We have discussed multiple dimensions of the black body. From D'Angelo to Hottentot Venus, we discussed performativity and objectification. Who knew dominant culture would remain so
While D'Angelo resisted, others were unable to. bell hooks suggests that Tina Turner may not have been a willing participant in her own objectification by Ike Turner. Do you think she realizes now? What about the inferences of influence in Ike Turner's fantasy stemming from Tarzan's Jane as well as its potential influence on School Daze's Jane character in our dialogue?
More recently, we've discussed the role of the African American documentary with providing an alternative perspective to the black narrative. And, Janet Cutler is correct. This genre has been woefully neglected. So, how do we begin to take control of how our bodies are portrayed along with how our stories are told? Is Beyonce' really in control of her body or has consumption rampantly (re)possessed it?
At this particular point in class we have discussed the dominant culture, being our white counterparts, obsessing over the black body and capitalizing from our sexual exploitation in many different mediums. We discussed the history of whites fascination with blacks body shapes, sizes, hair texture and skin. We discussed how D’Angelo was a black male sexual figure and he was popularized by his sexual lyrics and emphasis on his toned body. In the article, “Singing Love Songs to Mr. Death,” by Aime Ellis, she mentioned, “Cool, daring, experimentally “free,” and pleasure- seeking, these spirited black men not only sought freedom from the mundane life of working-class black experience through their music but also fought for control over the emotional landscapes of their lives.”(298) D’Angelo resisted the stereotypical life of the everyday Black man, by being apart of the music industry and trying to gain control of his personal life. This leads into another discussion we had on Tina Turner and how her own husband exploited her. Turner claims to not have been a willing participant and that Ike abused her, not only in their marriage but also in business. One thing we discussed and bell hooks pointed out, was that by Tina Turner going along with wearing wigs and exploiting the black woman image, as a sexual being, and then gaining economic wealth, was Turners way of agreeing with the objectification.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Jx6erdGPQ
The link is biopic on the life of Tina Turner on her music and her personal life and how she was effected by all of it.
We also discussed how Ike’s fantasy of women stemmed from him watching Tarzan’s Jane character and desiring his women to be exoctic with fair skin. This idea also can possible come into play with on School Daze's Jane character. Her demeanor and image resembles the exotic fantasy of Tarzan Jane. She was dependent on her man and her image, she obsessed over hair and beauty.
Having films that directly display a positive image of Blacks and the black community, while also chastising society for their negative connotations of Blacks and exploiting their sexuality, will help Blacks take control of their own body and their own image. By being an independent artist and not having a contract, you can control your own image. By being an independent film maker, you control the images others see of Blacks. By Blacks participating and supporting Blacks events, projects and people, that is how we begin to take control.
Blacks that are objectified by mass media fall into two categories. There are the people that vehemently fight against it and those that decide to profit off of selling themselves. D'Angelo believed that his talents were God's gift to him and was crucified and castigated by the "pornographic gaze." In contrast, Tina Turner did not experience social death, but "economic self-sufficiency" from her wild woman persona. Ike Turner essentially hungered for a white woman goddess/warrior similar to Tarzan's Jane that he saw in the 1940s films he watched in Saturday movie serials. By creating his own Nyoka (Queen of the Jungle), he not only fulfilled the desire that white patriarchal society taught him to want, but he also conditioned Tina Turner to accept her supposed sexual freedom rather than her previous puritanical beliefs. Tina Turner realizes that this wild woman image was thrust upon her, but she now uses it to prove that she is an independent woman. Turner does not realize that this sexual freedom is only a façade and that she is actually perpetuating a woman subjected to a hypersexual society and has therefore fashioned her body in response to it. The School Daze Jane character is similar to Turner, because similarly she "does it for love." During her sex scene in the movie, she expresses no pleasure and just surrenders similar to Tina Turner's recollection of losing her virginity. The only reason why these women gain such popularity is through the fascination with the black body (exotic other). Hotentot Venus was mutilated by the white gaze that mutilates Beyoncé, Tina Turner, and D'Angelo. The chocolate breasts that Bell Hooks viewed and the black butts that society fascinates over all signify a time when black people were "a commodity available to any white who could pay the price." In order to control how our bodies are displayed and the stories that are told, we must be willing to overcome the barriers that may hinder us such as struggle for representation, struggle to be seen, struggle for distribution. We also have to be willing to "agitate as Fredrick Douglas did" and stir the pot. Black people have to be willing to tell their stories, because those that have lived through it can "fill in the gaps" that our history books leave. The strongest weapon we have is the camera and the pencil and paper. We must be willing to "define black reality, point to a problem, explain how the situation evolved, and suggest ways out."
ReplyDeleteView photo: http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/music/pages/beyonce-04.shtml
The black body has always been admired by the white counterparts. That admiration has been turned into reality and a way of living. Ike Turner turning Tina Turner into a sex symbol to be recognized and top her level of fame. I think Tina Turner does realize it now but has embraced it. With School Daze Jane, it demonstrates what is going on within the black community as internalized racism. I think Spike Lee exposed that in the movie.
ReplyDeleteI think it will be hard to reposition on how to take a different view of the black bodies, when it has been sexualized since the beginning of time. It is something that we have to look within ourselves as not being objectified. Beyoncé uses being a sex symbol to the fullest. Her father made her the star and is looked as the “Ike Turner” in the situation. If Beyoncé wanted to repossess her body I feel she would have done so but that’s a lifestyle for her.
For as long as I can remember white womanhood has been labeled the sweet innocent Girl Next Door, free spirited and non sexual. Yet the Black female body is portrayed as the complete opposite, sexual image constantly being exploited, loud-mouthed and all for show. It has been a constant cycle for years and what is based off of TV from music videos and movies young females grow up with the mindset that is okay to be portrayed that way. I believe we as African American women will always have a say so in how we want to be seen. It's up to us to have a voice, to let others know mainly white people....that we have a mind and it is a very powerful that can make more money than our bodies. When it comes to public figures like Tina Turner, I don't think she knew at the time what Ike was turning her into. I don't think she realized how bad he sexualized her into an image of what he wanted her to be on stage until the way he begin to treat her behind closed doors she realized it wasn't for her. All it takes is a voice. Beyonce is a very powerful woman who has a lot of pull in people who idolize her. She has two sides to her, a very classy well-mannered, well dressed mother. and a very fierce, sexy, diva when need be. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with being sexy for show, but when others are blatantly only using your body for sex or as if it's a play toy. Have a voice, speak up, and say no. It can go a long way.
ReplyDeleteI read an article that broke down the influence of Black Women and exploitation and the effects it has on our young girls, it really gave me a different look and background knowledge....similar to what we've been discussing in class:http://africana.fiu.edu/people/faculty-grad-presentations/stephens_mainstream_hip_hop.pdf
White people have admired, fantasized,or envied about the black body/skin for years. Slave owners were sleeping with the female slaves and the wives were sometimes forcing the black men to have sex with them. White women hating the black women because not only were they capable of doing more than them they also had the attention of their husbands. The admiration continued and now people are making money from their bodies. I believe Tina Turner wasn't fully aware at first what Ike was doing but eventually caught on. If she wasn't aware she wouldn't have kept the image that he created. When she broke off from Ike she kept her "jungle woman" look because it was sexy and everyone knows that sex sells. The same goes for Beyonce. She differ because she was fully aware of what was popular and she conformed. So i would say she has control of her body but she doesn't because if she don't conform to what's trending then she wouldn't be as successful as she is. Beyonce wasn't even getting recognized for her "amazing" vocals until she was on stage half naked dancing sexually; Ike made Tina and Jay-Z made Sasha Fierce. These two women went from what they really were to who people wanted them to be. Another example of this is Rihanna. When she first came out she was displaying her talents which were singing and dancing. She dressed in a somewhat modest manner and enjoyed what she was doing. Now, she's always half naked and singing about sex. Her talents are being over shadowed by her body and sexually image.The only way black people will be able to take over their body is to just say no as a whole. No to the crop tops and booty shorts, no to the topless videos, and no to the people telling them that's the only way their going to make it in life.
ReplyDeleteFor unit three we have discussed the fascination with the African American body and its history. The dominant culture has always been obsessed with curves and fascinated with the uniqueness of our bodies. They have a history of not only being amused but disrespectful and devaluing the bodies of black women. This history reaches back to the imagery of Hottentot Venus (Saartije Baartman), a woman from South Africa whose naked body and posterior was paraded in shows throughout 19th-century Europe. Saartije body just like D’Angelo was forced to be exposed and subject to the “White gaze”. Society desired what African American women had, they admired the curves of the African American community and they still do. Other artist such as Tina Turner used her body to attract her audience. Her body was her image, people even until this day praise Tina Turner over her body. She might not have enjoyed being forced to do it by Ike Turner but she did begin to embrace her “sexy” image. Beyoncé similar to Tina Turner, became accustomed to her sexy image, she continuously feeds into it. When she was in Destiny Child her body was not as noticeable until she went solo and she used her body to attract an audience. Tina Turner and Beyoncé may not have wanted all of the attention that their bodies received but that it became their image, what the people wanted just like D’Angelo audience. As a community it is our job to portray our bodies in a positive uplifting way. Not as a tool to get the attention of men. Some white people only know what they see in the media and if they constantly see Black women using their bodies in a negative way that is all they will see us for. We have to fill in the gaps where white people are questioning how we see our bodies. We have more to us than our bodies and we have to use media to show respect to our bodies. Some people only know what they see from the media. Just like Maya Angelou said “It's in the reach of my arms,The span of my hips,The stride of my step,The curl of my lips.I'm a woman
ReplyDeletePhenomenally.Phenomenal woman,That's me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_YRPUofaKM
After reading "Singing Love Songs to Mr. Death" I learned how the "White" gaze took away from D'Angelo messages in his untitled song and focused more on his image, which caused him to go into deep depression and start using hard drugs. Rather than women wanting to listen to the lyrics in his songs they began to just what him because of how sexualized he had become just from that single video. With other artist like Tina Turner her image was also used against her.However i do believe now looking back she might realize how Ike used her for his own pleasure and transforming her into a fantasy that he longed for. Man or women Tina Turner and D'Angelo are prime examples of how whites are mesmerized by the skin and bodies of black people.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/PnSxMdRQPss
I feel as though Tina Turner was doing any and every thing she thought would make Ike happy. I dont really know much about Ike and Tina Turner but what i seen in their movie but he was a very abusive man and he basically had her mind in the palm of his hand. She did anything he told her to do, so therefore i feel like she probably didnt like the things he had her wearing but she knew she had no other choice. I just found out that Ike had Tina being like a black, real life version of Jane from Tarzan which is somewhat interesting to me. Due to the fact that Jane and Tarzan were one (it was normally Jane AND Tarzan, or either just Tarzan.) It is rare that you would hear about just Jane. So was that Ike's way of saying Tina Turner was not really important without him? Like as if he was Tarzan and she was Jane, making them ONE?! Tisha Campbell played Jane in the movie School Daze and she was viewed as a very beautiful light skin "wannabe", her character was very sexualized and steamy.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though we still dont really have control over our image.. in the media. Maybe within our own race but not outside of it. For an example, black people have been wearing cornrows since before i was born but now the European fashion culture has taken it as apart of their own and changed the name. Their was a time when on twitter you would see all these different memes of European fashion articles basically stealing what we as black people have been doing for years and making it their own. Or another example would be how Kim Kardashian made it okay to have a big butt or Kylie Jenner made it okay to have full, juicy lips. I dont understand how black people are talked down on for having these natural curves and things but yet other cultures get praised. I dont really know what to say about Beyonce due to the fact that when she first came out she was alot thicker and had the song " Bootylicous" (" i dont think you're ready for this jelly') but yet now she is skinny and rumors are that she gets butt pads made into her clothing. So i dont really know if that would mean she isnt really comfortable with her body or if she feels like she has to do it because she is black (wants to uphold her image)and how would it look if Mrs. Beyonce had no hips or curves? I honestly can say that i feel as though the industry usually changes the images of these artist and they really want to keep up their image and feel as though those are the main reasons why so many celebrities get plastic surgery and things like that.
Black bodies, like many others have been perceived as exotic by the post-1600s white majority. The reverence of Black bodies has transcended centuries and generations of societal shifts. The reverence and fascination of black bodies was, in my opinion, one of the underlying causes for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Black Men were seen as strong and larger than life, they had a dedication to hard work that was easily manipulated by controlled environments and harsh punishment. Black women had a affinity for cooking, cleaning and nurturing the young. These principles have since evolved into pop culture through figures who we studied as simply "mediums" for objectification. D'Angelo, Tina Turner and Beyonce were all drawn into their industry by their sheer love of music. Tina was taken advantage of by Ike, and was manipulated through her love. I believe that she was not a willing participant in her objectification because she was drawn into it and was fueled by her love of music and Ike. I don't believe that she realized it at the time, but realizes it now. Beyonce was also manipulated by her father and turned her love of music and dancing into a tool used to extort the "eye" that admires her black body and talent. Unlike Tina, Beyonce was able to separate herself from her father and I do believe that she has control over her body. I believe that she continues to use her body in the way that she does because she enjoys it and now has the power to please the eye in any way she sees fit.
ReplyDeleteBeyonce was able to turn her father's fantasy into her own image. Ike's obsession with Jane created Tina Turner much like School Daze's Jane character was manipulated and created by the "Eye" of the men.
Unlike these women, Beyonce's influence on her everyday life is far greater and this has allowed her to become more of an icon for women empowerment.
Beyonce has shown an excellent approach to taking back our bodies. Instead of withdrawing from the gaze of the "eye", she pleases and extorts it in her own way while still maintaining a powerful image and being pushed by Songwriters and Choreographers.
Beyonce's image can also be compared to the Black Documentary by noting that she controls her public image and steers clear of scandals by painting an image of herself in her work. Documentaries explore unfamiliar territory and are thus much more difficult to control, and should be controlled. They are shots in the dark that few Black filmmakers take. In order to be successful more Black Filmmakers should take the shot in the dark and be comfortable with exploring unfamiliar territory from a cinematic position.
Since the slavery time, blacks have always been depreciated because of skin color, a very distinct part of the entire body. I believe that culture has become so fascinated with our bodies because they were creations that DO NOT look like them. It is hard to convince people who feel they are superior that anything different from them are similar in ANY time of way or even connected. So instead of embracing the difference there has always been that broken aesthetic between a black body from any other. It could have possibly been easier for people like D'angelo and others to resist the hype because of their upbringing which still exists in todays culture. Some things your body itself just wont allow because of your morals. However, I do feel as though dominant culture has given the black female body's fascination a twist from what it was in the past. The white female's body is what was endured, accepted, and admired. Black females, such as Tina Turner and Naomi Campbell wore these blonde wigs, clothes, and made other appearance changes to fit into the category of what was "attractive" at that time. Tina Turner, in particular, I believe she realizes that now; if not, she wouldn't have included her husband's fantasies and desires in detail in her documentary; which is not hard to put right in connection with her appearance and performance styles. But in this present day, famous black females and even other races place themselves in the category of "sex selling". There is an inexpiable amount of "big butts" and "plumped lips" displayed which is an exaggerated display of what came from the originated black female body. Beyonce not only plays a part in the mixture but she can create an entire "Bey Hive" who worships her for "body goals" , "revealing outfits", and "performance moves"; but never for her singing. She is a completely different person from the beginning of her career and of course an artist should change, grow, and progress but Beyonce and other female artists wouldnt have ever make it as big as they are now if the industry did not (re) posess them. We can only begin to take control of our bodies by realizing how the problem has evolved at hand and not letting people in the limelight dictate what looks appropriate or not, and lastly by standing together to promote letting your natural attributes that you were given display the real you as a BLACK person in this world.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to Anna Mae Bullock's persona, I think she's cognizant that Ike Turner's creation of Tina Turner, is one created by his own subtle subconscious. Ike Turner did something that's innate in human nature, he projected a subconscious image in his art. I think for Anna Mae, she embraces this alter ego. Not just because it created a level of success, but it was a mental shield from the physical and sexual abuse she endured at home. I believe as Tina Turner, it gave her a sense of empowerment that Ike forcefully stripped from her. Tina Turner was subservient to no one, but Anna Mae was.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to Spike Lee's Jane, he was making a point to show the oversexualized thoughts of the fair skinned black women. I felt the blond hair was to emphasize the imagery. I mean how coincidental could the name Jane be? I felt Spike Lee's intention was to bring attention to this colonial paradigm created centuries ago (Mulatto women). Like with any visuals, the "powers that be" understand its importance. Visuals have the ability to inspire emotions, enhance knowledge (and ignorance), and create change. America does a great job of keeping African American documentaries to a minimal. Then again the support is minimal at best. The one thing that forces main stream America to push, promote, and invest is massive support. A massive support creates a revenue stream through advertising, which film industries will try to capitalize on (This can be seen with rap music). Most of mainstream wouldn't take the chance, but financial success creates opportunities of investments, and exposure. Unfortunately, capitalism, and the lack of representation creates this system.
Now I believe Beyoncé (her Body) embraces being a sexual icon, but in the end, she's still at the mercy of the entertainment industry. Beyoncé is a living breathing brand, and for the entertainment industry she's a commodity item. Since the entertainment sector is part of the capitalistic system, Beyoncé freedom has limitations. Beyoncé is signed to a label that has distribution rights, licensing rights, etc. This means investors, and advertisers dictate decisions. Because she's a Superstar, I believe she has leeway many other entertainers don't have. But until she's truly independent, the Brand and the Body has limits.
We discussed how the White "gaze" was a huge part of the objectification of black people. This could be defined as being the perspective that whites look at blacks from. In this day in age it can be for entertainment purposes. People like Hottentot Venus D'Angelos and Tina Turner were victims of this White "gaze" . D'Angelo's infamous video "Untitled" is a great example of this concept. In the video he was pretty much naked on a pedestal being watched by everybody. We talked about how D'Angelo was one of the people who tried resist the objectification that he was facing from others. People's view of him and the importance of his actual music to others were flawed and he was deemed pretty much as a sexual being. This caused him to go on a downward spiral and be in a 15 year hiatus. We know that the stage character of Tina Turner was given to her by Ike Turner. This character represents Ike's fantasy sex Goddess "Jane of the Jungle" who can also compare to the Jane that we see on the movie "School Daze". This Blond hair sometimes blue eyed shapely Goddess is a depiction of how some black men would rather be attracted to those women who closer resemble white women. Are our naturally beautiful black women not good enough? Do we need blonde wigs and blue eyes to be Beautiful? This another form of the White "gaze". I believe that eventually wit age Tina Turner realized who her character was trying to portray.
ReplyDeleteWe learned that documentaries are freedom of expressions that are rarely seen. Black people rarely support black documentaries because of the oppression of our people that we have to witness. believe that if there were more documentaries that were uplifting, people would be more likely to support them. Documentaries are also likely to be more one sided than anything. When it comes to black ones, they tend to be negative and sometimes still can come off as being stereotypical. This view of the black people is not the only view. I believe that a way that a black woman for example can not face objectification is if we have self love instead of self hate and embrace the aspects of our culture that makes us who we are. Speaking up and not allowing people to objectify us is easier said then done. I believe that black filmmakers in general should be the first to create art that actually shows us in the light and not just the negative.
Since slavery times, black people's bodies have always been on display and gazed upon. Even though the people doing the gazing( white people) hated our skin color and our hair and everything, they loved our bodies. Why do you think the white slave master always wanted to rape the dark skinned women? Because the darker the berry the sweeter the juice and face it, the black women just have more curves, boobs, and butt than most people and everyone was just fascinated because the black body looked nothing like what they are used to seeing. In today's society, they really show how much the black woman's body is basically "worshiped" because everyone is trying to get their body to look like it. People getting breast implants, lip injections, and silicone in their butt to look bigger.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to Tine Turner, I do feel like she realizes that she has become a symbol/ creation of Ike Turner. His crazy fantasy of the wild woman came from watching porn and he just wanted to fulfill his pleasure. Even when they were going through the divorce and everything, she even said she wanted to keep her stage name 'Tine Turner' because that name did bring in the money and it definitely attracted the white people.
When it comes to Beyonce, I feel like she knows she is a sex symbol, but even with that, people literally worship her. Everyone wishes they has her body, her hair (even though it is weave) her dance moves and basically her life. Beyonce definitely lets people gaze upon her body because she just sells sex. With her hour glass figure and full lips and butt, people are just in awe about it. Now I don't know if she enjoys showing off her body like that, but when you are under contract, don't have to rights over your body,and you are bringing in the money then you do not have much say. You do what your contract says to do and if that means putting your body on display for the world to see then do it. Her 'brand' controls her and it shows that she does not have much power when it comes to her body.
Black people's bodies have always been idolized and even fantasized by the White race. Slave masters would even sleep with the black saves and the white women were jealous of them because they were capable of so much and had a lot to offer. I believe in todays world Black people's bodies are heightened even more especially with the video by the Singer D'Angelo. You could tell he wasn't very comfortable with the video] and being naked, but record companies seem to have forced a lot of these videos back in the late 90's-2000s. Also learning about Tina Turner's story, Ike knew the exact way to get Tina to the top and that was to use her as a sex symbol, exposing her body, wearing blonde hair. We a lot of times see artist like Beyonce and especially Rihanna using their sexuality in music videos. Culture overall has become fascinated with our bodies.
ReplyDeleteIn order to take back control of the black body and black image people within black culture must find the deeper reason for why we don't take a serious offense to what our image is now. Most black people feel that if them only being represented is enough to maintain the status of true black imagery in popular/dominant culture. Sadly, this image is a false perception what blackness is and continues to be believed by ones who view it. In order to get control back. We must shun these images and state that is it not us. This is a legend that became fact and we are going to show what it truly mean to be black. Supporting only empowering black images and stories, and actively searching for these two will create that change. Failure to do so creates the love and hip-hop and craziness that feeds into the negative stereotype
ReplyDeleteSince the black body has been placed on display for centuries, it has been planted in society's mind that this kind of display is the only thing that will sell and obtain a satisfactory amount of attention. For example, Nicki Minaj's video "Anaconda" promotes sexually explicit content and as a result, the video reached half a billion views. I personally feel like the song did not sell because of the quality of the song but because of the sexual display of the female body. The video relates to Ike turner fantasy of the wild woman. Of course, his fantasy of the black woman stems from Tarzan's Jane but his actions are similar to white slave owners controlled female slaves. They were raped, beaten, and was not able to decide for themselves. I believe Ike turner's actions was influenced by his own personal enjoyment of the white supremacist gaze. I believe Tina Turner realizes now that Ike turner controlled her life and career because she states that if it was for Ike Turner there would be no Tina. African-American culture can begin to take control of how our bodies are portrayed and how our stories are told by breaking free of societies standards towards us. Documentaries have a way of revealing truth, so more documentaries with less limitations should be released. What I mean by that statement is there should be no holding back. If it's not 100% truth we do not want hear it. On the contrary, I believe Beyonce is in control of her body, but she knows nudity is what sells and that is the part when she loses her control. I have inserted a video of Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda."
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/LDZX4ooRsWs
Sorry about the grammatical errors everyone!
DeleteBlack people have always been entertaining in some way to white people, whether it was the way our bodies are made and shaped or performing for them during slavery while being on break. Taking back control over our bodies may be difficult because of the way we have allowed society to take our uniqueness and exploit it for the world. Now, we have white women wanting to be black and do not get any flack for that but as black women we get criticized constantly. Beyonce, for example, was influence by Tina Turner, who often wore very revealing, sensual performing outfits. They often get ridiculed for being too "sexy" with their clothing but when you see someone like Taylor Swift wear something somewhat similar she does not get mentioned, to society she's "America's Sweetheart" and can do no wrong with what she does. I feel it may be too late to take control over how our bodies are made, and mainly because sex sells. Beyonce and Rihanna are a few black women that have careers that have been based off of their bodies and sexiness, especially Beyonce but more recently Rihanna. I believe now Beyonce is at the point where she can control her body but I think she also realizes her body contributed a lot with her career so she knows that she still needs to keep it a certain way. I do think the consumer has taken over Beyonce's body, as I stated there a white women that would pay thousands to have features that black women have. It is all about business and when you see that you image sells you will be endorsed and also create a huge following.
ReplyDeleteGetting our stories told the right way is important. I wouldn't say there are not documentaries that do not portray our stories the right way but we do not often hear about it. In order to create success with black documentaries we must support our own people and get the word out that there is something that gives a voice and we need to watch. Nothing against white directors but when it comes to the history of black people I want to see a black director that knows their things. One can argue that the white director may know just as much or even more about a certain situation but me personally, I want to see black people in the credits. The black community must support each other though, I think that is vital. I will not say we don't support each other at all but not enough.
To make a powerful statement of getting back our image and stories being told correctly we need to bring some of the world's top entertainers and take a stand with a documentary fighting back and getting back what should have stayed ours, which is our image. Have the film directed, produced, filmed by black people. Have this documentary advertised everywhere not just certain places. Let others know we are more than just entertainment. Look at us in a positive light for male and female, and show we are more than stereotypes because a lot of times people's only perception of black people is what they see or hear. Let black people tell about our successes whether it's in school, starting a business, entertaining, and more. The more important thing is making sure we emphasize the positivity and when it comes to entertainment let's emphasize on the talent, although the image is included that would make a statement by saying, we are taking back our bodies and stories and telling you how it should be.
I feel like in order to take control of how our bodies and perceived we must begin with ourselves. Respect our bodies more to make outsiders respect it. We need to stop exploiting ourselves and the black men should stop encouraging it. The black female celebrity role models we have today are making the culture worse, when it comes to self respect and loving your body. Rihanna is one that I truly do not understand how she promotes of carries herself. She shows up to award shows half naked, revealing her boobs and does nude shoots just to promote sun glasses. For the young black girls growing up I feel bad for them because that is all they see and it is teaching them that it is ok to walk around naked revealing every aspect of your body. I do not think that Beyonce' really is in control of her body, over the years they have lightened her skin in pictures and exposed her body frame repeatedly. The make her a sex symbol when most of her songs do not relate to such a topic. For us to change this issue we have to dig within our culture to the root of it, that starts with self respect for our bodies and then others will soon stop trying to exploit us.
ReplyDeleteBelow is a video link of Rihanna exploiting herself ..
with that ridiculous dress at the CFDA Awards in 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrcN-0lkKmU
The black body has always been admired and been something to sell ever since we brought over to this country. It was something to be desired, simply for another’s on personal reasons. From the auction block to the now sex symbol or athlete, the black is still something to be desired for another’s on personal reasons. When we talked about Tina Turner an how Ike Turner was using her body as a way to sell the image of the wild primal sexy woman. Her body was being used for one’s personal gain. With School Daze’s Jane she resembled the primal wild woman as well with the big hair. When it came to D’Angelo him displaying his body was so powerful that it took away from the listeners focus from his music. He was no longer an R&B singer or musical prodigy but a sex symbol. Something to gazed upon and worshiped by for his sex appeal, which was something D’Angelo did not want, he wanted to be recognized for his music. When it comes to us taking control of our bodies I’m not exactly sure how. When you are an entertainer like that and you are always in the spot light you have to ask yourself how much of yourself are you willing to give and show to keep the spot light on you. You are in a business where your main goal is to sell something and there is nothing more marketable than sex. Beyoncé is no longer in control of her body image anymore. She has put it on such a grand stage that it is now something for consumption either to be admired or desired. We as black people have always been admired for our bodies and always will be I feel like if you are going too admired for it you might as well get paid for it.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Yasmeen. I feel as if the over-hyper sexualized view of the black body has always been an issue within media. The black male body as shown in D'angelo's video is praised for the mans build. For example, Michael B. Jordan, actor, is the new sex symbol in cinema and for women these days to look at. As for the female who is looked at as a major sex symbol is Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. Rihanna is very hypersexualized and has a choice as many other artist such as Nicki Minaj and Beyonce. Rihanna's latest work examplifies and her using her body as a way of getting more attention.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that the way we are viwed through the lens of a camera has a lot to do with who is behind the camera. If documentaries are to show and tell the truth we have to show the whole truth and not just bits and pieces. And we have to take in consideration, who's truth are we telling? Whatever we are telling we have to tell it where it opens the eye and makes us want to change within ourselves to gain a positive image in our communities.
As black people, our bodies have always been looked upon as a piece of sexual art due to the typical curviness, thickness, and having hips. Unlike white people, black bodies have been idealized as an attraction, but not for admiration of its value. It has been looked upon as degrading for the black culture, because we have allowed the power of our minds and views to be overruled and cultivated by the way society and the media portray us and we believe in it. In order to take control of this issue, we must embrace the knowledge that we know now that many of our people were not aware of back then, and reconstruct the views against us now. We must transform and appreciate who we are, so that we will not just allow anyone or anything to make us only feel useful or purposeful when it comes to our bodies and who we are. Referring back to Bell Hooks’ reference to Tina Turner, he brought forth the fact that Tina Turner had painted this image for black women through the eyes of what a man want and desires. Instead of naturally representing herself for who she really is, Tina willingly allowed her identity to be in the hands of someone who decomposed who she was a person and made someone new out of her based on his idealization of how a woman is supposed to look. Tina suffered a lot mentally, physically, emotionally, and even financially due to Ike because of the following: she was mentally raped because Ike had took advantage of her and imprisoned her to his way of thinking, physically abused for not always being the women he had envisioned and to gain control over her, emotionally damaged because as a woman she was so blind to see what was truly going on until after the fact to identify what it was, and then she financially corrupted because her image that Ike created is what led to her fame in the industry and without being “Tina”, Anna Mae Bullock meant absolutely nothing. Tina gave women the “okay” to wear wigs so that it will be acceptable in society for blacks to commonly appear having long hair as well, along with using her body shape to define how black women should look. With all this being said, another we can do to take back control, is to simply speak for ourselves and express many aspects in a more positive light.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp2C-Se1ys8
In reference to Beyonce, she is a modern version of Tina Turner being under the control of her very own husband, Jay-Z. Starting out, it was under the impression of what her father, Matthew Knowles, felt she should look and display herself to the public. Maybe not as intense of what Tina experienced, but Beyonce, who has mentioned Tina Turner as to being one of her idols, created her image based on how much the money would bring to her. Beyonce’s advantage came first and foremost from the color of her skin, which correlates back to Jane’s scene in ‘School Daze’ who made it known that being lighter was the better choice.
Overall, as black people, we need to start giving ourselves more credit for who we are and to no longer let society and the media be our Tarzan's and Ike Turners’.
In today's day and age some of our most highly known black artist are Rihanna and Beyonce. They are known for their chart topping singles but more importantly they are seen as sex objects from their scantily clad videos, half dressed wardrobe, and highly sexual lyrics. But even through this Beyonce declares herself an active feminist. Which I don't believe is necessarily correct because she does not own her own body. She is conforming to the gaze. She is made in the image of the male which comes from her father, her husband , her producers and etc.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to her being made through the eye sight of a male she is also not being in control over ho she is because she is showing young females that sex is the way to make it. She is showing that although you may have a powerful message no one is going to listen to it unless you captivate them with your sight. This shown by her Superbowl half time performance. she had a wonderful message about black lives matter but the message was all thrown off by all the participants wearing booty shorts and crop tops and her self didn't even fit the image by having on a one piece and blonde hair. this particular situation reminds me of the Tina Turner analogy from Belle hooks where she states that Tina used her sexuality to make it big. she wore the blonde hair and short skirts and made it okay to get where you are by using your body.
but I think for us to break that stereotype we have to come together and get in formation. We have to show them what we really are. We have to show them that are bodies are beautiful but are minds are also.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xnuya263iM
I think we must first take control by understanding how we ended up where we are today. When speaking specifically on how black women are portrayed, I believe that it was never their idea to be sexually exploited. The exploitation stemmed from slave masters and after slavery black men began to use these same methods of exploitation. Black women need to understand this. The power lies in their voice. I think that Tina Turner may not realize what Ike did to get. Just as I believe Beyoncé may say that she has control over body but subconsciously understands that she does not. Women allow men to "pimp" their bodies and their
ReplyDeleteimages out to label companies, and the consumers. If ALL women were to take a stand to not be sexualized to appeal to mainly men, men would have no choice but to accept these standards.
When discussing documentaries I think the lack of awareness of black documentaries is a problem. In school curriculums I remember Black History Month being the time we discussed African American culture. The variety of documentaries we watched was very poor. Most discussing MLK, Rosa Parks, and things of that nature. We must first advocate for more variety of African American documentaries to be shown and taught in school throughout the school year. Then we should spread the work to bring awareness to the document that are produced. We have to use these documentaries to teach ourselves in the black community and to show whites our reality, the alternate narrative.
http://youtu.be/1sF6qMoO3do
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DeleteBlack bodies have been misappropriated and objectified since slavery. Black bodies were initially seen as a tool vof nurturing and caregiving, especially the black woman's body. Over time, the black woman's body has been objectified and hyprsexualized because of its voluptuousness and curvaciousness. The buttocks specifically is one of the most hypersexualized parts of the black woman's body.Tina Turner was unaware that she had lost control of her image and how her body was portrayed to society, she was seen as a wild sex beast who entertained by arousal and seduction as opposed to the art in her music. This was because of Ike's transformation of Tina, but the transformation was almost subconcious for Tina while it was completely purposeful for Ike Turner. Tina describes this evolution of her sexuality in a way that would imply that she was in control of her blossoming sexuality although from certain language she uses in her description of it, it is very apparent that Tina played the submissive. D'Angelo on the other hand was very tactical and deliberate in the use of his sexuality, it just was misinterpretted for years by a shallow audience.
In today's society, acts like Rihanna and Beyoncé have no choice but to appeal to their high sexual images, as it in turn results with their career. No matter how good they may sing or perform, people have short attention spans, so to capture their attention quickly, they must appeal as eye candy, as we seen with D'Angelo. Tina Turner didn't voluntarily give in to Ike's influence on her career, but through those actions, she flipped the script and turned that image portayal into her own personality and launched a new movement. We begin to take back control by first taking care of our people first. We need to change how we portray ourselves, because that'll only set the standard for other things as we begin to portray ourselves in a new light. Lack of awareness is another key aspect in this, because many people are not conscious of the little things that make big differences in our culture. Bringing more awareness back to black culture will result in more educated people.
ReplyDeleteI feel that in order for us as an African American community to take back control we must not allow ourselves to be willing participants of this ideal image that every black female artist has to have this big butt with a slim waist and huge breast to make it in the industry. Every black female is not born to have that specific shape and size. In today’s society it’s becoming a trend where African American & Caucasian females are getting these ridiculously expensive plastic surgery operations and butt injections not just in the music industry either but they are doing it to fit this image that they think will give them success but the sad part is it has some truth. If we truly want to take control over our bodies we can no longer glorify each other just because of looks. We have to start actually listening to what people have to say. I mean who doesn’t want to improve their looks I’m sure everyone has something they think they could better about themselves but the glorification of the black body has gotten out of control and I feel the only way to sop it is to no longer embrace it.
ReplyDeleteThroughout history we find that the dominant white culture has continuously admired and exploited blacks and their culture. Black men and women have a unique god/goddess like physique that has been perceived in the negative lens of white america. This negative perception is used through media and entertainment outlets to continue to keep blacks oppressed. Oppressing blacks through the media and entertainment outlets promotes self hate within the black community, forcing blacks to feel like second class citizens to the dominant white supremacy. Condition by the entertainment industry, Ike Turner physically and mentally broke down Tina Turner so that she would accept her role as a sex symbol. Much like Tina Turner, Jane from the movie School Daze was sexualized and portrayed as a jezebel due to the fact that she used her body to please the president of the fraternity. Once again proving that media and entertainment industry constructs this hyper-sexualized perception of black men and women.
ReplyDeleteI think the only way that one could talk about someone else’s body is if they have a comfort within themselves about their own body. Everyone loves to blame the media, but this unit has been proof alone that the media got it from somewhere. Looking back on history and even the present time you can see where Non-Black celebrities are praised for their unruly body parts like it is a trend. Our bodies became a trend just like our culture.
ReplyDeleteAny artist is objectified to form the mold the label has designed. Artist, like D’Angelo and Tina Turner, are the marketable items labels produce to satisfy the wants and needs of their audience. As the music industry became less about the music I became about keeping the interest of a society with new norms. People went from hearing their favorite artist on the radio to being able to see them in person and then on TV. That has even progressed where my generation doesn’t even go to buy an album anymore we just download it to our phones. The music had to change with the times. Not all artist can make it out of this whirlwind but D’Angelo escaped just in time to keep his life. Tina Turner has to realize what Ike did to her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTjE0C0S5o0
In this clip it shows how Tina became a new person for Ike. She transformed herself against all that she knew because she was naive and convinced herself that it was okay. During a time where hooks described it as a ‘white patriarchally controlled media’ is what shaped Ike’s reality. He tried to turn into a white if not right version of her self. Just like in School Daze’s, Turner went along with the script to please her man.
I do not think that we can control how our bodies are portrayed. I was raised very conservatively and was not able to accept my body until I moved out. I have big breast which had to always remain hidden but why when God gave them to me. Why shouldn’t I embrace them? I have enjoyed watching Beyonce become her own person. She only started shedding more of her clothes after she became her own manager. When she started making decisions for her- I think she just found comfort with herself.
- Taylor Young
I do agree with Bell Hooks' suggestion that Tina Turner was likely not a willing participant in her own objection. However, I do think that she was conscious of her husband's actions actually being objection, even though she probably has a deeper understanding of the concept as she reflects back now. Like Ike, I can assume she realized the level of success she could reach by appeasing to the "white gaze." Ike Turner's Tarzan and Jane fantasy, as well as Jane from School Daze, represents internalized racism among black people. While Ike Turner was exemplifying it, Spike Lee was addressing it. Spike Lee brings attention to our infatuation with the mixed, mulatto woman. This stems from the constant negative representation of darkskinned black women in the media, and the praise of black women with European features. The influence of colorism brought on by the "divide and conquer" strategies of slavery can be seen in almost all aspects of black life. However, I feel as if black people do not like to directly address this issue because then we would have to openly admit our participation in its use, instead of always talking about the cause and root of the problem. I honestly think this concept is one important reason why African African documentaries are neglected. From my observations, we willingly conserve about the problems slavery and segregation brought on and how they still linger. Yet, we are hesitant to state our personal ties with colorism and similar issues. African American documentaries often discuss these things head on, making them uncomfortable for many black people to absorb and support in mainstream media. Also, if these documentaries went mainstream, they would also suffer from the white gaze; again, making black people uncomfortable with the fact that we perpetrate these ideas along with white people.
ReplyDeleteI think Beyonce embraces her sexuality on her own terms. If you keep up with her music, you can see a shift in her image concerning the way she owns her image as a sexual icon. She has always been seen as a sex symbol, even before she was solo. However, she always kept the sexual visuals and images at a minimum as if to not offend anyone (or to make sure her music was able to be played on the radio.) In the past couple of years, she totally rejected those practices. Her lyrics and images became more personal, as she openly wrote about her sex life and fantasies with her husband. I was personally extremely proud of her for this. She isn't doing it to sell records. In fact, she has stated that she knows that she is at a place in her career where she doesn't have to worry about selling a certain about of records. At this point, she is focusing on personal creativity whether people agree with it or not.
I am sure that Tina Turner is aware especially today of how Ike used her and molded her into what he wanted her to be. It is a known fact that sex sells and that you have to be a sex symbol in order for you to make it to the top even if that means transforming yourself against your own beliefs. It amazes me how much religion plays a factor in the lives of these sex symbols. Tina Turner was raised in the church as well as D'Angelo being a PK. D'Angelo went against his beliefs as well as his comfort zone due to the fact that he had to conform. He was used as the industry's puppet although when he begin to sing his way of music, the sales were not nearly as high as Untitled. Tina Turner was molded into this sex symbol in order to bring Ike to the top. He saw her innocence and took advantage in creating her into his "Jane" and making her sexy enough that she would be remembered as such. I definitely agree Patrice that the concept of Tarzan from a black man is clearly representation of internalized racism. In the movie "Skool Daze" the way Jane seemed uncomfortable as far conforming in that weird "lust" scene could be the way D'Angelo and Tina felt as far as conforming into the sex symbol. Spike Lee hit a point in which the issue between dark skin and light skin. Light skinned women will always be praised in the media solely based on their complexion. However, the irony in complexion with Tina Turner is there was nothing light-skinned about her. Therefore Ike did try to mold her into having more European features by trying to make her his "Jane" with the blonde wigs.
DeleteI do not agree that Beyoncé is not in control of her own sex appeal because Beyoncé runs her own show. I will admit that in her way of trying to get to the top she was a sex symbol and her father made sure she was in the spotlight. It never occurred to me until now that not only was Beyoncé always front and center she was the lightest out of Destiny's Child and rarely had any other color in her hair besides blonde. Again, sex sells and in order to make it to the top Beyoncé had to become a sex symbol. Everything about the "Dangerously in Love" album shows how her sex was her brand. However, today she is in control of what she puts out there as well as she can switch it up at anytime and the "BeyHive" will still support. Unlike D'Angelo he tried to give his "R&B", but honestly I never heard about it until this class. But Beyoncé can clearly switch up her style of music or representation and she will still be on top. Is she a sex symbol? Absolutely. But she runs her own show. I have been following Beyoncé since the "Writings on the Wall" and you can see where she has switched her style and transition to do whatever she feels like. Rihanna can't do that and neither can Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj is very gifted with her lyrics but the purpose of breast and butt implants was to push her out in the world as the newest female sex symbol in hip hop. When Biggie discovered that Lil Kim could rap he told her she has to be more sexy because basically if she doesn't display sex then her record will never make it in the hip hop industry. Beyoncé doesn't have to give sex because she is already known for her talent which is vocals, dancer, performer, and trendsetter.
I do think she realizes that she was being sexualized later on in her career when she left Ike, because she claimed her sexualized image and used it to promote herself since that was the platform she was already given.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ike had Tina wear the big messy blond wig to influence her role as sexy & primal, he turned his kink into her image. When that happened, in the beginning that may have caused her to not enjoy music the way she wanted to since she came from a more reserved Christian background in TN. This forced sexual prowess on black women occurred again to Jane in School Daze. This connects to the white patriarchal gaze we were talking about in class because during the times of slavery black people were not their own, but instead property of whoever bought them from the auction block. Society still treats black bodies as if they don’t belong to the people who have to live with them. This occurrence is still relevant today for black women because we are over sexualized in the white gaze, and viewed as sexual deviants when we want to claim our sexuality for ourselves.
When D’Angelo filmed his music video “Untitled”, he was viewed as a sex symbol, and was then known for his body instead of his music. This reversed role of sexualization on the black male body was different from the social norm because it’s normally brown video vixens in black entertainment. It was interesting to see it play out because you normally see women resisting being labeled as the Jezebel, or the thot, but it goes to show that no matter what sex you are forced sexualization can occur to your image as long as you’re under the white gaze in the media.
I think we can take control of how our bodies are portrayed along with how our stories are told by accepting all the dimensions of people. I mean, we should accept that people have a sexual side, but also acknowledge that that image is not the whole picture of who they are as a person. For instance, the music video “Untitled” was an excellent form of videography, but that isn’t he only side of D’Angelo that should have been praised/recognized. So once we come together and realize that people can be sexy, and people can choose to be conserved, but as a collective, we need to learn how to be comfortable with our own sexuality before we know how to truly accept someone else’s self image.
I think Beyonce does have control of her own body now, because she advocates how women should claim their sexiness in a way males are allowed to claim their sexual side without being condemned. While I do recognize that her body is apart of her image/brand, it’s not something she shies away from. Instead she confronts the issue by claiming her sexual prowess on stage, and continues to support other women who use their sexuality for entertainment purposes. A great example of this is the beginning of her song with Nikki Minaj, “Flawless”, she samples Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie TED talk, “We should all be feminists” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc .
The dominant culture has always been so fascinated with African American bodies. There is a new TV on WGN that’s called “underground”. In this TV show it shows slave owners sleeping with the female slaves and the white women hating the black women because they were able to cook, clean, and were getting attention from their husbands. The raping and using black women for sexual purposes during slavery ultimately led to the sexualization of black women in all forms of media. This eventually led African Americans to turn something negative into a positive and make a living off of their sexuality. Ike Turner turning Tina Turner into a sex symbol and I think Tina Turner does realizes she is a participant in her own objectification but has embraced it. Another example would be Beyoncé’, I really think Beyoncé is in control of her body, what’s wrong with women being proud of our bodies? Society has been shaming the African community for years and I feel like she has embraced it as well, everyone is not the same but it works for her.
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