Dear Readers,
I am not a soical media influencer nor do I have millions of followers on my blog, Facebook or my YouTube channel Conversations with J. R. Floyd. As a blogger on a daily basis I conduct research via soical media as a means to create topics for my our soical media platforms. There is no topic that I shy away from because I like to think that my views will help others to engage in conversations that might encourage change and empowerment.
While strolling through various soical media platforms, fashion magazines, and the occasional awards or reality TV shows, I’ve noticed that women of color are exposing more of themselves.The trend of walking the red carpet with plunging necklines, exposed buttocks wearing designer gowns created out of sheer materials, or in some cases no material at all. My concerned is this since the beginning of time women of color have been degraded, sexualized, villainized, and treated as less than worthy. Black women have been contently reminded that they don’t possessed the same higher level of intelligence and capabilities of their white counterpart.Therefore, some women of color find themselves forsaking modesty as a means to make their mark in this world.
For centuries women have fought against the stereotype of only being qualified to
” be bare foot and pregnant.” Women have marched for the right to be ” seen and hear, ” and to be taken seriously, while struggling to prove that the female species is more than just pretty faces and body parts. The argument is that women should be able to wear whatever they want without judgement. While there might be some truth to this statement, my question is this, have society cross the line turning fashion and beauty into a vulgar display of over exposed women dressed in outrageous costumes void of class, modesty, and eloquent?
There is a moment of sisters who are embracing the image of European beauty in an attempt to rid themselves of any trace of African features.The weaves, wigs, and nails are getting longer and outrageous. Body parts are being stuff, and plastic surgery is becoming a norm, breast implants, removal of ribs to make waists appear smaller, butt lift, butt implants, cosmetic surgery for cheek implants, European nose, permanent eyeliner, skin bleaching, extreme diets all in the name of standing out and making a statement. Another concern for bringing up this topic is about the influence that these trends is having on young black women who are not apart of the Hollywood Celebrity Status.
Why are we so willing to turn a blinds eye to how young black women are spending an increasing amount of money and energy to turn themselves into “designer women?” To simulate and emulate what they see on TV, the images of hard core music video vixons, or their favorite reality celebrity. We should be concerned about the emotional, physical, and financial toll trying to keep up a certain image has on our young women. The fear of rejection of not being good enough or fitting into a certain image is real. I can’t tell you how many times as a black woman I have been rejected because I wouldn’t raise my hemline or expose my breast, change my style of dressing or do freaky things. The saddest side of this situation is that women are forming clicks that exclude other women who don’t measure up to the standards of the image of the ” designer women.”
The final part of discussion is the counter argument to the creation of the ” designer women,” is the case for body shaming. The flip side to this battle of the beauties, is society supporting and encouragement of plus size women giving them permission to be over weight, which we all know can and will lead to health problem. There point of view is that society needs to except them as they are. Although there are plus size women in Hollywood, however, look how long it takes them to understand that their health is the issues and not trying to prove that big girls can make it to stardom.
Will that’s it. Thank you for stopping by dragthepen
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