Thought Paper

Courtney Hardy

ANTH        

Dr. Reddy

10 February 2017

Thought Paper 1

  Gender stereotypes have been used in today’s society as well as in the past couple of centuries to control the ideals of a woman’s character based on their color. They were looked at as more of a commodity than a person and emphasis was placed on their sexuality rather than their intellect. Embracing their differences amongst the cultural races, women of color have become bold and fearless when it comes to racial comments and judgements. In the general public the upper and lower part of the body seem to draw the most attention when it comes to women of color. So, the question I ask is, “why are specific areas of our bodies so admired and revered or deemed disgusting and revolting depending on the ethnicity of the body?” While comparing the readings, I found Magdalena Barrera's and the Bell Hook’s articles explained the most detail about the way society views women of color’s bodies.  

In Magdalena Barrera's article, "Hottentot 2002: Jennifer Lopez and Her Butt", focuses on a particular body part, the butt and how mainstream media connects it to race and gender. Women of color are more expected to have the full figure body rather than a white woman. The butt has been an empowering symbol in the past as well as in the present. The embracement of a women’s own body instills a self-confidence within herself producing the sexualized sensation men desire. In today’s pop culture Jennifer Lopez has been idolized by her butt, Kim Kardashian, a white women has been harshly judged by hers due to implants because it is not in the realm of a socially acceptable body. It comes to the realization that the media has an over powering effect on what is appropriate or not within cultures. Present day’s cultural concept has placed woman as sex objects which has led to women being objectified unfortunately this sends an inappropriate message to our future generations.

In Bell Hook’s article, “Selling Hot Pussy”, the author puts the emphasis on the value of specific body parts opposed to woman of color as a complete human being. The times woman of color were introduced to the American society from slaves to entertainers, individuals looked at them as tools of use such as breast feeding or sexualized objects. They only looked as beautiful when “it is synonymous with accessibility, when it is sexually deviant” (Hooks, 66). However, it is portrayed in the beginning as desire and want when in actuality colored woman is instead being used sexually and is often discarded by men. Women like Tina Turner or Beyonce are idolized as sexual objects to men based on the representation image created for them. Although Woman of color seems to embrace these stereotypical images because it keeps them elevated to an idolized status.