As a result of recent articles, essays, comments, and discussions I’ve read or heard in various media, as well as on the basis of “field observations,” I decided to consolidate what I’ve learned and formally address this topic. After due consideration, I’ve developed an explanation that no doubt will not be at all popular with the subject group -- self-identified African American women in the U.S. of a certain caste, class, and type.

In most societies the scale of female desirability is primarily determined by what the men as a group perceive as most feminine or most attractive (take a look at those women’s magazine polls of male opinion that come out from time to time). Note that the word is “feminine” rather than “beautiful.” Some reports state that because the majority of Asian women are considered petite by most American men they are therefore perceived as more feminine than “white,” “Latino,” or “black” women. Apparently certain Afro-American women aren’t aware that “white” women have dropped to second place on the attractiveness scale.

African American women often disparage “white” women’s supposedly anorectic figures and claim that due to “heredity” African American women have “shape” and can’t achieve “fashion model” looks. Does “shape” refer to the characteristic gluteus maximus, or to the widespread tendency to be just plain overweight? There is nothing about “shape” that healthier food choices and regular aerobic exercise couldn’t vastly improve. “Shape” sounds like an excuse, and if anyone else touted that heredity business about them they’d immediately label that person a racist. Apparently, Afro-American women also don’t know that the average female in the U.S. wears size 12 not size 6, nor have they noticed that the natural petiteness of many Asian American women is considered more appealing than the unnatural, starved model look they so abhor.

Another argument that’s received a lot of attention is that Afro-American women are supposedly victims of “Eurocentric” beauty standards and therefore cannot hope to compete against Euro-American women in the looks department. If that’s true then how did Iman and Naomi Campbell, for example, become two of the richest and most famous models in the world? Many people consider them beautiful but I certainly wouldn’t call their looks “Eurocentric.” A further flaw in this argument is that studies have shown that the most marriageable women in the U.S. these days are “Asian” not Euro- American and that the men they are marrying are primarily “white.” It seems therefore that “white” women have just as much to complain about as “black” ones do about “their” men being “stolen.” Are they whining about heredity or about being taller or more mesomorphic than Asian women? No, they’re out there looking for other fish to fry.

While Asian (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Thai, etc.) women may share a much-vaunted Eurocentric “beauty mark” -- i.e. long, straight hair -- they run the gamut of skin color, tend to be small busted, don’t as a rule have blue, grey, or green eyes, and plenty of them have broad noses and thick lips. So, what then accounts for so many Afro-American women being perceived as least feminine and therefore least attractive? Hold that thought for a moment.

The average U.S. male (of unspecified color/“race”) does not get to meet Iman or Naomi Campbell, and after all, they are known primarily from still photos. Rather, the U.S. male sees and hears the animate characters and caricatures that Afro-American women portray in film and on TV; he sees the ones that appear all too frequently as guests on the horridly popular scandal shows; and he sees the ones that make themselves all too negatively noticeable in public places. And what is the most prominent image being projected? An in-your-face, hostile and aggressive, neck undulating, head bobbing, strident, finger pointing, often overly made up, poorly or inappropriately dressed “vision of loveliness” with an improbable hair color, 4-inch curved talons for fingernails, and who only speaks jive/Ebonics. Is this picture feminine, attractive, or desirable?

Since for the most part U.S. communities are still primarily divided along economic and caste (“racial”) lines, their members do not largely live and play in the same areas. The average “non-black” male isn’t likely to see or meet Afro-American women that contradict this negative image that’s being projected in visual media. Who is ultimately responsible for the perpetuation of this image? Why is this image being projected in the first place? Why aren’t middle and upper class Afro-American women who don’t fit this lower and underclass stereotype doing something to change it? Why would any group of people project their worst examples as representative of the whole or as role models? Why would a group of people that frequently and loudly complains about negative stereotypes not complain about this one? Could it be an excuse?

Hardly any woman can achieve “fashion model” looks. Few women are considered “beautiful” or even “pretty.” All American women are tyrannized by impossible standards of youth, beauty, and the blonde syndrome. However, many, many women are in fact, or potentially, attractive. They are not beautiful or pretty but they are attractive because they are feminine. Femininity (or masculinity for that matter) is largely a state of mind. If a girl grows up being told that she’s pretty she believes it regardless of whether or not it’s actually true. And believing it, she acts it out. The reverse is also true. If she’s unfortunate enough to fall into the latter group then she’s stuck with doing the work it takes to change her self-image and self-esteem. Regardless of who was responsible for her negative feelings about her appearance she is still the one who has to do the hard work of changing her mind, her feelings, and herself.

I know for a fact, having watched men watching women, that Afro-American men are not the only men physically attracted to Afro-American women. I also don’t doubt for a moment, however, that many, many men (including “black” ones) are extremely turned off by the way a lot of African American women behave. The crassly sexual, materially grasping, verbally vulgar harpy is equally unappealing to all men and doubly off-putting to men from backgrounds different from hers who don’t share her frame of reference. That is, they don’t understand “where she is coming from” with such a self-presentation. I rarely see “white,” “Asian,” or “Hispanic” men with an Afro-American woman, but when I do, the individual woman is altogether different from what I’ve just described.

“White” is not synonymous with beauty, nor is “black” with ugly. But if “black” is perceived as ugly it’s because poor taste, bad manners, and being loud and crude with a chip on one’s shoulder ARE ugly. Until Afro-American women of this type truly believe “Black is Beautiful” few others are ever going to believe it either. That they don’t believe it is obvious, it shows. It shows in how they dress, behave, and carry themselves in public. Another dead giveaway is the number of “white”/“black” mixed actresses and models who are promoted to the general public as “black.” If these actresses and models didn’t exist who would the Afro-American community be pointing to as examples of “black” beauty instead? Pretending that Afro-American women and Creole/Mulatto women look the same is about as believable as when some of the Asian teenagers I see these days dye their hair red or blonde and wear blue contact lenses.

This type of Afro-American woman should quit whining about Afrocentric features vs. European beauty standards. She should “chill” that “badittude.” She should stop blaming others and stop trying to turn faults into desirable qualities. Stop using heredity as an excuse to continue separating herself from mainstream culture and society. She should wear clothes that fit. Wear styles that flatter. Guess what? Bo Derek, “the perfect 10”? Cornrows weren’t becoming to her, either.

As a multigenerational triracial woman I have no sympathy for Afro-American women. After all, they and Euro-American women have stolen all the viable, available, attractive Creole/Mulatto men.

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