Not TOO Black

[Picture of Nicki Minaj with pale (slightly tan) skin in Victorian dress framed with a gold Victorian style frame]

Do you recognize this performer? Probably not. This is a photo from a shoot with W magazine of Nicki Minaj. In this photo, despite being an outspoken black performer, Nicki appears to be closer to white than black, including more European facial features. Compare this to another photo of Nicki Minaj:

[Photo of Nicki Minaj with a dark tan/ light black skin tone wearing a cutout knit swim suit and geometric patterns on her legs]

The W photo is sadly expected by people who have criticized magazines for years for the heavy photoshopping that is done to every person pictured inside. For women particularly the beauty standard of magazines requires trimming, skin tone evening, along with many other cosmetic changes. Generally the photos you see are nothing like the actual body of the person depicted. However, these particular photos make clear the division between the oppression of white women and the oppression of women of color. The beauty standard also favors whiteness (not to be confused with paleness, since it is still considered attractive for a white woman to be tan). 

Women of color have spoken for years in feminist circles about the alienation of the view that all women are equally oppressed. This controversy came to a head during Slutwalk New York when one protester carried a sign saying "'Woman is the n***** of the world' - John Lennon". This brought to light the divide between white feminists and WOC (many who choose not to identify as feminists). That divide caused by the homogenization of women's struggles that erases the dual oppression unique to WOC.

Another example of this is the ELLE cover white lightened the skin of Aishwarya Rai, previous Miss World, model, and actress.

[Side-by-side photos showing Aishwarya Rai, Indian actress. The photo on the left shows Rai on the cover of ELLE magazine with pale white skin and notably western facial features. Photo on the right shows Rai with her natural tan skin color, curved nose, and rounded face shape]

Besides Rai's skin being visibly lightened, her nose is also flattened to look more European/"Western". Accounts claim the Rai has expressed "disbelief" at the lightening and may file a lawsuit against Elle (source). This common practice in magazines is blatantly racist (in that it favors whiteness above other ethnicities) and comes out of the concept of the "crossover" model/actress discussed in Crossing Over the Latina Body by Mary Beltran. However, this editing differs from J.Lo's re-branding as upper-class and more acceptable to white audiences in that Rai did not decide to be lightened. As of now, there is no clarification as to whether Nicki Minaj was Photoshopped or was lightened using make up. However, in either case there is clear pressure and determination to lighten actresses and models of color. This is an example of the hegemonic beauty standard which favors those with privilege in society. In magazines this is due to inherent racism in societal values that they cater to in order to make sales. This shows the cyclic and seemingly impenetrably monopoly that hegemonic values have on popular media. Despite claims that we live in a "post-racial" society, it seems that whiteness is favored in the mainstream media, even in women of color.