After reading the Bodies of Difference piece I couldn't help but to bring up Serena Williams again this time along side Michelle Obama, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.
The article uses Vanessa Williams as an example of how black female bodies have been coded as deviant and how they get locked in the strangle hold of morality as compared to whiteness. This is particularally the case of 'firsts' as they become testing grounds for racial politics. The article brings up the point that Vanessa's presence initiated a dialogue of racial harmony after her crowning followed by chastisement after her dethroning. This isn't entirely unfamiliar as it relates to other areas like new media and how it is thought that the coming of the technology will erase difference and once and for all eliminate that nasty thing called racism. See Lisa Nakamura's Digitizing Race for more on how neo-liberal rhetoric is influenced with colorblind ideology and universality which is symptomatic of racism as it relates to the internet. Case in point, Michelle Obama has in a similar way been made a spectacle because of her body. By now her full body has been subject to the 'gaze' but initially the dialogue on blogs was about her butt. The conversation seems to be initiated by African American female blogger Erin Kaplan who sung the praises of Michelle's butt and sounded the trumpets as the apparent divide between the euro and afro body diversity in the office of First Lady fell like the Berlin Wall--a clear sign of diversity and a move toward progress. Note the similarity of this rhetoric with Essence Magazines discussion of Vanessa as covered in the article Bodies of Difference. Following this discussion, she was scolded by many feminists--yet fiercely supported by others (she is a self described feminist). Her article in Saloon appears here.
No one can forget how Serena's body was and still is caused much speculation. I thought however that I would showcase the latest on Serena and her embracing of her body in the mainstream. Here you will see her in her newest ad with HP. And, yet again her butt is an object of focus--a 'big' object of focus. She reveals her new Avatar in this space where she tells us this is what they say her new avatar is going to look like. The avatar turns sideways and her butt grows and she says 'yea, there it is'. In a similar way to the Saloon article people have been in a frenzy about the new ad on blog spaces. Should she have made particular mention to her butt? Is it more helpful or harmful? Does she rewrite herself to counter deviance coding, or make it worse?
Erykah Badu's newest music video 'Window Seat' is another interesting exhibition of the black female body politic. If you haven't watched it yet, I would hate to spoil it but I am going to have to for this discussion. Watch it here. You should watch it quickly as they keep getting snatched down. I think her label's official vid has been removed. She revisits the site of JFK's assasination and starts walking around shedding her layers of clothing until she is completely naked. At the end she falls to the ground after a gun shot and 'dies'. She then says 'They play it safe, quick to assasinate what they don't understand. They move in packs ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel most comfortable in groups. Less guilt to swallow. They are us. This is what we have become. Afraid to respect the individual. A single person within her circumstance can move one to change. To love herself, to evolve." Identity however is always at least two fold, how you identify/feel about yourself and how others identify/feel about you. Though the video is about 'individuality' I think it can stand in as a metaphor for difference--and deviance particularaly as it relates to black females.
There have been corporate pushes to recode the female body for example this nike ad about the Butt as illustrated above. The copy reads:
My butt is big
And round like the letter C
And ten thousand lunges
Have made it rounder
But not smaller
And that’s just fine.
It’s a space heater
For my side of the bed
It’s my ambassador
To those who walk behind me
It’s a border collie
That herds skinny women
Away from the best deals
At clothing sales.
My butt is big
And that’s just fine
And those who might scorn it
Are invited to kiss it.
Just do it.
Of course, the preoccupation with the black female posterior has not always been in disgust. Video Models like Angel as shown above and Buffie the Body make entire careers as booty models. Some booty models (like many speculate about Angel) have gone as far as to have Butt implants to exaggerate the butt, and thus difference as a sexual aesthetic.
Jill Scott's video The Thickness is a poetic discussion about Black female bodies. 'Thick' body types have been encoded as sexual, amoral, with contested beauty deviant and necessarily 'different'.
Where do we go from here? Should we we continue to discuss bodies of difference and move toward an appreciation and acceptance of them? Or should we embrace colorblindness/multiculturalism as a move toward equality? How should we deal with bodies of difference?
To be honest I think body difference will always be an issue in society because women are always oppressed. The only way that they can be identified is by commodifying their bodies. But I think it shouldn't be accepted in society because it sometimes degrade women positions as a female especially African Americans.
ReplyDeleteThe Serena clip is fascinating to read in relation to the ad we analyzed in class. Here she speaks for herself the whole time; we don't see her face (!); she stands right in front of us, very few side angles.
ReplyDeleteFrom out discussion in class it would seem that this codes Serena in a rather masculine manner.
This is interesting, especially in light of new media effects. I took an 8 week seminar with Lisa Nakamura this semester, and I'm in a new media and culture class currently. The prevailing notion is that the Internet "erases" bodies of difference and allows us a degree of anonymity, and in fact this was constructed as an attractive feature of the Internet.
ReplyDeleteBut, I don't think it is actually productive to "embrace colorblindness" because the body is always in relation to its socio-political and historical context. We can't know the body without all that it implies (or maybe all that implies the body?). I think the problem in embracing difference is that sometimes, often, it turns into fetishization - like the example you used of Serena William's and Micelle Obama's butt. So...I guess I didn't really answer the question one way or the other.
Beautiful article...I was just reading another article on this subject on another blog on ClutchMagOnline.com and they were talking about this fascination with the African-American booty and the marketing of "The Ass". I do think that bodies of difference will always be in the discussion, especially now that people from all races are curious about how to achieve "The Thickness" (I Love Jill Scott BTW!!) We can even say this about the African-American women who are seen as "different" because they do not have the stereotypical Black body...there is a certain amount of pressure for this certain kind of "Black beauty" for Black beauty as well.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the Serena commercial was interesting because I have only seen the shorten version that is shown on TV. All I can say is WoW...so stereotypical, but smart. She definitely knows what sells...her ass. Since this conversation of bodies of difference is going to be here forever, we really do not have a choice but to learn to accept them.
I agree the discussion of women’s bodies will always be a part of the conversation. Although it promotes a space for sexism, where women are treated as sexual objects it also opens space where different bodies are embraced and accepted by mainstream media. If we really think about it this large ass that “Beyonce” and “J-LO” have made widely accepted is not what mainstream media originally considered beautiful. Now we have brazillian butt lifter and butt pads that can give you around ass if you weren’t born with one. In short although the discussion of the body can be a hot touchy topic these discussions are still needed it so mainstream can show beauty of all different bodies.
ReplyDeleteI think that bodies of difference are prevalent in the media today. Perhaps the most popular case toady is Kim Kardashian, who seems to embrace her body of difference to the fullest. Going back to the Banet-Wesier article, I do not necessarily think that Vanessa Williams was a body of difference, if I understand the term right. Though she was the first African-American to win the Miss America pageant, her body type seemed to conform to the perviously-accepted norms of tightness exceeding voluptuousness. I think that through time, these bodies of difference will no longer be as big of a deal, in that people will no longer call attention to their supposedly different shape.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting posting. But I believe that the black woman's body will always be a topic of interest and subject matter to society when it comes down to it all. Since the Hotentot Venus, the black woman's body has been a topic matter. And the only way for it to be accepted is for it to be commodified by society. Where many women find big butts to be a sign out "unfit" the black culture embraced their difference and made it a sign of beauty so now there are people chasing that "ideal" beauty.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it, the body will never be fully accepted nor can we become fully colorblind / multiculturalized about the body. Now I'm not saying it's a futile fight, what I'm saying is that we need to work toward a goal, regardless of what will eventually come. Fight the fight, without knowing if we will ever win the fight, because if we know we'll win the fight, then what's the point of the fight.
ReplyDeleteNow to full accept the body, we have to go back to the question of...what is the AUTHENTIC body. As all of ya'll knew it was coming. I don't believe it is possible to assign the body a separate image, because there is hardly an original of the body. Through the history of the black female image, in the Western discourse, the butt has always been a focal point, I direct you the first couple weeks of our course when we looked into the worlds fair and representations of the body. But at the same time it isn't possible to code the body or give it a new multi cultural image, that would just be terrible. Can you imagine all the women running out to buy skin bleach, or remove parts of their body to obtain the perfect image. And by removing parts of the body, I literally mean go into the body surgically and removing parts of the body, such as bone and muscle. Now usually I'm all for social change, but this time around. I have to stick with a personal approach, accept yourself for who you are.
Great article. I watched the video "Window Seat" last week and absolutely loved it! I agree. Our society will never move away from the discussion of the female body because it is so political. The ties exists within dominaring figures ability to control what goes on in the body (passing laws to remove any form of abortion regardless to the woman's thoughts) as they see the female body as a space for control and inferiority rather than accepting this difference as pure beauty and individuality. It is through one's on insecurities and body images in which we see the body as a negative thing rather than embracing every aspect of it. I feel that we should all accept who we are and people like Erykah Badu represents this authenticity. She is authentic because she represents individuality. I feel an authentic body is one that deconstructs notions of whiteness that historically have been claimed to be the symbol of beauty. I think the discussion of the black body should move towards a discourse of individuality as authentic to representationas of the body rather than the body having a specific and factual representation based on a community. Failure to do so will only continue this cylce of oppression and internalized hatred. Therefore, I agree with you Peter. Accept yourself for who you are. Be authentic to you and no one else and maybe this will catch on to those who aren't quite sure on how to represent this form of authenticity.
ReplyDeleteWow, the HP commercial was such a shock. I couldn't believe that they would actually put that in. In response to Erykah Badu's window seat video, I love it as well! I think that the change in accepting bodies of difference has to come from the woman themselves. Especially But then again, I understand why they would allow it to happen. It's their job and the directors vision.
ReplyDeleteI feel that although Erykah Badu's video shows her completely naked in her body of difference I did not feel that she was doing it to sell her body but more so to share and represent her thoughts on a group vs individual complex.
I agree with almost everyone, its interesting how difference in bodies are embraced by different people and different cultures. I always find it amazing how you can compare the black and white culture and how they view body and the differences are astonishing... when you look at it they are basically at opposite sides of the spectrum. and I agree with Peter because in order for us to accept all bodies and embrace them according to what they are it all comes down to authenticity. what is authentic to what groups or type and if you don't fit into that where would you fall.
ReplyDelete