Beyonce is once again being scrutinized for allegedly agreeing to have her skin colour altered for marketing purposes. In 2008 she came under fire when she appeared in a L’Oreal ad with noticeably paler skin. L’Oreal was accused of ‘whitewashing’ her. While Beyonce was perceived to be detached from her own blackness.
Beyonce's 2008 L'Oreal ad. PICTURE: FilmMagic/ L'Oreal
Now Beyonce is being scrutinized for doing the opposite- having her skin darkened in an “African-inspired” photo shoot for the March issue of L’Officiel Paris. The French magazine is celebrating it’s 90th anniversary, and Beyonce’s photo shoot is intended to be a homage to Nigerian musician/activist, Fela Khuti. Apparently she went to see the Broadway show, Fela! (which Jay-Z produced) and was inspired to reference his music in her upcoming album.
In the glossy Beyonce appears in a series of photographs in blackface make-up, tribal paint and a dress that’s designed by her mom.
According to a statement by the magazine Beyonce is “far from the glamorous Sasha Fierce, the beauty posed for the magazine with amazing fashion designers clothes, but also in a dress created by her mother. [It is] A return to her African roots, as you can see on the picture, on which her face was voluntarily darkened”
PICTURE: movies.hadnews.com
Beyonce in L'Officiel Paris magazine. PICTURE: movies.hadnews.com
For some people outside of the US the backlash is unwarranted. But blackface makeup is historically controversial because of it’s origins. It was used in the 19th century on stage performances as a method of mocking African-Americans in shows. So the photoshoot has sparked numerous debates about the perception and portrayal of (black) beauty, what it means to be African and more so African-American and whether racism is being disguised as art in race related magazine shoots and covers.
Posted By: anita moore
Friday, February 25th 2011 at 11:32AM
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