Mammy or Slut?

Bell Book's "Selling Hot Pussy: Representations of Black Female Sexuality in the Cultural Marketplace," stirred up a lot within me. I was angered, saddened, and indignant. I also wanted to reject some of the claims/observations made. I had to put the reading away and reflect a bit.

My first reaction was "just because chocolate candy breasts are chocolate doesn't mean that black women are being ojectified." It just means the chocolate candy is milk chocolate - it's a breast, nothing more nothing less. I've certainly seen my share of white chocolate breasts... let's not even go to penises, but that's when I stopped myself...chocolate penises tend to be larger, because black men have bigger penises, right? So, I stopped my train of thought and went back and re-read the article. I got the point...and dropped my defensiveness.

I am still disgusted and at times, speechless at how slaves were treated here in America. How de-humanized, degraded and abused they were. It never occurred to me that the slave women were as objectified as they were. My thought process only took me as far as to think that the white slave master used slave women for sex because their white wives were on pedestals...they were southern belles. My thoughts never took me to the ugly truth: black women were used as displays - exotic, forbidden, erotic and grotesque...all at the same time. The article references a Sarah Bartmann. I never heard of her so I did some research and again, was overwhelmed at how horrible human beings can be.

Sara Bartman was a slave who was exhibited at freak shows throughout Europe. Her skeleton, brains and preserved genitalia were on display until 1974!!!!! From this "hottentot venus" context, I could now understand the arguments and observations presented by Bell. To this day, the ideal beautiful black woman has straightened hair, sharper features and lighter complexion. Even today there is controversy when it is learned that a magazine lightens the tone of skin for Halle Berry, Beyonce, Queen Latifah, Imman, and so on. We have a ways to go still. I did notice a difference when doing my research on students from Africa. I spent a lot of time looking for images of "modern Africa." Some online magazines and articles from Africa, refreshingly show actual REAL women from Africa - beautiful women with darker complexions. They have not been botoxed, lipo'd, bleached, surgically altered or photo-shopped. As women, we all need to be proud of our bodies, our sexuality, and how our curves, or lack thereof, make us all beautiful, powerful and strong. No woman likes to be held in comparison to the stick thin, vapid models on the cover of fashion magazines...why then should we expect black women to relate to their bodies and appearance to the same?

Linda M. Scott's article, "Fresh Lipstick: Rethinking Images of Women in Advertising," ties into the discussion on 'ideal beauty' - black or white. Of course, as I read this article, snacking on Cheese Nips, feeling somewhat bloated, I thought, "oh, isn't this appropriate?" Then the ad with Ellen Degeneres as the Cover Girl spokeswoman popped up on the television. How funny - "The Cover Girl" campaign continue(s) to evolve toward a blonde, blue-eyed ideal of beauty, an athletic, ostensibly "natural" perfection that was airbrushed and retouched into unattainability." (p. 237). I changed the channel.


A poem for Sarah Baartman - By Diana Ferrus, retrieved from
http://www.southafrica.info/about/history/saartjie.htm

“I’ve come to take you home – home, remember the veld?
the lush green grass beneath the big oak trees
the air is cool there and the sun does not burn.
I have made your bed at the foot of the hill,
your blankets are covered in buchu and mint,
the proteas stand in yellow and white
and the water in the stream chuckle sing-songs
as it hobbles along over little stones.

I have come to wretch you away –
away from the poking eyes
of the man-made monster
who lives in the dark
with his clutches of imperialism
who dissects your body bit by bit
who likens your soul to that of Satan
and declares himself the ultimate god!

I have come to soothe your heavy heart
I offer my bosom to your weary soul
I will cover your face with the palms of my hands
I will run my lips over lines in your neck
I will feast my eyes on the beauty of you
and I will sing for you
for I have come to bring you peace.

I have come to take you home
where the ancient mountains shout your name.
I have made your bed at the foot of the hill,
your blankets are covered in buchu and mint,
the proteas stand in yellow and white –
I have come to take you home
where I will sing for you
for you have brought me peace.”