (cross fingers that they are paying enough attention to non-mainstream media outlets) they see it enough, they'll start to question how much progress they're making by featuring big butts vs. big breasts.
cultural tourism
That is exactly what this is.
The comments to that post are mind boggling. From the ogling of the women to making fun of the magazine's copy-editing, this seems to be purely entertainment for many commenters.
..."Hipster racism"--feminist style--at its finest.
Seems to me that you're right on with the "cultural tourism" thing.
Jezebel tries (most times, in my opinion) to discuss the intersection of race and gender in a meaningful and thoughtful way, but more often than not it gets lost on its mostly-white readership. If you think I'm overgeneralizing, feel free to read the comments on any of Jez's posts about the lack of WOC in the fashion industry ("Why should designers be FORCED to use black models????!!!!") or WOC and makeup ("It's hard for me to find makeup too because I'm so pale so I TOTALLY know how it feels!!!").
Their hearts are usually in the right place but a lot of the commenters don't seem willing to make the leap into critical thinking about race + gender identity + feminism, instead choosing to focus on snark or the differences between themselves and WOC, which is what seems to be happening here.
Kjen,
See those "But this magazine makes me feel better about MY body" comments kinda irked me too. Yeah, I get how seeing women idolized who don't fit the mainstream beauty standard can make one feel better about onesself. I am not immune to that. But, in this case, it kind of read like, "Well, yeah, I know black women are being exploited, but I feel so much better about ME...so, whatevs." In fact, some commenters said pretty much that in different words.
Chic Noir,
I am not against lad rags or their female equivalents (are their female equivalents). But I do think "Straight Stuntin" crosses the line from celebration to denigration. Just look at the articles that Jezebel profiled. Also, look at the images, which in many cases featured clothed men in contrast to nearly-naked women. But this really isn't about the magazine. It's about Jezzie's REACTION to the magazine, which seemed out of character to me.
Tami, I visited Jezebel. Wow...just...wow. The image of the dude with the fork in front of a woman's crotch really disgusted me.
The fact that Jezebel has a mostly white readership -don't most of the so-called White feminist blogs - yes - someone believes it to be a feminist blog - explains a lot of the ignorant and racist comments.
I attempted to post a response. Let's see if the folks @ Jezebel consider my remarks interesting enough to its most'y-White readership.
Yuck. I really need a shower after visiting Jezebel.
"Well, yeah, I know black women are being exploited, but I feel so much better about ME...so, whatevs."
Yes. This attitude is the issue for me. I read the Jezebel post and comments and had the same feeling.
You are absolutely right, I would never write a post in praise of such a magazine. I am exhausted with these images being understood as acceptable. Black women have been demeaned and reduced for centuries and it is a continuing issue that white feminists fail to see this for the sexism/racism that it is. The idea that we can be conveniently "othered" stems from our status as the eternal unwoman. It is not your supposed baggage that is the issue Tammy but a failure on the part of supposedly feminist sites like Jezebel to recognize the ways in which they participate in stereotypes that are harmful to WOC. If I had not long ago learned not to expect any better my heart would be hurting now.
@Tami - I was just about to say the same thing! All the 'it's ok to exploit black women as long as it makes us white women feel good about ourselves' comments really annoyed me, it was voyeuristic, I'm white, I don't need black women to objectified to make me feel better.
I was loathe to get my hackles up to read this post. And sure enough....stupid is as stupid does. Of course for all the things we have in common, there's that darn race thing and sexism involving black women that we always get smacked with. It's either white women, black men or other black women defending either of their behavior.
This is beyond disgusting. I have two words: Hottentot Venus.
I saw this on Jezebel today, and all I have to say is THANK you for calling them out on their shit.
Sorry, misincognegro--that was a woman. If you enlarge the picture, it's a brief interview with a hip-hop artist.
That picture struck me at first when I saw it. I even looked at the guy/girl and thought "he so young". Then I really started reading the article and realized WHY he/she looked young!
I identify as bisexual leaning strong with lesbian preference, and I'm all for appreciating the female body, but I don't see appreciation in this magazine. EVEN the picture of the lesbian hip-hop artist (with the fork).
I wasn't impressed with the magazine or it's alleged message.
K, I understand what you are saying and accept your take on the general tone of other articles. (I cannot attest to this first-hand because too often when I read the blog I become angry.) However I guess I am just tired. I am especially tired of giving some feminist venues a pass because their "hearts are int he right place." By now, with all the blow-outs and mis-steps in blogland folks should be more self aware, IMO.
Tami, the comments that the magazine is good because someone else also has a non-mainstream body type were very annoying. First, some of them seemed to imply that the women, too (i.e., like the commenter), had unhealthy eating or exercise habits. At least in the case of the women I saw on the Jezebel site, they did not have large backsides because they ate anything and did not exercise.
Also, a couple of Black women also commented and said they thought the magazine was positive, and other (I assume) White commenters then ran with this as proof that it was not exploitative. But I am a Black woman and I do not have a body like that. What is the use of exchanging one impossible body standard (e.g., "White") with another ("Straight Stuntin" boodies)?
Chic Noir- does the fact that men like doing something magically make it not sexist or something? Is Madonna with her boyfriend seriously the same thing as a multi-million dollar industry devoted to women posing scantily clad and mostly promoting beauty ideals that most people will never be able to achieve (being white, blonde, tall, impossibly thin and large-breasted) the same thing as looking at a picture of an iconic music figure and the person that she is dating? Really?
And the fact that the Jezebel girls think it's acceptable because it's not happening to them and that it's just so STRANGE that a body type other than the current beauty ideal (incredibly thin with no shape) is exactly what you said, Tami, cultural tourism. And they seriously wonder why there isn't unity among white women and women of color who ultimately want the same goal...which would be equality. It's probably because they don't really want equality. They want some people to be more equal than others.
PPr Scribe But I am a Black woman and I do not have a body like that.
Most African-american women don’t.
PPR Scribe What is the use of exchanging one impossible body standard (e.g., "White") with another ("Straight Stuntin" boodies)?
Is it really a standard? Just because some Blk men find such a body type attractive, does that mean you must feel bad about your body type? Don’t internalize media driven images from the mainstream if they bother you.
Don’t look at rap videos if the bodies of those women make your self esteem plummet. Buy and support companies that showcase women who make you feel comfortable.
KjenThe people seemed to be in awe, as in, "I had no idea that this sort of body could exist and be celebrated" read "Maybe there is a place where my non-model body can be appreciated too."
Yes people have a way in which they want to relate to what they see on TV and in magazines. Oprah said as much when she told the model Alec Wek that had she seen her in magazines when she was growing up, she would have looked at herself differently.
Doreen to Chic Noir- does the fact that men like doing something magically make it not sexist or something?
STr8 stuntin isn’t something I would pose for but I’ve seen worse. Compare pictures in str8 to those in blk tail. Without a doubt, we can all agree that the pictures in blk tail are exploitive. Str8 stuntin is wall a fine line between exploitive and celebratory.
doreen Is Madonna with her boyfriend seriously the same thing as a multi-million dollar industry devoted to women posing scantily clad In some ways yes.
doreen and mostly promoting beauty ideals that most people will never be able to achieve (being white, blonde, tall, impossibly thin and large-breasted)
What is all this about being blonde. I’ve seen a number of white women in lad mag who have brown and blk hair. Furthermore, lad mags don’t focus on height. Tall models are what you find in high fashion. High fashion models are for the most part b cups and below.
The large boobs are the lad mag dominion. Furthermore, who said you had to look like the women in the magazines or videos? I look at lad mags and appreciate the beauty of other women. It does not upset me that fashion models wear a size 2 while I wear a size 6.
You can’t erase beauty ideals, they have always been around and will continue to be around. Men will favor some women because they are better looking, so what? As long as you are treated with human respect, why drive yourself up the wall because a better-looking woman has more men wanting to date or sleep with her?
Women favor men who are taller, so should short men stage protest because women tend to favor tall men? Should they scream out to magazines that stop featuring tall men in favor of real men ie those under 6 feet.
doreen the same thing as looking at a picture of an iconic music figure and the person that she is dating? Really?
Well Madonna’s “cougarish” relationship does play a role in pop culture .
doreenAnd the fact that the Jezebel girls think it's acceptable because it's not happening to them and that it's just so STRANGE that a body type other than the current beauty ideal (incredibly thin with no shape) is exactly what you said, Tami, cultural tourism.
Don’t forget that a large number of Jezebel’s readership are non blk women. Sadly, most people don’t have much contact with people unlike themselves.
Add to that, the fact that many blk people are ultra sensitive, with good reason, in the way Black people are portrayed or discussed and even the slightest misunderstanding or insensitive but well meaning comment can be taken out of context. Is it any wonder why some White people avoid discussing such topics if the work racist or racism is thrown about with abandon.
is exactly what you said, Tami, cultural tourism
I can agree with this to an extent.
the current beauty ideal (incredibly thin with no shape)
Kim kardashian, beyonce, rihanna, Lora Stone are the current beauty ideal. Each one of those ladies has a shape.
Doreen And they seriously wonder why there isn't unity among white women and women of color who ultimately want the same goal...which would be equality. Not really women(not all but many) are competitive with one another. Even lesbians have a tendency to be competitive.
Doreen It's probably because they don't really want equality. They want some people to be more equal than others.
I don’t understand, please explain.
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